STR Polymorphisms of the Henan Population and Investigation of the Central Plains Han Origin of Chaoshanese
Abstract
Allele frequencies for 15 short tandem repeat (STR) loci were obtained
from a Chinese Han population in Henan province of middle China. No deviation
from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was observed for the STR loci except for
D3S1358. The 15 STR loci are potentially useful for paternity testing and forensic
casework in the Henan population. A phylogenetic tree based on CODIS STR allele
frequencies of 25 Han populations revealed noticeable but far less clear distinctions
between southern and northern Chinese populations; the Henan Han population was
located at an intermediate position between south and north Chinese Han populations,
relatively closer to Chaoshan and Minnan Han. Moreover, admixture analysis
showed a large proportion of Central Plains Han origin in Chaoshanese and
Minnanese. Admixture and phylogenetic analysis also reflected the genetic similarity
shared by these two groups.