Who were the male founders of rural Brazilian Afro-derived communities? A proposal based on three populations

• Published in: Annals of human biology Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 237 - 240
• Main Authors: Ribeiro, Guilherme Galvarros Bueno Lobo, Abe-Sandes, Kiyoko, Barcelos, Rejane da Silva Sena, Klautau-Guimarães, Maria de Nazaré, Junior, Wilson Araujo da Silva, Oliveira, Silviene Fabiana de
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Informa Healthcare 01-03-2011
• Subjects: African Continental Ancestry Group - ethnology; African Continental Ancestry Group - genetics; Brazil; Chromosomes, Human, Y - genetics; European Continental Ancestry Group - genetics; Female; Gene Frequency; Genetic Markers; Genetic Variation; Haplotypes; Humans; Male; Social Problems - ethnology; Brazil
• ISSN: 0301-4460; 1464-5033
• DOI: 10.3109/03014460.2010.500471

Background: Brazilian Quilombos are Afro-derived communities founded mainly by fugitive slaves between the 16th and 19th centuries; they can be recognized today by ancestral and cultural characteristics. Each of these remnant communities, however, has its own particular history, which includes the migration of non-African derived people.Methods: The present work presents a proposal for the origin of the male founder in Brazilian quilombos based on Y-haplogroup distribution. Y haplogroups, based on 16 binary markers (92R7, SRY2627, SRY4064, SRY10831.1 and .2, M2, M3, M09, M34, M60, M89, M213, M216, P2, P3 and YAP), were analysed for 98 DNA samples from genetically unrelated men from three rural Brazilian Afro-derived communities-Mocambo, Rio das Rãs and Kalunga-in order to estimate male geographic origin.Results: Data indicated significant differences among these communities. A high frequency of non-African haplogroups was observed in all communities.Conclusions: This observation suggested an admixture process that has occurred over generations and directional mating between European males and African female slaves that must have occurred on farms before the slaves escaped. This means that the admixture occurred before the slaves escaped and the foundation of the quilombo.