Two new studies take distinct population genetic approaches to analyzing whole-genome sequencing data sets in order to estimate human demographic parameters. These papers refine our understanding of the relationships among human populations while illustrating both the possibilities and the statistical challenges of fitting demographic models to whole-genome data sets.
References
1000 Genomes Project Consortium. Nature 467, 1061–1073 (2010).
Hernandez, R.D. et al. Science 331, 920–924 (2011).
Gronau, I. et al. Nat. Genet. 43, 1031–1034 (2011).
Li, H. & Durbin, R. Nature 475, 493–496 (2011).
Pool, J.E. et al. Genome Res. 20, 291–300 (2010).
Nordborg, M. in Handbook of Statistical Genetics (eds. Balding, D.J., Bishop, M. & Cannings, C.) 179–212 (Wiley, 2001).
Beerli, P. & Felsenstein, J. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98, 4563–4568 (2001).
Fearnhead, P. & Donnelly, P. Genetics 159, 1299–1318 (2001).
Gutenkunst, R.N. et al. PLoS Genet. 5, e1000695 (2009).
Li, N. & Stephens, M. Genetics 165, 2213–2233 (2003).
McVean, G. et al. Genetics 160, 1231–1241 (2002).
McVicker, G. et al. PLoS Genet. 5, e1000471 (2009).
Drummond, A.J. et al. Mol. Biol. Evol. 22, 1185–1192 (2005).
Keinan, A. et al. Nat. Genet. 39, 1251–1255 (2007).
Hellenthal, G. et al. PLoS Genet. 4, e100078 (2008).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The author declares no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pritchard, J. Whole-genome sequencing data offer insights into human demography. Nat Genet 43, 923–925 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.953
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.953
- Springer Nature America, Inc.