Phylogenetic relationships of the Orang Asli and Iban of Malaysia based on maternal markers

Malaysia remains as a crossroad of different cultures and peoples, and it has long been recognized that studying its population history can provide crucial insight into the prehistory of Southeast Asia as a whole. The earliest inhabitants were the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and the indigenou...

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Main Authors: K.C., Ang, J.W.H., Leow, W.K., Yeap, S., Hood, M.C., Mahani, B.M., Md-Zain
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Genetics and Molecular Research 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/2343/
http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/2343/1/Phylogenetic%20relationships%20of%20the%20Orang%20Asli%20and%20Iban%20of%20Malaysia%20based%20on%20maternal%20markers.pdf
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author K.C., Ang
J.W.H., Leow
W.K., Yeap
S., Hood
M.C., Mahani
B.M., Md-Zain
author_facet K.C., Ang
J.W.H., Leow
W.K., Yeap
S., Hood
M.C., Mahani
B.M., Md-Zain
author_sort K.C., Ang
building UNIMAS Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Malaysia remains as a crossroad of different cultures and peoples, and it has long been recognized that studying its population history can provide crucial insight into the prehistory of Southeast Asia as a whole. The earliest inhabitants were the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and the indigenous groups in Sabah and Sarawak. Although they were the earliest migrants in this region, these tribes are divided geographically by the South China Sea. We analyzed DNA sequences of 18 Orang Asli using mitochondrial DNA extracted from blood samples, each representing one sub-tribe, and from five Sarawakian Iban. Mitochondrial DNA was extracted from hair samples in order to examine relationships with the main ethnic groups in Malaysia. The D-loop region and cytochrome b genes were used as the candidate loci. Phylogenetic relationships were investigated using maximum parsimony and neighbor joining algorithms, and each tree was subjected to bootstrap analysis with 1000 replicates. Analyses of the HVS I region showed that the Iban are not a distinct group from the Orang Asli; they form a sub-clade within the Orang Asli. Based on the cytochrome b gene, the Iban clustered with the Orang Asli in the same clade. We found evidence for considerable gene flow between Orang Asli and Iban. We concluded that the Orang Asli, Iban and the main ethnic groups of Malaysia are probably derived from a common ancestor. This is in agreement with a single-route migration theory, but it does not dismiss a two-route migration theory.
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spelling unimas-23432015-05-26T03:40:37Z http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/2343/ Phylogenetic relationships of the Orang Asli and Iban of Malaysia based on maternal markers K.C., Ang J.W.H., Leow W.K., Yeap S., Hood M.C., Mahani B.M., Md-Zain GE Environmental Sciences HT Communities. Classes. Races Malaysia remains as a crossroad of different cultures and peoples, and it has long been recognized that studying its population history can provide crucial insight into the prehistory of Southeast Asia as a whole. The earliest inhabitants were the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and the indigenous groups in Sabah and Sarawak. Although they were the earliest migrants in this region, these tribes are divided geographically by the South China Sea. We analyzed DNA sequences of 18 Orang Asli using mitochondrial DNA extracted from blood samples, each representing one sub-tribe, and from five Sarawakian Iban. Mitochondrial DNA was extracted from hair samples in order to examine relationships with the main ethnic groups in Malaysia. The D-loop region and cytochrome b genes were used as the candidate loci. Phylogenetic relationships were investigated using maximum parsimony and neighbor joining algorithms, and each tree was subjected to bootstrap analysis with 1000 replicates. Analyses of the HVS I region showed that the Iban are not a distinct group from the Orang Asli; they form a sub-clade within the Orang Asli. Based on the cytochrome b gene, the Iban clustered with the Orang Asli in the same clade. We found evidence for considerable gene flow between Orang Asli and Iban. We concluded that the Orang Asli, Iban and the main ethnic groups of Malaysia are probably derived from a common ancestor. This is in agreement with a single-route migration theory, but it does not dismiss a two-route migration theory. Genetics and Molecular Research 2011 Article PeerReviewed text en http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/2343/1/Phylogenetic%20relationships%20of%20the%20Orang%20Asli%20and%20Iban%20of%20Malaysia%20based%20on%20maternal%20markers.pdf K.C., Ang and J.W.H., Leow and W.K., Yeap and S., Hood and M.C., Mahani and B.M., Md-Zain (2011) Phylogenetic relationships of the Orang Asli and Iban of Malaysia based on maternal markers. Genetics and Molecular Research, 10 (2). pp. 640-649. DOI: 10.4238/vol10-2gmr1011
spellingShingle GE Environmental Sciences
HT Communities. Classes. Races
K.C., Ang
J.W.H., Leow
W.K., Yeap
S., Hood
M.C., Mahani
B.M., Md-Zain
Phylogenetic relationships of the Orang Asli and Iban of Malaysia based on maternal markers
title Phylogenetic relationships of the Orang Asli and Iban of Malaysia based on maternal markers
title_full Phylogenetic relationships of the Orang Asli and Iban of Malaysia based on maternal markers
title_fullStr Phylogenetic relationships of the Orang Asli and Iban of Malaysia based on maternal markers
title_full_unstemmed Phylogenetic relationships of the Orang Asli and Iban of Malaysia based on maternal markers
title_short Phylogenetic relationships of the Orang Asli and Iban of Malaysia based on maternal markers
title_sort phylogenetic relationships of the orang asli and iban of malaysia based on maternal markers
topic GE Environmental Sciences
HT Communities. Classes. Races
url http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/2343/
http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/2343/
http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/2343/1/Phylogenetic%20relationships%20of%20the%20Orang%20Asli%20and%20Iban%20of%20Malaysia%20based%20on%20maternal%20markers.pdf