Journal article
A genome scan for genes underlying adult body size differences between Central African hunter-gatherers and farmers
Human genetics, Vol.137(6), pp.487-509
07/2018
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/107467
PMID: 30008065
Abstract
The evolutionary and biological bases of the Central African “pygmy” phenotype, a characteristic of rainforest hunter-gatherers defined by reduced body size compared with neighboring farmers, remain largely unknown. Here, we perform a joint investigation in Central African hunter-gatherers and farmers of adult standing height, sitting height, leg length, and body mass index (BMI), considering 358 hunter-gatherers and 169 farmers with genotypes for 153,798 SNPs. In addition to reduced standing heights, hunter-gatherers have shorter sitting heights and leg lengths and higher sitting/standing height ratios than farmers and lower BMI for males. Standing height, sitting height, and leg length are strongly correlated with inferred levels of farmer genetic ancestry, whereas BMI is only weakly correlated, perhaps reflecting greater contributions of non-genetic factors to body weight than to height. Single- and multi-marker association tests identify one region and eight genes associated with hunter-gatherer/farmer status, and 24 genes associated with the height-related traits. Many of these genes have putative functions consistent with roles in determining their associated traits and the pygmy phenotype, and they include three associated with standing height in non-Africans (PRKG1, DSCAM, MAGI2). We find evidence that European height-associated SNPs or variants in linkage disequilibrium with them contribute to standing- and sitting-height determination in Central Africans, but not to the differential status of hunter-gatherers and farmers. These findings provide new insights into the biological basis of the pygmy phenotype, and they highlight the potential of cross-population studies for exploring the genetic basis of phenotypes that vary naturally across populations.
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Details
- Title
- A genome scan for genes underlying adult body size differences between Central African hunter-gatherers and farmers
- Creators
- Trevor Pemberton - 0000 0004 1936 9609 grid.21613.37 Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics University of Manitoba Winnipeg MB CanadaPaul Verdu - 0000 0001 2217 0017 grid.7452.4 CNRS-MNHN-Université Paris Diderot, UMR 7206 Eco-Anthropologie et Ethnobiologie Paris FranceNoémie Becker - 0000 0004 1936 973X grid.5252.0 Division of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biology Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Planegg-Martinsried GermanyCristen Willer - 0000000086837370 grid.214458.e Division of Cardiovascular Medicine University of Michigan Ann Arbor MI USABarry Hewlett - 0000 0001 2157 6568 grid.30064.31 Department of Anthropology Washington State University Vancouver WA USASylvie Le Bomin - 0000 0001 2217 0017 grid.7452.4 CNRS-MNHN-Université Paris Diderot, UMR 7206 Eco-Anthropologie et Ethnobiologie Paris FranceAlain Froment - IRD–MNHN, UMR 208 Patrimoines locaux Paris FranceNoah Rosenberg - 0000000419368956 grid.168010.e Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford CA USAEvelyne Heyer - 0000 0001 2217 0017 grid.7452.4 CNRS-MNHN-Université Paris Diderot, UMR 7206 Eco-Anthropologie et Ethnobiologie Paris France
- Publication Details
- Human genetics, Vol.137(6), pp.487-509
- Academic Unit
- Department of Anthropology
- Publisher
- Springer Berlin Heidelberg; Berlin/Heidelberg
- Grant note
- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002738) RGPIN-2015-04739 / Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000038) France–Stanford Center for Interdisciplinary Studies University of Michigan Center for Genetics in Health and Medicine Agence Nationale de la Recherche (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001665) Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002915)
- Identifiers
- 99900547183401842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article