The genomic history of the indigenous people of the Canary Islands

Javier G. Serrano, Alejandra C. Ordóñez, Jonathan Santana, Elías Sánchez-Cañadillas, Matilde Arnay, Amelia Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Jacob Morales, Javier Velasco-Vázquez, Verónica Alberto-Barroso, Teresa Delgado-Darias, M. Carmen Cruz Mercadal, Juan Carlos Hernández, Marco A. Moreno-Benítez, Jorge Pais, Harald Ringbauer, Martin Sikora, Hugh McColl, Maria Pino-Yanes, Mariano Hernández Ferrer, Carlos D. Bustamante and Rosa Fregel ()
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Javier G. Serrano: Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Alejandra C. Ordóñez: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Jonathan Santana: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Elías Sánchez-Cañadillas: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Matilde Arnay: Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Amelia Rodríguez-Rodríguez: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Jacob Morales: Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Javier Velasco-Vázquez: Servicio de Patrimonio Histórico, Cabildo de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Verónica Alberto-Barroso: Tibicena Arqueología y Patrimonio, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Teresa Delgado-Darias: El Museo Canario, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
M. Carmen Cruz Mercadal: El Museo Canario, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Juan Carlos Hernández: Museo Arqueológico de La Gomera, San Sebastián de La Gomera
Marco A. Moreno-Benítez: Tibicena Arqueología y Patrimonio, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Jorge Pais: Museo Arqueológico Benahoarita, Los Llanos de Aridane
Harald Ringbauer: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Martin Sikora: Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen
Hugh McColl: Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen
Maria Pino-Yanes: Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Mariano Hernández Ferrer: Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Carlos D. Bustamante: Stanford University
Rosa Fregel: Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract The indigenous population of the Canary Islands, which colonized the archipelago around the 3rd century CE, provides both a window into the past of North Africa and a unique model to explore the effects of insularity. We generate genome-wide data from 40 individuals from the seven islands, dated between the 3rd–16rd centuries CE. Along with components already present in Moroccan Neolithic populations, the Canarian natives show signatures related to Bronze Age expansions in Eurasia and trans-Saharan migrations. The lack of gene flow between islands and constant or decreasing effective population sizes suggest that populations were isolated. While some island populations maintained relatively high genetic diversity, with the only detected bottleneck coinciding with the colonization time, other islands with fewer natural resources show the effects of insularity and isolation. Finally, consistent genetic differentiation between eastern and western islands points to a more complex colonization process than previously thought.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40198-w

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