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Human mtDNA and Y-chromosome variation is correlated with matrilocal versus patrilocal residence

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Abstract

Genetic differences among human populations are usually larger for the Y chromosome than for mtDNA1,2,3. One possible explanation is the higher rate of female versus male migration due to the widespread phenomenon of patrilocality, in which the woman moves to her mate's residence after marriage. To test this hypothesis, we compare mtDNA and Y-chromosome variation in three matrilocal (in which the man moves to his mate's residence after marriage) and three patrilocal groups among the hill tribes of northern Thailand. Genetic diversity in these groups shows a striking correlation with residence pattern, supporting the role of sex-specific migration in influencing human genetic variation.

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Figure 1: Diversity in mtDNA (red) and Y-STR (green) haplotypes in three matrilocal and three patrilocal groups from northern Thailand.

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Acknowledgements

We thank S. Brauer and H. Schädlich for technical assistance, and B. Pakendorf, R. Cordaux, M. Kayser, I. Nasidze, S. Pääbo and A. Ryan for helpful discussion. H.O. was supported by a fellowship from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). Sample collection was supported by funds from the JSPS and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture, Japan; research was supported by funds from the Max Planck Society, Germany.

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Author notes

  1. Hiroki Oota

    Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

  2. Takafumi Ishida

    Present address: Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Inselstrasse 22, Leipzig, D-04103, Germany

    Hiroki Oota & Mark Stoneking

  2. Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

    Wannapa Settheetham-Ishida

  3. National Cancer Institute, Bangkok, Thailand

    Danai Tiwawech

Authors
  1. Hiroki Oota
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  2. Wannapa Settheetham-Ishida
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  3. Danai Tiwawech
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  4. Takafumi Ishida
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  5. Mark Stoneking
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Correspondence to Mark Stoneking.

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Oota, H., Settheetham-Ishida, W., Tiwawech, D. et al. Human mtDNA and Y-chromosome variation is correlated with matrilocal versus patrilocal residence. Nat Genet 29, 20–21 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng711

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