Geographical Affinities of the HapMap Samples
2009

Geographical Affinities of the HapMap Samples

Sample size: 270 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): He Miao, Gitschier Jane, Zerjal Tatiana, de Knijff Peter, Tyler-Smith Chris, Xue Yali

Primary Institution: The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

Hypothesis

What effects could the non-standard ascertainment of HapMap samples have on the interpretation of results?

Conclusion

The CHB and CEU samples show signs of admixture and should be interpreted with caution in population-genetic studies.

Supporting Evidence

  • The YRI and JPT samples were indistinguishable from independent Yoruba and Japanese samples.
  • The CHB and CEU were distinguishable from all other HGDP-CEPH populations with autosomal markers.
  • Both the CHB and CEU showed signs of admixture.

Takeaway

Scientists looked at DNA samples from different places to see how they relate to each other, and found that some samples are mixed from different backgrounds.

Methodology

The study compared HapMap samples with conventionally-ascertained samples using genome-wide SNP data and Y-STR haplotypes.

Potential Biases

The CHB and CEU samples may not accurately represent their geographical origins due to mixed ancestry.

Limitations

The limited population representation in the HGDP collection may affect the similarity results.

Participant Demographics

The samples included individuals from Yoruba in Nigeria, Han Chinese in Beijing, Japanese in Tokyo, and Utah residents of European descent.

Statistical Information

P-Value

<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0004684

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