Thank You Mary Ann, 

I find this very interesting and helpful in furthering my understanding on this 
subject. Your work and sharing are very much appreciated. I have saved a copy 
in my files. 

Best Regards 
Emil Silveira 

----- Original Message -----

From: "MaryAnn Santos" <[email protected]> 
To: [email protected] 
Sent: Thursday, July 2, 2015 2:29:18 PM 
Subject: [AZORES-Genealogy] DNA analysis of Portuguese people 

I found this article on FB. It's very interesting. Here is the link followed by 
a rough translation of the text.... 

MaryAnn 

http://www.publico.pt/diversidade/jornal/a-historia-de-portugal-contada--pelos-nossos-genes-21878549
 

The analysis of certain portions of human DNA lets go back in time to get an 
idea, geographic and temporal origin of the current Portuguese. By Ana 
Gerschenfeld

the genetic recipe for cooking a modern Portuguese: warm over low heat one 
"broth" of DNA Celtic, Iberian and Lusitanian the early Christian era, adding a 
pinch of Jewish genes in the Middle East during the Roman Empire. From time to 
time, pour in the pan some Berber genes. Wait 700 years and then mix a handful 
of genes from Arab invaders for five centuries. Already in the thirteenth 
century greatly increase the heat and reduce the introduction of Arab genes 
(not forgetting to continue to sprinkle the mixture over Jewish genes). From 
the mid-fifteenth century, lower the heat and go pouring in the broth a couple 
tablespoons of gene sub-Saharan slaves. In the early sixteenth century, again 
increase the fire of Inquisition for two centuries, continuing to add African 
genes to the end of the nineteenth century - and never forgetting to temper 
periodically over some Jewish genes (now called "Sephardi").

In broad strokes, this is the DNA manufacturing recipe of today's Portugal in 
the light of the latest results of population genetics. It is at least a 
possible story and was inspired by the book reading The Portuguese Genetic 
Heritage (Gradiva, 2009), authored by researcher Luisa Pereira, Molecular 
Pathology and Immunology Institute of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), and 
journalist Filipa Ribeiro . 

One that was clearly written in the genes of the current Portuguese was the 
involvement of Portugal, especially among the mid-fifteenth century and the 
late eighteenth century - and to a lesser extent by the end of the nineteenth 
century - in the trafficking of black African slaves. The entry of slaves in 
Portugal was one of the highest in Europe - and while the other European 
colonial powers such as Spain, exporting slaves to their overseas colonies, 
Portugal mattered them to the metropolis. "In Portugal," write the authors of 
the book mentioned above, "the unusual percentage of slaves peaked at 10 
percent of the population south of the country in the mid-sixteenth century."

In 2005, the same team of IPATIMUP confirmed in the genes that history of 
Portugal already had: a study published in the journal Human Biology, concluded 
that there is now indeed a higher frequency of African lineages in genetic 
Portuguese than in the Spanish neighbors . "Basically, Portugal retains most 
sub-Saharan lineages that Spain - [and] there is historical data that Spanish 
trafficked slaves especially to America", tells us Luísa Pereira.

Many results of genetic add up to history - which was to be expected. But even 
then, there have been surprises. In particular, a study published in 2008 in 
the American Journal of Human Genetics by an international team of scientists - 
among which included John Lavinha, a geneticist at the Health Institute Ricardo 
Jorge Lisbon - showed that, on average, 35 percent of men in southern Portugal 
and 25 percent have North Sephardic Jews genes - and that men do Sul have 15 
percent of North African descent and the North 10 percent. This means, first, 
that, contrary to what was thought, the Portuguese Jews did not flee when they 
were expelled by the Inquisition. They merged in the general population and 
mingled to surviving this way religious intolerance. What about North African 
component, something similar may have happened, although to a lesser extent, 
contrary to tell us the history books. The genes of today's Portuguese witness 
what really happened. 

Mitochondria, Y and Cª

Today, modern genetics provides clues to follow the trail to the wanderings of 
the human species - and in particular Portuguese - from its beginnings.

After all, each of the cells of our body guard, in your DNA, the history of the 
generations that preceded us. The gaps are still large, but advances in DNA 
sequencing techniques have allowed obtaining results that respond to many 
questions.

Genetic studies of human populations migration of accumulated mainly by two 
specific mutations in the human gene bits: the mitochondrial DNA and chromosome 
Y. The first is a small ring of DNA that lies within structures called 
mitochondria, which are "batteries" cells. As for the Y chromosome, it 
determines the male gender (women are XX and XY males).

Both of these types of DNA are used to study the genetic characteristics of the 
population, because they have hereditary transmission modes very well defined. 
Mitochondrial DNA has the distinction of being transmitted exclusively through 
matrilineal - that is, by mothers to their children of both sexes - while the Y 
chromosome is transmitted by parents to their children exclusively male. This 
means that the DNA of mitochondria from anyone comes from his mother's mother's 
mother's mother (etc.) and the Y chromosome DNA of any man comes from his 
father's father's father's father (etc.). And the history of Portugal magazine 
through genetic prism gives roughly the above recipe. 

According to findings published in 2004 by Luisa Pereira, António Amorim and 
colleagues (also from IPATIMUP ) in the International Journal of Legal Medicine 
, the gene pool of today's Portuguese consists of 70 to 80 percent of former 
European lineages. The they have added to , more recently, 10 to 20 percent of 
strains in the Middle East , 10 percent North African strains male (i.e. , 
settings of the Y chromosome features of North Africa men) and five per percent 
of women ( ie mitochondrial settings characteristics of women in North Africa ) 
. In particular , there is in Portugal a maternal lineage, called U6 , 
characteristic of the Berbers of North Africa and virtually absent in the rest 
of Europe. The Portuguese genetic profile is completed by three to 11 percent ( 
depending on the region of the country) of female lineages arising from 
sub-Saharan Africa. 



-- 
MaryAnn Santos 
Senior Advisement and Student Affairs Administrator 
Department of Art and Art Professions 
NYU/Steinhardt 
212.998.5702 
[email protected] 

Follow us at 
Twitter / @NYUart 
Instagram / @nyuart 
Facebook / NYU Art Department 



-- 
MaryAnn Santos 
Senior Advisement and Student Affairs Administrator 
Department of Art and Art Professions 
NYU/Steinhardt 
212.998.5702 
[email protected] 

Follow us at 
Twitter / @NYUart 
Instagram / @nyuart 
Facebook / NYU Art Department 


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