As new studies are done to discover the actual genetic composition of the inhabitants of Haiti, this thread will grow and more factual information will be made available.
For now it will be limited to this study that was publish this very July 2013 concerning Y-chromosomal diversity in Haiti and Jamaica.
Quick Overview of Sex Chromosomes and mtDNA
Every human inherits a pair of sex genes, one from the father and another from the mother. There are only two sex genes (Y is for the male gene and X for the female gene). Women inherit two X chromosomes that are passed down along the maternal lines of her mother (and her mother’s mother, mother’s grandmother, etc) and her father’s mother (and his mother’s mother, mother’s grandmother, etc). Men, on the other hand, inherit an X chromosome from their mother and Y chromosome from their father. Similar to the X chromosomes, the Y chromosome is passed from great grandfather to grandfather to father to son and so on.
In order to distinguish the geographic origin of a person, Scientists take into account the Y chromosomes (in males only) and the mtDNA in both, men and women. The mtDNA (also known as mitochondrial DNA) is inherited along the maternal line by both men and women and its inherited with no mutations at all. What this means is that a person’s mtDNA links directly to a woman somewhere in the world that lived lets say 500 years ago. In what part of the world this woman lived depends on the lineage of each person.
People of full single geographic descent will have the same continental origin along their Y chromosome and their mtDNA. In other words, a person of full or overwhelming European ancestry may have a European Y chromosome and a European mtDNA. A person of mixed origins might have a European Y chromosome and an African mtDNA or any other type of mixture.
Results of Haitian Study
This study was based on Y-chromosomal diversity in Haiti and Jamaica. What this means is that the focus was on the origin of paternal genetic lines in the Haitian and Jamaican populations. In the Americas, Y chromosomes are of European descent among whites and among most mixed race individuals, pointing towards a pattern of initial interracial mating between European man and Native American or African women. Considering the history of the Western Hemisphere, this shouldn’t be surprising.
It goes without saying that probably well over 90% of Haitians have African mtDNA (maternal line), but this was not the focus of this study.
The findings in this study for the Haitian population were as follows:
- 77.2% have Sub-Saharan African Y chromosomes. (For comparison, this very same study found that 66.7% of Jamaicans have Sub-Saharan African Y chromosomes).
- 20.3% of Haitians have European Y chromosomes (compared to 18.9% of Jamaicans).
- The study also detected Chinese and Indian (from India, not the Americas) Y chromosomes, but exclusively among Jamaicans and not Haitians.
In essence, the majority of paternal lineages in Haiti are of African origin and 1-in-5 Haitians can trace their paternal heritage to Europe (most likely French considering Haiti’s history and I always suspected that in the regions of Haiti that were part of the DR –the Centre Plateau area- and were settled by Canary Islanders, there’s probably some Spanish blood mixed in the population too).
Y-chromosomal diversity in Haiti and Jamaica: Contrasting levels of sex-biased gene flow.
If anyone knows of any other genetic or DNA studies on the Haitian population, share them here!
For now it will be limited to this study that was publish this very July 2013 concerning Y-chromosomal diversity in Haiti and Jamaica.
Quick Overview of Sex Chromosomes and mtDNA
Every human inherits a pair of sex genes, one from the father and another from the mother. There are only two sex genes (Y is for the male gene and X for the female gene). Women inherit two X chromosomes that are passed down along the maternal lines of her mother (and her mother’s mother, mother’s grandmother, etc) and her father’s mother (and his mother’s mother, mother’s grandmother, etc). Men, on the other hand, inherit an X chromosome from their mother and Y chromosome from their father. Similar to the X chromosomes, the Y chromosome is passed from great grandfather to grandfather to father to son and so on.
In order to distinguish the geographic origin of a person, Scientists take into account the Y chromosomes (in males only) and the mtDNA in both, men and women. The mtDNA (also known as mitochondrial DNA) is inherited along the maternal line by both men and women and its inherited with no mutations at all. What this means is that a person’s mtDNA links directly to a woman somewhere in the world that lived lets say 500 years ago. In what part of the world this woman lived depends on the lineage of each person.
People of full single geographic descent will have the same continental origin along their Y chromosome and their mtDNA. In other words, a person of full or overwhelming European ancestry may have a European Y chromosome and a European mtDNA. A person of mixed origins might have a European Y chromosome and an African mtDNA or any other type of mixture.
Results of Haitian Study
This study was based on Y-chromosomal diversity in Haiti and Jamaica. What this means is that the focus was on the origin of paternal genetic lines in the Haitian and Jamaican populations. In the Americas, Y chromosomes are of European descent among whites and among most mixed race individuals, pointing towards a pattern of initial interracial mating between European man and Native American or African women. Considering the history of the Western Hemisphere, this shouldn’t be surprising.
It goes without saying that probably well over 90% of Haitians have African mtDNA (maternal line), but this was not the focus of this study.
The findings in this study for the Haitian population were as follows:
- 77.2% have Sub-Saharan African Y chromosomes. (For comparison, this very same study found that 66.7% of Jamaicans have Sub-Saharan African Y chromosomes).
- 20.3% of Haitians have European Y chromosomes (compared to 18.9% of Jamaicans).
- The study also detected Chinese and Indian (from India, not the Americas) Y chromosomes, but exclusively among Jamaicans and not Haitians.
In essence, the majority of paternal lineages in Haiti are of African origin and 1-in-5 Haitians can trace their paternal heritage to Europe (most likely French considering Haiti’s history and I always suspected that in the regions of Haiti that were part of the DR –the Centre Plateau area- and were settled by Canary Islanders, there’s probably some Spanish blood mixed in the population too).
Y-chromosomal diversity in Haiti and Jamaica: Contrasting levels of sex-biased gene flow.
If anyone knows of any other genetic or DNA studies on the Haitian population, share them here!
