From the migrations of herders and farmers to the colonial era and the modern-day : Genetic inferences on African demographic history

Africa is the birthplace of the human species and home to great linguistic, cultural, and genetic diversity. Despite this, the genetics of the peoples of the continent remains understudied. In this thesis, I apply population genetic approaches, to contribute to the knowledge of human demographic history in Africa. Specifically, I investigated three events that have had major impacts on human population genetics in Africa. Paper I, investigated Eurasian back migrations into Northeast Africa and what genetic patterns this has left in the current-day populations of the area. I identified complex demography and linguistic stratification of Eurasian admixture in the region. These genetic patterns coincide in time with historical events such as the spread of Islam, the fall of the Kingdom of Aksum, and trade routes across the Red Sea. Paper II focused on the Bantu expansion, the different migratory routes of Bantu-speakers out of West Africa, and how they shaped the genetic makeup of the peoples of sub-equatorial Africa. We compiled the most comprehensive geographically distributed genetic dataset of Bantu-speaking individuals to date. I investigated the spatial patterns of migrations and the decline of genetic diversity from their homeland. I find evidence for serial founder events and migrations across Zambia and the Congo basin to the rest of sub-equatorial Africa. Paper III and IV involved South Africa and the effects that European colonialism and 20:th century policies have had on the country's genetic landscape. Paper III focuses on the Afrikaner population of South Africa, descendants of the first European settlers of the Cape colony, I describe the extent of African and Asian admixture in this population and investigate evidence of selection and adaptive admixture. Paper IV focuses on the Coloured population of South Africa, an emergent cultural identity. The Coloured population traces their origin primarily to Khoe-San women, manumitted slaves, and European men