Collecting trip to Yemen - April/May, 2007


Project description - Biological samples (saliva and dried blood spot) were collected throughout Yemen in order to reconstruct the migration path of the first anatomically modern humans out of Africa.  These samples will also be used to investigate subsequent contacts across the Red Sea.  In order to accurately represent the genetic variation present in Yemeni populations, it was important to sample populations that reflected the geographic and linguistic diversity of Yemen (see map below).  To investigate migrations between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, samples will be analyzed from the Horn of Africa (as represented by Ethiopia and Eritrea) and southern Arabia (as represented by Yemen).  All necessary samples are now in hand and genetic analyses (mtDNA, Y chromosome, autosomes) are proceeding.


Map of Yemen showing birthplaces of 552 individuals who donated samples



Research team - Dr. Ryan Raaum, Fathi Ahmed Ali Almeeri, Basam Mohammed Wesaby,
Dr. Ali Mohammed Almeeri, Dr. Connie Mulligan (left to right)




Collecting saliva and dried blood samples in Zabid (Red Sea coast), Al Khola (rural area, western highlands), and Dhamar (rural area, western highlands)



Genetics workshop, Sana'a University

 


Sunset over the Red Sea - near the point where anatomically modern humans first set foot outside of Africa?