Human mitochondrial DNA variation in Southern Italy

2009/10/25 by Claudio Ottoni, Cristina Martínez‐Labarga, Luciana Vitelli +5 · 23 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Forensic and Genetic Research #Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology #Mitochondrial DNA #Variation (astronomy) #Evolutionary biology #Genetics #Biology #DNA #Genetic variation #Geography #Gene #Physics

paper · doi:10.3109/03014460903198509

published in Annals of Human Biology 36(6), 785-811 (Informa)

openalex publication_date 2009/10/25 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Since prehistoric times Southern Italy has been a cultural crossroads of the Mediterranean basin. Genetic data on the peoples of Basilicata and Calabria are scarce and, particularly, no records on mtDNA variability have been published. AIM: In this study mtDNA haplotypes of populations from Basilicata, Calabria and Sicily are compared with those of other Italian and Mediterranean populations, so as to investigate their genetic relationships. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 341 individuals was analysed for mtDNA in order to provide their classification into haplogroups. Multivariate analysis was used to compare the studied populations with other Mediterranean samples; median-joining network analysis was applied to observe the relationship between the major lineages of the Southern Italians. RESULTS: The haplogroup distribution in the Southern Italian samples falls within the typical pattern of mtDNA variability of Western Eurasia. The comparison with other Mediterranean countries showed a substantial homogeneity of the area, which is probably related to the historic contact through the Mediterranean Sea. CONCLUSION: The mtDNA analysis demonstrated that Southern Italy displays a typical pattern of Mediterranean basin variability, even though it appears plausible that Southern Italy was less affected by the effects of the Late Glacial Maximum, which reduced genetic diversity in Europe.

Citations

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• Maternal and paternal lineages in Albania and the genetic structure of Indo-European populations
• The population history of the Croatian linguistic minority of Molise (southern Italy): a maternal view
• mtDNA Variation among Greenland Eskimos: The Edge of the Beringian Expansion
• Joining the Pillars of Hercules: mtDNA Sequences Show Multidirectional Gene Flow in the Western Mediterranean
• Autosomal Microsatellite and mtDNA Genetic Analysis in Sicily (Italy)
• Median-joining networks for inferring intraspecific phylogenies
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• Harvesting the fruit of the human mtDNA tree
• Tracing European Founder Lineages in the Near Eastern mtDNA Pool
• Mitochondrial DNA Variability in Bosnians and Slovenians
• The Molecular Dissection of mtDNA Haplogroup H Confirms That the Franco-Cantabrian Glacial Refuge Was a Major Source for the European Gene Pool

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• African admixture in Europe [wikipedia]