Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Semester of Graduation

Spring 2026

Abstract

African American ancestral lineages are marked by resilience, shaped by centuries of forced migrations, the Transatlantic and domestic slave trades, and subsequent movements within the United States. These historical events have influenced both the cultural and genetic diversity of Legacy African Americans. This study examined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups among 189 participants—79 Gullah Geechee and 110 African Americans—to explore the Gullah Geechee as potential progenitors of other Legacy African North American lineages. Haplogroup analysis revealed L2 and L3 as the most frequent among both groups, comprising 34.6% and 38.8% in African Americans and 28.0% and 54.7% in Gullah Geechee, respectively. Non-L haplogroups associated with European and Native American ancestry were present only among African Americans (< 2%), indicating greater maternal admixture compared to the Gullah Geechee. A Chi-square test showed no statistically significant difference between groups (χ² = 115.62, df = 49, p = 2.6e-07), suggesting shared maternal ancestry. These findings support the hypothesis that Gullah Geechee lineages represent a founding biocultural population for Legacy African Americans and highlight the importance of increasing representation of African-descended populations in genomic research to better understand ancestry and health disparities.

Awardee Name

Kiara Charles

Academic Major

Biological Sciences

Project Mentor

Jennifer Caldwell

Download

Share

COinS