mtDNA of Fulani Nomads and Their Genetic Relationships to Neighboring Sedentary Populations

Human Biology, Feb 2006 by Cerný, V, Hájek, M, Bromová, M, Cmejla, R, Et al

Abstract

Despite the large size of the contemporary nomadic Fulani population (roughly 13 million people), the genetic diversity and degree of differentiation of Fulanis compared to other sub-Saharan populations remain unknown. We sampled four Fulani nomad populations (n = 186) in three countries of sub-Saharan Africa (Chad, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso) and analyzed sequences of the first hypervariable segment of the mitochondrial DNA. Most of the haplotypes belong to haplogroups of West African origin, such as L1b, L3b, L3d, L2b, L2c, and L2d (79.6% in total), which are all well represented in each of the four geographically separated samples. The haplogroups of Western Eurasian origin, such as J1b, U5, H, and V, were also detected but in rather low frequencies (8.1% in total). As in African hunter-gatherers (Pygmies and Khoisan) and some populations from central Tunisia (Kesra and Zriba), three of the Fulani nomad samples do not reveal significant negative values of Fu's selective neutrality test. The multidimensional scaling of F^sub ST^ genetic distances of related sub-Saharan populations and the analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) show clear and close relationships between all pairs of the four Fulani nomad samples, irrespective of their geographic origin. The only group of nomadic Fulani that manifests some similarities with geographically related agricultural populations (from Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria) comes from Tcheboua in northern Cameroon.

KEY WORDS: mtDNA VARIATION, HVS-I, FULANI NOMADS, SUB-SAHARAN POPULATIONS, CHAD, CAMEROON, BURKINA FASO.

The Fulani (also known as the Foulah, Peulh, Peul, Fulfulde, or Fulbe) are an ethnic group of sub-Saharan Africa who live in 17 states and number almost 30 million people. Although most Fulani now live settled lives, they spring from an originally nomadic population. Both the settled and nomadic communities are collaborating. The settled communities cultivate the cereals (mainly sorghum) and raise a small number of domestic animals; the activities of the pastoral groups are concerned almost exclusively with animal husbandry. It must be stressed that cattle keeping is really the central point of cultural identity of all Fulani nomads. Because of the specific needs of this practice, more pronounced division of labor, resulting in longer time separation of the husband and wife, is encountered in Fulani society. Males deal with the pasture, and females sell milk and milk products in town markets. Nomadic Fulani are known from almost all localities of the West African savanna and the Chad basin.

Archeological indicators date the origin of this nomadic population, on the basis of the rock art of the central Sahara, to about 5,000 years ago (Dupuy 1999); some indicators even suggest a Neolithic origin of the Fulani population (Ba and Dieterlen 1966). Some Fulani groups settled to form a number of important states: the kingdom of Tekrur on the lower Senegal River in the 11th century, the Massina Empire on the middle Niger in the 15th century, and the Sokoto Empire in the 19th century in northern and eastern central Nigeria.

The modern Fulani, who live in sub-Saharan Africa between the Sahara and the tropical rain forests, can be divided into the settled Fulani (15 million people) and the nomadic Fulani (up to 13 million people), sometimes called the M'Bororo (or Bororo) or the Wodaabe. The nomadic Fulani live in the African middle savanna belt, from eastern Senegal to the Central African Republic, and are the most numerous nomadic group in this area. Linguistically, both Fulani groups (the herders and the agriculturalists) belong to the Atlantic branch of the Niger-Congo language family (Ruhlen 1987).

Fulani nomads remain detached from the settled Fulani. Over the course of the year they practice seasonal migration; in the rainy season they move with their herds to the north, and in the dry season they return to the south. The northsouth line varies by tribe and family but is generally about 500 km long (Dupire 1962). In addition to these seasonal movements, there is large-scale migration, by which the nomadic Fulani have spread across the West African savanna and the Chad basin (Mohammadou 1975).

From an anthropological perspective the Fulani are rather heterogeneous; they show similarities to other sub-Saharan populations, but some characteristics-such as pale skin, a long, straight nose, and thin lips-link them to North African groups. In the 1930s it was assumed that the Fulani had migrated into the Lake Chad region and further into the West African savanna from East Africa, and even Egyptian and Near Eastern origins were proposed (Tauxier 1937); on the basis of the Rh system, however, it has been possible to link these populations to West African groups (Excoffier et al. 1987).

mtDNA Variability in Sub-Saharan Africa

The mtDNA diversity of African populations is relatively well known, but not all regions and ethnic groups have been sufficiently sampled yet; indeed, the mtDNA data of people from such inaccessible areas as eastern Chad or the Congo basin have not been studied at all.