Minimizing recombinations in consensus networks for phylogeographic studies
2009

Minimizing Recombination Events in Genetic Studies

Sample size: 105 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Parida Laxmi, Javed Asif, Melé Marta, Calafell Francesc, Bertranpetit Jaume

Primary Institution: Computational Biology Center, IBM T J Watson Research

Hypothesis

Can we compute a consensus network with the minimum number of additional recombinations from two existing networks?

Conclusion

The study successfully identifies recombination spots in human haplotypes, supporting the 'Out of Africa' model.

Supporting Evidence

  • The algorithm guarantees that the number of computed new recombination events is close to the optimal number.
  • The results support the widely accepted 'Out of Africa' model of human migration.
  • The study provides a new method for analyzing recombinational variations in human populations.

Takeaway

The researchers figured out how to find important spots in our DNA that show how different human populations are related, using a special math model.

Methodology

The study used a polynomial time algorithm to compute a consensus network from two phylogenetic networks.

Potential Biases

Potential biases may arise from the limited sample size and the specific populations chosen for analysis.

Limitations

The study only analyzed a small segment of the X chromosome and used a limited number of populations.

Participant Demographics

The study included Yorubans from Nigeria (N=30), Europeans (N=30), and a pooled sample of Chinese and Japanese (N=45).

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.0

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2105-10-S1-S72

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