Human biodiversity in Italy: micro-evolutionary patterns. A national collaborative project (PRIN 2009-2011)

Due to their low genetic complexity and relative environmental and socio-cultural uniformity, geographical and/or cultural isolates provide an unique opportunity to reconstruct processes shaping human biodiversity. Groups with remarkable historic and linguistic peculiarities, often living in a mountainous setting, are widely dispersed in the Italian territory from the Alps to the main islands. Following and developing previous work by the same research network, the project initiative “Human biodiversity in Italy: micro-evolutionary patterns” is aimed at achieving an extensive genetic characterization of these populations and studying the relations between patterns of genetic diversity and cultural, historical and demographic factors. To this purpose, research units from the Universities of Bologna, Cagliari, Pisa and Roma Sapienza are collaborating in a multidisciplinary framework. The innovative aspects of this project are represented by: i) an accurate sampling strategy based on the history and the demographic structure of the populations; ii) a complete genotyping of uniparental and autosomal markers; iii) a participative involvement of the interested communities.