A highly variable segment of human subterminal 16p reveals a history of population growth for modern humans outside Africa

We have sequenced a highly polymorphic subterminal noncoding region from hu man chromosome 16p13.3, flanking the 5' end of the hypervariable minisatell ite MS205, in 100 chromosomes sampled from different African and Euroasiati c populations. Coalescence analysis indicates that the time to the most rec ent common ancestor (approximately 1 million years) predates the appearance of anatomically modern human forms. The root of the network describing thi s variability lies in Africa. African populations show a greater level of d iversity and deeper branches. Most Euroasiatic variability seems to have be en generated after a recent out-of-Africa range expansion. A history of pop ulation growth is the most likely scenario for the Euroasiatic populations. This pattern of nuclear variability can be reconciled with inferences base d on mitochondrial DNA.