Human genetic admixture through the lens of population genomics

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent advances in population genomics focusing on human genetic admixture, highlighting how admixture influences genetic variation, human history, natural selection, and complex traits, while discussing current methodological challenges.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of recent methodological developments and insights gained from studying human admixture using genomic data.

Findings

Genomic signatures of admixture reveal human evolutionary history.

Admixture impacts the inference of demographic and selection processes.

Current methods face limitations when applied to admixed populations.

Abstract

Over the last fifty years, geneticists have made great strides in understanding how our species' evolutionary history gave rise to current patterns of human genetic diversity classically summarized by Lewontin in his 1972 paper, 'The Apportionment of Human Diversity'. One evolutionary process that requires special attention in both population genetics and statistical genetics is admixture: gene flow between two or more previously separated source populations to form a new admixed population. The admixture process introduces unique patterns of genetic variation within and between populations, which in turn influences the inference of demographic histories, identification genetic targets of selection, and prediction of phenotypes. In this review, we highlight recent studies and methodological advances that have leveraged genomic signatures of admixture to gain insights into human history, natural selection, and complex trait architecture. We also outline some challenges for admixture population genetics, including limitations of applying methods designed for single-ancestry populations to the study of admixed populations.