By Jide Uwechia with cited sources
The Benin Haplogroup or Haplogroup 19 Common in Africans, southern Greeks, Sicilians, and Albanians
There are at least four distinct African, (known as Senegal, Congo, Benin, Bantu Hbs Haplogroups) and one Asian chromosomal backgrounds (haplotypes) on which the sickle cell mutation has arisen.
The Benin haplotype (which originates from Nigeria, West Africa) accounts for HbS associated chromosomes in Sicily Northern Greece, Southern Turkey, and South West Saudi Arabia, suggesting that these genes had their origin in West Africa. The Asian haplotype is rarely encountered outside its geographic origin because there have been few large population movements and Indian emigrants have been predominantly from non HbS containing populations. Per:Graham R. Serjeant, MD, FRCP, The Geography Of Sickle Cell Disease:Opportunities For Understanding Its DiversityRSITY: http://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/annals/143/rev9239.html
Nigeria, west Africa appears the most logical origin of the sickle mutation in Greece evidence from beta S globin gene cluster polymorphisms (1991). It has been conclusively demonstrated that HbS in Greece is mostly haplotype #19 (the one that originated in Benin, Nigeria West Africa). See, Boussiou M, Loukopoulos D, Christakis J, Fessas P.; The origin of the sickle mutation in Greece; evidence from beta S globin gene cluster polymorphisms. Unit for Prenatal Diagnosis, Laikon Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Additionally, previous data suggest that the S/Bantu haplotype (from Southern Africa) is heterogeneous at the molecular level. Recent studies also report a similar heterogenity for the Benin Haplogroup. A study demonstrated the presence of the A -499 TA variation in sickle cell anemia chromosomes of Sicilian and North African origin bearing the S/Benin haplotype (from Nigeria). Being absent from North American S/Benin chromosomes, which were studied previously, this variation is indicative for the molecular heterogeneity of the S/Benin haplotype. Am. J. Hematol. 80:79-80, 2005.
A study was done in Albania (which borders Greece) relating to sickle cell anemia, sickle cell beta-thalassemia, and thalassemia major in Albania. The focus of the study was the characterization of sickle cell mutations. As one would expect, it was shown that the HbS mutation in the Albanian sample is the Benin (Nigeria)-originating haplotype #19. See, Boletini E, Svobodova M, Divoky V, Baysal E, Dimovski AJ, Liang R, Adekile AD, Huisman TH.; Sickle cell anemia, sickle cell beta-thalassemia, and thalassemia major in Albania: characterization of mutations. : Hum Genet. 1994 Feb;93(2):182-7.
According to a study done in 1973, before the availability of the advanced data cited above, “the occurrence of the sickle-cell trait in southern Europe …. is believed to reflect gene flow from the Middle East.” See A. P. GELPI, M.D, “Migrant Populations and the Diffusion of the Sickle-Cell Gene” August 1, 1973 vol. 79 no. 2 258-264 http://www.annals.org/content/79/2/258.abstract.
The problem with this 1973 study is that it assumes that the sickle cell genes came with the Arabs. Alas, updated research work has proven beyond doubt that the sickle cell genes proven to exist in southern Europe are exclusively Sickle cell gene Haplotype 19 or the Benin Sickle cell gene from Nigeria.
Y Haplogroup E-M78 and YAP In Black Africans and Greeks
Y Haplogroup E-M78 a derivative of E3B is a signature African gene as confirmed in research studies over the last few years. The high frequency of this haplogroup in Greece suggests the presence of a substantive African population in that region during prehistoric and historical time periods.
A recent paper has detected clades of haplogroups J and E3b that were likely not part of pre-historic migrations into Europe, but rather spread by later historical movements. Greeks .. [then there is] the marker J-M267, which may reflect more recent Middle Eastern admixture.
(Semino et al., Am J Hum Genet, 2004) E3b originates from East Africa while there is a high frequency of J-M267 in the East Coast of Africa as well as the Red sea coast of Arabia.
A recent sampling of the Greek population comprised 36 Peloponnesian samples, 5 of which were J-M172(xM12) and 17 of which were E-M78 (R.K., unpublished data).
In spite of the small Peloponnesian sample size, the high E-M78 frequency (47%) observed here is consistent with that (44%) independently found in the same region (Di Giacomo et al. 2003) for the YAP chromosomes harboring microsatellite haplotypes A. (Novelletto, personal communication) (Cruciani et al. 2004).
The study by by Di Giacomo et al. found the following African haplogroups in Greeks: Haplogroup A which is highly specific to West Africa, R1a, DE, and J2*(xDYS413= 18)J*(xJ2). R1* which probably gave rise to R1a is found in Northern Cameroon. DE is found principally among Nigerians and it is suspected that it originated from Nigeria. J is very prominent in East, and North Africa.
High-resolution Y-chromosome haplotyping and particular microsatellite associations reveal … an East Africa homeland for E-M78.Origin. See Ornella Semino, Chiara Magri, et al “Diffusion, and Differentiation of Y-Chromosome Haplogroups E and J: Inferences on the Neolithization of Europe and Later Migratory Events in the Mediterranean Area” http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=15069642
HLA Genetic Relationship Between Ancient Greeks and Black Africans
HLA genes are reliable markers of past population movement and are still used in laboratories today to establish genetic inter-relationship amongst seemingly diverse peoples.
HLA genes in Macedonians and the sub-Saharan origin of the Greeks (2001) was a study conducted by Dr. Arniaz and other scholars in a top flying Spanish University. This study uses HLA genes to establish the African dimension of the roots of ancient Greece.
According to the Arniaz study, …Greeks are found to have a substantial relatedness to sub-Saharan (Ethiopian) people, which separate them from other Mediterranean groups. Both Greeks and Ethiopians share quasi-specific DRB1 alleles, such as *0305, *0307, *0411, *0413, *0416, *0417, *0420, *1110, *1112, *1304 and *1310. Genetic distances are closer between Greeks and Ethiopian/sub-Saharan groups than to any other Mediterranean group and finally Greeks cluster with Ethiopians/sub-Saharans in both neighbour joining dendrograms and correspondence analyses. The time period when these relationships might have occurred was ancient but uncertain and might be related to the displacement of Egyptian-Ethiopian people living in pharaonic Egypt. See Arnaiz-Villena A, et.al: HLA genes in Macedonians and the sub-Saharan origin of the Greeks. Tissue Antigens. 2001 Feb; 57(2): 118-27
There is a fraudulent claim (by those with idealogical investments in the topic) on the Internet that this study has been “retracted” or “refuted.” The study is perfectly valid. Sub-Saharan-specific and quasi-sub-Saharan-specific alleles were definitely detected in the Greek population at the DRB1 locus, and this is not open to question.
It would be helpful here to discuss the study that was retracted, and the reason why. It is the work titled: “The origin of Palestinians and their genetic relatedness with other Mediterranean populations” (which contained some cross-referenced Greek data in a neighbor-joining dendogram and a correspondence analysis) that was retracted. And it was retracted solely and strictly for political reasons, as this Observer article makes crystal clear:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4307083,00.html
(Keep in mind we are dealing with the study on the relatedness of Jews and Palestinians at the moment, which was retracted, and not the one on the Greek-Black African relatedness, which was not retracted and remains valid. The two must not be confused.)
Appreciations to: http://onedroprule.org/about1071.html
Epilogue:
“Hb S is common in some areas of the Mediterranean basin, including regions of Italy, Greece, Albania and Turkey (Boletini et al., 1994) (Schiliro et al., 1990). Haplotype analysis shows that the Hb S in these areas originated in Africa. The genes probably moved along ancient trading routes between wealthy kingdoms in western Africa and the trade centers in the Mediterranean basin.” (Harvard University, http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/scdmanage.html)
“Usually, people with sickle cell disease outside Africa (e.g., blacks in the United States) or India have mixed haplotypes for their sickle cell genes.” (Harvard University, http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/scdmanage.html)
“Templeton gives a modern-day analogy: the presence of a gene for sickle cell anemia in Caucasians in Portugal. The gene traces back to a mutation that occurred in Africa and spread through interbreeding between Africans and Europeans. “The Africans didn’t come up, reconquer the Iberian peninsula, kill off all the Europeans, and that’s why there are sickle cell alleles in Portugal today,” he says. The presence of the sickle cell gene in Portugal “means that Portuguese and Africans have met and they’ve interbred, just like humans tend to do.” – “Out of Africa” – Ruth Flanagan, Contributing Editor, Earth Magazine, http://www2.mc.maricopa.edu/anthro/l…ofAfrica5.html
Conclusions:
a) Sickle Cell IS NOT related to ancestry !!!
b) the paper (Loukopoulos) you’ve rediculously used to claim ancient Hellenes speaks of LAST MILLENIUM
c) E-M78 ALPHA CLUSTER is either a local or Anatolian imported during the NEOLITHIC cluster.
PS: try to understand that your pathetic display of petty provocations through the distortion of my screen name only adds to your ridicule.
Jeff
Thanks for the article, indeed an interesting read.
But the issue isn’t where we came from since the author isn’t interested in indicating that modern man (in general) did first come out of Africa, but as the title indicates he’s clearly attempting to plagiarize a history and the achievements of people he has no relation to what so ever. Hence why he intentionally avoided such an accurate generalization and made the specific reference to ancient Greeks.
IF however this article was based on well researched facts, I would be the first to revise my views, but to the contrary, I see selective quotations, distorted facts and an author’s attitude which is anything but that which would apply to someone confident in his thesis.
In short our garrulous friend just got owned.
Ignoramus Howls: “a) Sickle Cell IS NOT related to ancestry !!!”
Geneticists Answer: “The Benin haplotype (which originates from Nigeria, West Africa) accounts for HbS associated chromosomes in Sicily Northern Greece, Southern Turkey, and South West Saudi Arabia, suggesting that these genes had their origin in West Africa. The Asian haplotype is rarely encountered outside its geographic origin because there have been few large population movements and Indian emigrants have been predominantly from non HbS containing populations. Per:Graham R. Serjeant, MD, FRCP, The Geography Of Sickle Cell Disease:Opportunities For Understanding Its DiversityRSITY: http://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/annals/143/rev9239.html”
Jahdey comments: “This Ignoramus Ophesus reminds me of a semi-illiterate dude who seizes onto his mistaken interpretation of sophisticated literature to delude his mind further with wild miscomprehension. So now Mr. Ignoramus has deduced from his own mis-reading of Dr. Graham’s article that sickle cell gene is not genetically transferred. He appears to claim that malaria is the cause of sickle cell. Mr. Ignoramus, sickle cell gene is ancestral ofcourse. You cannot get sickle cell genes if your ancestors never passed them on to you. Go read more about sickle cell genes. Fool!”
Ignoramus wails: “b) the paper (Loukopoulos) you’ve rediculously used to claim ancient Hellenes speaks of LAST MILLENIUM”
Real scientists answer: “Nigeria, west Africa appears the most logical origin of the sickle mutation in Greece evidence from beta S globin gene cluster polymorphisms (1991). It has been conclusively demonstrated that HbS in Greece is mostly haplotype #19 (the one that originated in Benin, Nigeria West Africa). See, Boussiou M, Loukopoulos D, Christakis J, Fessas P.; The origin of the sickle mutation in Greece; evidence from beta S globin gene cluster polymorphisms. Unit for Prenatal Diagnosis, Laikon Hospital, Athens, Greece.”
Ignoramus exposes his inanity:
“c) E-M78 ALPHA CLUSTER is either a local or Anatolian imported during the NEOLITHIC cluster (sic).”
Real scientists say that : “High-resolution Y-chromosome haplotyping and particular microsatellite associations reveal … an East Africa homeland for E-M78.Origin. See Ornella Semino, Chiara Magri, et al “Diffusion, and Differentiation of Y-Chromosome Haplogroups E and J: Inferences on the Neolithization of Europe and Later Migratory Events in the Mediterranean Area†http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=15069642”
Neolithic age means stone age. Thus E-M78 indicates that stone age Greeks were already carrying African genes 14 KYA and within the last 5,000 years African sickle cell genes from Nigeria were also in Greece.
Ophesus Ignoramus just gave himself away. I could not be more embarrased for him. He is semi-illiterate. And the little he is able to read, he miscomprehends. He also keeps spelling “rediculous”…the right spelling is “ridiculous” — illiterate ignoramus.
Jahdey
I see that communication with a victim of his own inferiority complexes is impossible, since he’s developed a readiding disability !!!
HAVE YOU COMPREHENDED THE TEXTS YOU QUOTE AND IF YOU WILL CLAIM TO, HOW CAN YOU IGNORE THAT:
Graham, “The Geography of Sickle Cell Disease: Opportunities for Understanding its Diversity” states:
Studies of the structure of DNA surrounding the beta globin locus reveal that the sickle cell gene is associated with several DNA structures PROBABLY REPRESENTING DIFFERENT ANCESTRAL POPULATIONS. The most likely interpretation is that the sickle cell mutation IS A RELATIVELY RECENT OCCURRENCE THAT HAS OCCURRED INDEPENDENTLY IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT POPULATIONS. Falciparum malaria then acted as a selective factor, increasing the prevalence of the gene because people inheriting the sickle cell gene from one parent and a gene for normal adult hemoglobin from the other parent (sickle cell trait) were less likely to die from malaria and so more likely to survive and pass on their genes. Over the generations, the sickle cell trait has therefore reached high frequencies in malarious areas. THE FACTOR IN COMMON TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SICKLE CELL GENE IS THEREFORE MALARIA AND NOT AFRICAN ANCESTRY.
notes:
a) PROBABLY REPRESENTING DIFFERENT ANCESTRAL POPULATIONS.
b) A RELATIVELY RECENT OCCURRENCE THAT HAS OCCURRED INDEPENDENTLY IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.
c) THE FACTOR IN COMMON TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SICKLE CELL GENE IS THEREFORE MALARIA AND NOT AFRICAN ANCESTRY.
http://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/annals/html/toc143.html
and the intellectual midget continues to DISTORT…
The origin of the sickle mutation in Greece; evidence from beta S globin gene cluster polymorphisms.
Boussiou M, Loukopoulos D, Christakis J, Fessas P.
suggest that the beta S MUTATION WAS INTRODUCED INTO GREECE OVER THE LAST FEW CENTURIES by the Saracen raids and/or by settlements of North African slaves brought in by the Arabs, Franks, Venetians, or Ottoman Turks, who have occupied the country OVER THE LAST MILLENNIUM.
and the link which you dreaded to present:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=1687685&query_hl=25&itool=pubmed_docsum
So oh shinning light of knowledge that will drive us out of this endless tunnel of intellectual darkness.. do explain HOW the distribution during THE LAST FEW CENTURIES supports your outrageous claim on ANCIENT HELLENES?
Sickle Cell Antiquity in Europe
Respecting the age of this haplotype 19 in Southern Europe:
“The lack of haplotype diversity associated with most of the malaria resistance mutations (“HBS”) found in modern Mediterranean populations suggests that they have evolved within the last few thousand years.†See:
G O Tadmouri, N Garguier, J Demont, P Perrin, and A N Başak, ‘History and origin of β-thalassaemia in Turkey: sequence haplotype diversity of β-globin genes’, Human Biology, 2001, 73: 661–74; L Zahed, J Demont, R Bouhass, G Trabuchet, C Hänni, et al., ‘Origin and history of the IVS-I-110 and codon-39 β-thalassemia mutations in the Lebanese population’, Human Biology, 2002, 74: 837–47; S A Tishkoff, R Varkonyi, N Cahinhinan, S Abbes, G Argyropoulos, et al. ‘Haplotype diversity and linkage disequilibrium at human G6PD: recent origin of alleles that confer malarial resistance’, Science, 2001, 293: 455–62; L Luzzatto and R Notaro, ‘Malaria: protecting against bad air’, Science, 2001, 293: 442–3; P C Sabeti, D E Reich, J M Higgins, H Levine, D Richter, et al. ‘Detecting recent positive selection in the human genome from haplotype structure’, Nature, 2002, 419: 832–7.
Learn!!! Read some more at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.g…..47919#fn54
We also used the research of other eminent authorities such as Dr. Seargeant to establish the fact that by the time of historical antiquity the gene was well established in southern Europe. Graham R. Serjeant, MD, FRCP, The Geography Of Sickle Cell Disease:Opportunities For Understanding Its DiversityRSITY: http://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/annals/143/rev9239.html
Other support for the age of HBS in Europe can be deduced by validating the age of the malaria parasite in Europe since sickle cell is a mutation that occurs in response to endemic malaria. See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4587311.stm
It is well established that malaria was in Europe way back 6,000 years ago. See The History of Malaria: http://www.museums.org.za/bio/…..alaria.htm
The Greek medical authority Hippocratis described malaria as an affliction in his medical text which have been dated to the 6th and 5th century BC. See http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.g…..tid=547919
If malaria is at least 5000 years in Europe, and sickle cell is a mutation that occurs in response to malaria pandemia, then one can presume that there must have been sickle cell mutations in Southern Europe as early as 5,000 years ago. Right?
How old is ancient Greece? All calculations establish that the Greeks became prominent in ancient history about 3,000 years ago.
Who were those ancient Greeks? They were human beings who had in their genetic makeup, the HBS gene that protected against malaria.
What is that gene specifically speaking? The gene found in Greece and the Greeks present a Nigerian origin since the Haplotype 19 is originated in Nigeria.
E-M78
What your of limited comprehension mind fails to conceive is that the text which you yourself have quoted:
“typical of Hg E-M78 (Cruciani et al. 2004 [in this issue]; present study)”
Indicates that she’s (Seminio) citing Cruciani’s 2004 paper titled:
“Phylogeographic Analysis of Haplogroup E3b (E-M215) Y Chromosomes Reveals Multiple Migratory Events Within and Out Of Africa”
in which we read:
“the clinal frequency distribution of E-M78a within Europe testifies to important dispersal(s), most
likely Neolithic or post-Neolithic. These took place FROM THE BALKANS, where the highest frequencies are observed,
in all directions, as far as Iberia to the west and, most
likely, also to Turkey to the southeast.
Thus, it appears that, in Europe, the overall frequency pattern of the haplogroup E-M78, the most frequent E3b haplogroup in this region, is mostly CONTRIBUTED BY A NEW MOLECULAR TYPE THAT DISTINGUISHES IT FROM THE ABORIGINAL E3B CHROMOSOMES FROM THE NEAR EAST. These data are hard to reconcile with the hypothesis of a uniform spread of a single Near Eastern gene pool into southeastern Europe. On the
other hand, they might be consistent with either a smallscale leapfrog migration from Anatolia into southeastern Europe at the beginning of the Neolithic or with an expansion of indigenous people in southeastern Europe in
response to the arrival of the Neolithic cultural package.”
http://www.greekdnaproject.net/greekdnaproject.html
I’d suggest you leave your inferiority complex aside and try to comprehend the statement:
“A NEW MOLECULAR TYPE THAT DISTINGUISHES IT FROM THE ABORIGINAL E3B CHROMOSOMES FROM THE NEAR EAST.”
ABORIGINAL E3B CHROMOSOMES FROM THE NEAR EAST
NOT AFRICA
simply because the subclade titled ALPHA cluster is a division that arose NOT in Africa but in the Near East and Anatolia.