Alu polymorphisms in Jerba Island population (Tunisia): comparative study in Arab and Berber groups.

Jerba Island represents an interesting area because four distinct ethnic groups have been cohabiting there until now: Arabs, Berbers, dark-skinned people of sub-Saharan origin and Jews. Religious and cultural differences seem to have constituted an obstacle to their intermixing. Our aim is to provide further information on the genetic structure of the Arab and Berber groups for whom previous data based on haploid markers confirmed their reproductive isolation.

HLA class II genetic diversity in southern Tunisia and the Mediterranean area.

North Africa is populated by many Arab- and Berber-speaking populations whose genetic history is still poorly understood. In this study, we analyse the HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 molecular diversity in three populations from the south of Tunisia--Berbers from Jerba, Berbers from Matmata and Arabs from Gabes--and we compare them to a large set of populations from the whole Mediterranean region. Among the three populations studied, the Berbers from Jerba are the most peculiar, as they diverge significantly from other North Africans while being genetically highly diversified and close to populations from the Near East.

Islands inside an island: reproductive isolates on Jerba island.

Jerba Island, located in South Eastern Tunisia, is inhabited by four ethnic groups: Berbers, Arabs, sub-Saharans, and Jews. All live in distinct areas, although the Arabs are also distributed all over the island. The first Arab settlement was founded in the 7th century A.