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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
general
The genetic legacy of the expansion of Bantu-speaking peoples in Africa
Nature, Year 2023
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Description
The expansion of people speaking Bantu languages is the most dramatic demographic event in Late Holocene Africa and fundamentally reshaped the linguistic, cultural and biological landscape of the continent1–7. With a comprehensive genomic dataset, including newly generated data of modern-day and ancient DNA from previously unsampled regions in Africa, we contribute insights into this expansion that started 6,000–4,000 years ago in western Africa. We genotyped 1,763 participants, including 1,526 Bantu speakers from 147 populations across 14 African countries, and generated whole-genome sequences from 12 Late Iron Age individuals8. We show that genetic diversity amongst Bantu-speaking populations declines with distance from western Africa, with current-day Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo as possible crossroads of interaction. Using spatially explicit methods9 and correlating genetic, linguistic and geographical data, we provide cross-disciplinary support for a serial-founder migration model. We further show that Bantu speakers received significant gene flow from local groups in regions they expanded into. Our genetic dataset provides an exhaustive modern-day African comparative dataset for ancient DNA studies10 and will be important to a wide range of disciplines from science and humanities, as well as to the medical sector studying human genetic variation and health in African and African-descendant populations. © 2023, The Author(s).
Authors & Co-Authors
Fortes-Lima, Cesar A.
Sweden, Uppsala
Uppsala Universitet
Burgarella, Concetta
Sweden, Uppsala
Uppsala Universitet
France, Paris
Inrae
Hammaren, Rickard
Sweden, Uppsala
Uppsala Universitet
Eriksson, Anders
Estonia, Tartu
Tartu Ülikool
Vicente, Mário
Sweden, Stockholm
Stockholms Universitet
Jolly, Cécile
Sweden, Uppsala
Uppsala Universitet
Semo, Armando Cinturão
Portugal, Porto
Universidade do Porto
Portugal, Fornelo e Vairao
Cibio - Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos
Gunnink, Hilde
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Netherlands, Leiden
Universiteit Leiden
Mundeke, Léon
Democratic Republic Congo, Kinshasa
Universite de Kinshasa
Matonda, Igor
Democratic Republic Congo, Kinshasa
Universite de Kinshasa
Muluwa, Joseph Koni
Democratic Republic Congo, Kikwit
Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Kikwit
Coutros, Peter R.
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Nyambe, Terry S.
Zambia, Livingstone
Livingstone Museum
Cikomola, Justin Cirhuza
Democratic Republic Congo, Bukavu
Université Catholique de Bukavu
Coetzee, Vinet
South Africa, Pretoria
University of Pretoria
de Castro, Minique Hilda
South Africa, Pretoria
Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria
Ebbesen, Peter
Denmark, Aalborg
Aalborg University
Delanghe, Joris Richard
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Stoneking, Mark
Germany, Leipzig
Max-planck-institut Für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
France, Villeurbanne
Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive
Barham, Lawrence S.
United Kingdom, Liverpool
University of Liverpool
Lombard, Marlize
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
Meyer, Anja
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of the Witwatersrand
Steyn, Maryna M.
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of the Witwatersrand
Malmström, Helena
Sweden, Uppsala
Uppsala Universitet
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
Rocha, J. L.
Portugal, Porto
Universidade do Porto
Portugal, Fornelo e Vairao
Cibio - Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos
Soodyall, Himla
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of the Witwatersrand Faculty of Health Sciences
South Africa, Pretoria
Academy of Science of South Africa
Pakendorf, Brigitte
France, Lyon
Université de Lyon
Bostoen, Koen
Belgium, Ghent
Universiteit Gent
Schlebusch, Carina M.
Sweden, Uppsala
Uppsala Universitet
South Africa, Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
Sweden, Solna
Science for Life Laboratory
Statistics
Citations: 1
Authors: 29
Affiliations: 24
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1038/s41586-023-06770-6
ISSN:
00280836
Research Areas
Genetics And Genomics
Study Locations
Congo
Zambia