Human genetic variation study released

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have created the largest and most detailed global study of human genetic variation, providing insights into early human migrations.

The researchers from the University of Michigan and the National Institute on Aging said their study offers unprecedented detail, uncovering new clues to humanity's origins, characterizing more than 500,000 DNA markers in the human genome and examining variations across 29 populations on five continents.

"Our study is one of the first in a new wave of extremely high-resolution genome scans of population genetic variation," said Assistant Research Professor Noah Rosenberg, co-senior author of the study. "Now that we have the technology to look at thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of genetic markers, we can infer human population relationships and ancient migrations at a finer level of resolution than has previously been possible."

Rosenberg and National Institute on Aging colleague Andrew Singleton said their study produced genetic data nearly 100 times more detailed than previous worldwide assessments of human populations.

The research appears in the Feb. 21 issue of the journal Nature.