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Mitochondrial DNA Analysis Of The Population Of The Island Of Cres – Example Of Genetic “ Outliers” Among Croatian Populations

The Island of Cres is the biggest Croatian Island located in the northern Adriatic Sea. The goal of this study was to reveal high-resolution mtDNA diversity of the contemporary Island population through analysis of polymorphisms in HVS I, HVSII and in coding region of mitochondrial genome. We have sampled and analysed 119 adult unrelated individuals from several villages of the Island of Cres. In contrast to majority of European populations the analysis revealed the highest frequency of haplogroup U (29.4%) with predominance of one single lineage of subhaplogroup U2e (20.2 %). Expectedly, second most prevalent is haplogroup H (27.7%) with lower frequency than in other Croatian populations, with exception of the Island of Hvar. Another very interesting feature of contemporary Island population is very low frequency of haplogroup J (only 0.84 %). In contrast to all European and other Croatian population in the population of Cres islanders is notable much higher presence of haplogroup W (12.6 %). Especially interesting is finding of strikingly higher frequency of haplogroup N1a (9.24%), proved that was highly present among Neolitic farmers, but almost absent in contemporary Europeans. All presented findings confirm that genetic drift, most probably founder effect, played significant role in shaping genetic structure of the isolated population of the Island of Cres. Due to presented data contemporary islanders can be considered as genetic “ outliers” among Croatian populations.

isolated population; mitochondrial DNA; Island of Cres; genetic drift; founder effect

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