The genetic legacy of the expansion of Bantu-speaking peoples in Africa

Fortes-Lima, C. A.; Burgarella, C.; Hammaren, R.; Eriksson, A.; Vicente, M.; Jolly, C.; Semo, A.; Gunnink, H.; Pacchiarotti, S.; Mundeke, L.; Matonda, I.; Muluwa, J. K.; Coutros, P.; Nyambe, T. S.; Cikomola, C.; Coetzee, V.; de Castro, M.; Ebbesen, P.; Delanghe, J.; Stoneking, M.; Barham, L.; Lombard, M.; Meyer, A.; Steyn, M.; Malmstrom, H.; Rocha, J.; Soodyall, H.; Pakendorf, B.; Bostoen, K.; Schlebusch, C. M.

doi:10.1101/2023.04.03.535432

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2023.04.03.535432

The genetic legacy of the expansion of Bantu-speaking peoples in Africa

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Abstract

With the largest genomic dataset to date of Bantu-speaking populations, including newly generated data of modern-day and ancient DNA from previously unsampled regions in Africa, we shed fresh light on the expansion of peoples speaking Bantu languages that started [~]4000 years ago in western Africa. We have genotyped 1,740 participants, including 1,487 Bantu speakers from 143 populations across 14 African countries, and generated whole-genome sequences from 12 Late Iron Age individuals. Our results show that Bantu speakers received significant gene-flow from local groups in regions they expanded into. We show for the first time that genetic diversity amongst Bantu-speaking populations declines with distance from western Africa, with current-day Zambia and the DRC as possible crossroads of interaction. Using spatially explicit methods and correlating genetic, linguistic and geographical data, we provide cross-disciplinary support for a serial founder migration model. Finally, we discuss the utility of our dataset as an exhaustive modern-day African comparative dataset for ancient DNA studies. These new findings and data will be important to a wide range of disciplines from science and humanities as well as to the medical sector studying human genetic variation and health in African and African-descendant populations. One-sentence summaryA comprehensive genetic analysis of the expansion of people speaking Bantu languages reveals a complex history of serial founder events, variable levels of contact with local groups, and spread-over-spread events.

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Fortes-Lima, C. A., Burgarella, C., Hammaren, R., Eriksson, A., Vicente, M., Jolly, C., Semo, A., Gunnink, H., Pacchiarotti, S., Mundeke, L., Matonda, I., Muluwa, J. K., Coutros, P., Nyambe, T. S., Cikomola, C., Coetzee, V., de Castro, M., Ebbesen, P., Delanghe, J., Stoneking, M., Barham, L., Lombard, M., Meyer, A., Steyn, M., Malmstrom, H., Rocha, J., Soodyall, H., Pakendorf, B., Bostoen, K., Schlebusch, C. M.. 2023-04-05. The genetic legacy of the expansion of Bantu-speaking peoples in Africa. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.04.03.535432

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