Racial Admixture in Cuba (new PLOS genetics study)

[Gauthier]

Published: July 24, 2014
PLoS Genet 10(7): e1004488. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1004488
Beatriz Marcheco-Teruel et al.

We carried out an admixture analysis of a sample comprising 1,019 individuals from all the provinces of Cuba. We used a panel of 128 autosomal Ancestry Informative Markers (AIMs) to estimate the admixture proportions. We also characterized a number of haplogroup diagnostic markers in the mtDNA and Y-chromosome in order to evaluate admixture using uniparental markers. Finally, we analyzed the association of 16 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with quantitative estimates of skin pigmentation. In the total sample, the average European, African and Native American contributions as estimated from autosomal AIMs were 72%, 20% and 8%, respectively. The Eastern provinces of Cuba showed relatively higher African and Native American contributions than the Western provinces. In particular, the highest proportion of African ancestry was observed in the provinces of Guantánamo (40%) and Santiago de Cuba (39%), and the highest proportion of Native American ancestry in Granma (15%), Holguín (12%) and Las Tunas (12%). We found evidence of substantial population stratification in the current Cuban population, emphasizing the need to control for the effects of population stratification in association studies including individuals from Cuba. The results of the analyses of uniparental markers were concordant with those observed in the autosomes. These geographic patterns in admixture proportions are fully consistent with historical and archaeological information. Additionally, we identified a sex-biased pattern in the process of gene flow, with a substantially higher European contribution from the paternal side, and higher Native American and African contributions from the maternal side. This sex-biased contribution was particularly evident for Native American ancestry. Finally, we observed that SNPs located in the genes SLC24A5 and SLC45A2 are strongly associated with melanin levels in the sample.


Full study: http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/...n-1004488-g001

[LightHouse89]

So 70% of cubans are basically europeans.

[RighNick]

Cool study, thanks for sharing! Cubans are really interesting people, and I had always wondered about their genetics.

[TheForeigner]

So 70% of cubans are basically europeans.

No, this average admixture levels for the total cuban population and they have 72% european contribution,20% african and 8% amerindian. I don't know why they never have studies on separate groups based self proclaimed race or how they might be perceived and classed racially, when they have these studies for Latin American populations. They almost always give you admixture for total population, all races and mixtures included, so they don't tell you much.

[LightHouse89]

No, this average admixture levels for the total cuban population and they have 72% european contribution,20% african and 8% amerindian. I don't know why they never have studies on separate groups based self proclaimed race or how they might be perceived and classed racially, when they have these studies for Latin American populations. They almost always give you admixture for total population, all races and mixtures included, so they don't tell you much.

Yes which is absurd because there are places where the majority are mostly european with some admixture with natives like in chila, argentina and mexico....however these studies are most done in the US by Left wing politicists trying to tell the majority of latinos 'hey look your all tri-racial' nonsense. Some are but not all of them....they are really diverse within themselves....our media is too retarded to understand that let alone the difference between europeans and middle eastern people. No hope for americans

[Immortal Technique]

Shame that the rest are niggers

[TheForeigner]

Well I don't know of Chile, but Mexico can't be majority castizo like. They should have combined physical anthro with pop genetics. Too bad they wont.

[Gauthier]

Yes which is absurd because there are places where the majority are mostly european with some admixture with natives like in chila, argentina and mexico....however these studies are most done in the US by Left wing politicists trying to tell the majority of latinos 'hey look your all tri-racial' nonsense. Some are but not all of them....they are really diverse within themselves....our media is too retarded to understand that let alone the difference between europeans and middle eastern people. No hope for americans

This study pretty much coincides with what you see in the island, triracial looking people. Others look more mulatoid.

[Gauthier]

Well I don't know of Chile, but Mexico can't be majority castizo like. They should have combined physical anthro with pop genetics. Too bad they wont.

There has never been a study taken country wide in Mexico, but with the few studies I have seen of some cities we can say that a large number is close to 50/50, and as you go south the amerindian increases. Yet, there is still plenty of territory to cover, Mexico is one the largest countries in Hispanic America.

[Snchpnz]

This study pretty much coincides with what you see in the island, triracial looking people. Others look more mulatoid.

Actually, the study doesn't say that. I'm quoting your own quote which says

We found evidence of substantial population stratification in the current Cuban population, emphasizing the need to control for the effects of population stratification in association studies including individuals from Cuba.

And here is what "Population Stratification" is

Population stratification is the presence of a systematic difference in allele frequencies between subpopulations in a population possibly due to different ancestry, especially in the context of association studies. Population stratification is also referred to as population structure, in this context. The basic cause of population stratification is nonrandom mating between groups, often due to their physical separation (e.g., for populations of African and European descent) followed by genetic drift of allele frequencies in each group. In some contemporary populations there has been recent admixture between individuals from different populations, leading to populations in which ancestry is variable (as in African Americans). Over tens of generations, random mating can eliminate this type of stratification. In some parts of the globe (e.g., in Europe), population structure is best modeled by isolation-by-distance, in which allele frequencies tend to vary smoothly with location.

Source

So to my understanding it means the study found that Cubans are different from each other and divided along racial lines. The genetic contribution in Cuba as a whole is 72% European 20% African and 8% Native but that doesn't mean that is the average genetic breakdown for individual Cubans. Easterner is right when he gripes that they never break down the results by self proclaimed race. They always give the admixture of total population with all races mixed in. It would be interesting to know the average breakdown of self proclaimed whites, mestizos, and blacks individually.