ABSTRACT
Objective Genotype data of nine CODIS STR loci were gathered to examine the features of population differentiation and gene flow of seven Xinjiang minorities.Methods Heterozygosity,Nei's coefficient of genetic differentiation,Nei's genetic distance and Wright's F-statistics were calculated. Statistical tests using exact method were performed to measure the level of differentiation.Phylogenetic trees were constructed by Mega;AMOVA was processed by Arlequin.R-matrix model had been applied to describe the patterns of gene flow.Results It shows that average genetic heterogeneity for each population was above 0.7 with genetic differentiation coefficient below 2%.Statistical tests for population differentiation were significant for most of the loci.Phylogenetic analysis and AMOVA showed that all populations were divided into three main groups.The R-matrix analysis reflected that Uygur,Kirgiz and Ozbek had more amounts of gene flow than other populations,while the pattern of Hui was more isolated.Conclusion The seven minorities in Xinjiang are independent populations,while the level of differentiation is at average.The relationship in evolution is not far from each other,with wide gene flow.