Definition of Genetic Anthropology

Area of ​​Physical Anthropology that interprets the genetic data of human populations in light of their history, culture, language and demographic dynamics.

Quote (APA)

Agueda Munoz Gerardo | Jul. 2022
Lic. in Physical Anthropology

For its development there are important methodological considerations: a deep knowledge of some historical and demographic aspects of the population or study populations, for example, how the number of people belonging to the group of interest changed over time or how the migration to and from the zone; likewise, cultural characteristics such as kinship norms, rivalries or alliances.

This line of research is supported by evolutionary theory because evolutionary mechanisms help explain the type of inheritance of a certain gene or genes and what probability there is that this or that mechanism is operating, for example, if in a population the diversity genetics has been brought about by gene flow or by mutations.

Comparison and approach practice

It is different from other genetic studies because in this case the priority is not the data that comes from the genome (as it is in the case of biotechnology or molecular biology), but the interpretation that can be given through the particular characteristics of each population.

For example, between 2015 and 2017, an investigation was carried out with Totonacos from the Sierra Norte de Puebla and the Nahuatl population from Veracruz (Muñoz, 2017); It was found that both populations have lived together very closely for centuries, even share some linguistic terms between them but when reviewing the genetic data, specifically those of the DNA mitochondrial, it was found that they do not have great similarities at this level, that is, even after centuries of relationship between both indigenous groups there has been no there has been gene flow between them at the population level, so it can be said that they remain as two differentiated populations in terms of frequencies mitochondrial.

The question that arose is why? When reviewing the history of these groups in the area, it was found that there was an antagonism between the two: the Nahuas had been dominators of the Totonacs in the postclassic period of the time pre-Hispanic to such a degree that the Totonacs had become tributaries of the Nahuas who had control over them through the Mexica Empire, when the Spaniards arrived they took advantage of this situation to maintain order in that area of ​​the country, therefore, the situation of rivalry between Nahuas and Totonacs continued during the colony and until today, but in a less checked; then, it is this enmity that gives rise to the reservations that both groups have to combine their family nuclei and, therefore, maintain a genetic distance between the two, in other words, culture and history set the tone for a biological fact as is the reproduction.

The types of research that can be carried out from this line are varied, for example, they can be analyze the migratory patterns of certain populations by comparing the frequencies of some genes such as mitochondrial haplogroups or the Y chromosome with population records over time. Also, approximations can be established regarding the metabolism of a group following their eating habits and the frequencies of some genes such as APOE (related to fat metabolism). Even kinship systems can be used to analyze the information provided by some genetic markers such as SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism).

Sample handling

Something very important in terms of working with human populations and genetic data is the care in taking biological samples, whether saliva or blood. The collection of raw material from where the genetic data will be obtained must be handled ethically because it is sensitive and personal information, therefore there must always be consent by written document to be signed by the interested parties, the individual who participates as a donor of the sample and the researcher who will be in charge of the analyzes and the safeguarding of the samples. themselves.

This sampling must also be planned before carrying out the relevant field work, it is necessary to define how many samples will be taken and the criteria that must be applied. continue to do so, in most cases a random sampling could obscure the results obtained and would compromise the reflection that implies testing a hypothesis; Precisely this sampling design is carried out taking into account the knowledge of the history and culture of the populations involved in the study in such a way that anthropological tools are used from the moment an investigation inserted in the line of the Anthropology genetics.

Studies of this type can also be carried out with ancient human remains, which presents other difficulties such as the state of conservation of the DNA, which is It degrades as time passes and in relation to the environment to which these remains were exposed, another consideration is the number of individuals that can be Analyze an ancient population according to the finding, usually few burials are found, that is, how significant can the sample be? of study, finally, the cost of these analyzes is usually more expensive than working with contemporary groups and the ethical issues in this regard are also very variables.