MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA POLYMORPHISMS IN NEGROID POPULATIONS FROM NAMIBIA -NEW LIGHT ON THE ORIGINS OF THE DAMA, HERERO AND AMBO

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms were investigated in the Herer o, Dama and Ambo Negroid groups from Namibia, using the restriction en zymes HpaI, BamHI, HaeII, MspI, AvaII and HincII. Although the Dama pr esently speak a Hottentot language, Nama, their mtDNA pool closely res embles that found in the Herero who are western-Bantu speakers, sugges ting that these groups may be derived from the same female ancestor. B oth the Dama and the Herero have a high frequency of mtDNA type 21-2 ( 2-1-1-1-2-2), found at frequencies of 32.6% and 50.0%, respectively, c ompared to 4.5% in the Ambo. In addition, the 'Negroid-like' types 2-2 (3-1-1-1-3-2) and 7-2 (3-1-1-1-1-2), found at frequencies of 13.5% an d 54.5%, respectively, in the Ambo, are rarely found in the Dama and H erero. This suggests that the Ambo have different origins from the Her ero and Dama; they appear to be more closely related to southeastern B antu-speakers than to southwestern Bantu-speakers.