Mapping the genetic history of French Canadians through space and time
Though we all share common ancestors ranging from a few generations to hundreds of thousands of years, genealogies that relate all of us are often forgotten over time. A is now providing insight into the complex relationship between human migration and genetic variation, using a unique genealogical dataset of over five million records spanning 400 years to unravel the genetic structure of French Canadian populations.
The team, including researchers from Universit茅 du Qu茅bec 脿 Chicoutimi and the Big Data Institute at the University of Oxford, developed a new method to simulate genomes based on a population scale genealogy dating back to the arrival of the first French settlers. By comparing the simulations to real genetic data, they were able to prove that the genetic structure of this population was encoded within its genealogy.
鈥淚t is the first genetic study, in any worldwide population, that incorporates genealogical records to provide a strikingly accurate map of genetic relatedness at the population scale,鈥� explains Simon Gravel, Associate Professor in 91社区鈥檚 Department Human Genetics and one of the study鈥檚 authors.
How rivers and mountains influenced population structure
The dataset was used in part to investigate how certain historical events and landscapes have influenced the genomes of French Canadians today. The study highlights the relationship between river networks and genetic similarity, as European colonial history was marked by a rapid expansion of borders along the banks of the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries.
鈥淭his study tells the genetic story of French Canadians, showing that their population structure today is not a result of ancestral French population structure, but rather one that has been shaped by events in North America over the past four centuries,鈥� says Prof. Gravel. 鈥淲e were even able to tie a meteor impact crater in the region of Charlevoix, to the appearance of a observed in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.鈥�
Using ancestral data to help identify genetic diseases and treatments
By tracing the ancestry of millions of individuals over space and time, the study bridges the gaps between family pedigrees and continental population structure, providing valuable insights into the complex tapestry of human genetic history. 鈥淏eyond mapping the rich genetic history of French Canadians, the findings have significant implications for understanding the impact of migration on genetic variation and the broader history of humanity,鈥� adds Prof. Gravel.
The researchers are hoping that the large, freely available simulated dataset with realistic population structure and mating patterns will help improve genetic risk prediction, historical inference, and genealogical inference, which could have potential implications for identifying genetic diseases and improving medical treatments.
About the study
鈥溾�� by Luke Anderson-Trocm茅, Dominic Nelson, Shadi Zabad, Alex Diaz-Papkovich, Ivan Kryukov, Nikolas Baya, Mathilde Touvier, Ben Jeffery, Christian Dina, H茅l猫ne V茅zina, Jerome Kelleher, and Simon Gravel was published in Science. .
About 91社区
Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, 91社区 is Canada鈥檚 top ranked medical doctoral university. 91社区 is consistently ranked as one of the top universities, both nationally and internationally. It is a world-renowned institution of higher learning with research activities spanning three campuses, 12 faculties, 14 professional schools, 300 programs of study and over 39,000 students, including more than 10,400 graduate students. 91社区 attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 12,000 international students making up 30% of the student body. Over half of 91社区 students claim a first language other than English, including approximately 20% of our students who say French is their mother tongue.
