Evolution of Homo sapiens in Asia: an alternative implication of the “Out-of-Africa” model based on mitochondrial DNA data

Hiroto Naora
DOI: 10.4236/ns.2010.26072                

Abstract

Cann et al. have claimed on the basis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data that our direct ancestral Homo sapiens evolved in the African continent and spread to other continents, followed by the total replacement of the indigenous population. Their “Out-of-Africa” model is based on the assumption that mtDNA inheritance is simply maternal. Recent findings suggest the possibility that in between-population, e.g. African and Asian, mating, the African paternal mtDNA was transferred to the egg cell of an Asian together with Y-chromosomal DNA in the human past. Considering that Y-chromos- omal DNA and mtDNA sequences of African origin coexist together with Asian X-chromos- omal and autosomal DNA sequences in a current Asian, the observations by Cann et al. suggest the full/near full replacement of mtDNA in the human past, but do not necessarily imply the total replacement of indigenous populations with African migrants.

Keywords

Out-of-Africa Model; Origin of Asian; Paternal mtDNA Inheritance; mtDNA Transmission/ recombination

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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