Page 64 - Genomic Medicine in Emerging Economies

Colombian Population 53

from Jamaica and Curacao (Klich and Lesser, 1997). During the 20th century,
Sephardic Jews came from Greece, Turkey, North Africa, and Syria, and shortly
after they arrived from Eastern Europe. A wave of Ashkenazi Jews came with the
rise of Nazism in 1933 and continued to immigrate until the 1950s and 1960s.
The Jews ended up being more concentrated in Bogota and Barranquilla in
the 21st century. During the 19th and 20th centuries many Germans, some
via Venezuela, settled inland and on the Caribbean coast as farmers or profes-
sional workers. During and after World War II, numerous Germans came to the
country, although many left in the 1980s (SICREMI, 2014).
The genetic composition of the Colombian population reflects the migra-
tory history of Colombia (Fig. 4.1). Admixture mapping studies have shown
great genetic heterogeneity among different regions of the country (Adhikari
et al., 2016; Ruiz-Linares et al., 2014). Ruiz-Linares et al. (2014) estimated
the individual African/European/Native American admixture proportions of
Colombians in 1659 by using 30 highly informative single nucleotide poly-
morphims (SNP) and found the highest African ancestry in the coastal regions
(mainly on the Pacific coast), a higher European ancestry in certain central
areas of the country, and the highest Amerindian in the eastern and south-
western parts of the country, including Amazonia (Fig. 4.1). Interestingly,
there are populations in the country considered genetic isolates, with a higher
incidence of genetic disorders due to geographical isolation, a high degree
of consanguinity, inbreeding, or a known founder effect (Arcos-Burgos and
Muenke, 2002). The population of Antioquia Province, for example, is com-
posed of 70% European ancestry and is descendant mainly of Spaniards, Sep-
hardic Jews, and Basques, with a low admixture with Amerindian and African
populations (Arcos-Burgos and Muenke, 2002; Rojas et al., 2010). A study of
this population with genetic markers in the Y chromosome and mitochondrial
DNA showed that the origin of men (Y chromosome) is 94% of European
ancestry compared with 90% of maternal ancestry (mitochondrial DNA) being

The Spanish colonizers arrived in the early 16th century and founded San Sebastián de Urabá (which later
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disappeared), Santa Marta, and Bogota. They migrated (red arrows) inland and finally settled mainly in
the Andean highlands and on the Caribbean coast, annihilating a considerable portion (90%) of the native
population (light orange shade represents a higher proportion of European ancestry in the current population,
>50% European ancestry, and darker orange areas represent >70% European ancestry). African slaves
were brought to the country from the early 16th century until the 18th century and settled (green arrows)
mainly along the Pacific coast with a minority settling on the Caribbean coast (green shade represents
40%–50% African ancestry, and darker green areas represent >50% African ancestry). The southeastern
part of the country has mostly Amerindian ancestry (purple shade represents >40% Amerindian ancestry
and darker purple areas >50%). Modified from Google Maps: https://www.google.com.co/maps/place/
Colombia. Data taken from Ruiz-Linares, A., Adhikari, K., Acuña-Alonzo, V., Quinto-Sanchez, M., Jaramillo,
C., Arias, W., et al. 2014. Admixture in Latin America: geographic structure, phenotypic diversity and self-
perception of ancestry based on 7,342 individuals. PLoS Genet. 10(9), e1004572.