{"entity": "researcher", "timestamp": "2026-08-20T21:01:57.317Z", "family": "Bostoen", "given": "Koen", "initials": "K", "orcid": "0000-0003-2284-6165", "affiliations": ["UGent Centre for Bantu Studies, Department of Languages and Cultures, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium."], "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/ff856b3b48364a0691c5d4bd26dd6d26.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/ff856b3b48364a0691c5d4bd26dd6d26"}}, "publications": [{"entity": "publication", "iuid": "2e6bedf429da416ab1169f0e4a6213e8", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/2e6bedf429da416ab1169f0e4a6213e8.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/2e6bedf429da416ab1169f0e4a6213e8"}}, "title": "Genetic substructure and complex demographic history of South African Bantu speakers.", "authors": [{"family": "Sengupta", "given": "Dhriti", "initials": "D"}, {"family": "Choudhury", "given": "Ananyo", "initials": "A", "orcid": "0000-0001-8225-9531", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/60940cff02bd4d3386ecde0e572ea7e0.json"}}, {"family": "Fortes-Lima", "given": "Cesar", "initials": "C", "orcid": "0000-0002-8972-3357", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/4b56015477b846e0a83aadcd2086688b.json"}}, {"family": "Aron", "given": "Shaun", "initials": "S"}, {"family": "Whitelaw", "given": "Gavin", "initials": "G", "orcid": "0000-0003-1638-7222", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/91df049295004d82838a515fe742bebc.json"}}, {"family": "Bostoen", "given": "Koen", "initials": "K", "orcid": "0000-0003-2284-6165", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/ff856b3b48364a0691c5d4bd26dd6d26.json"}}, {"family": "Gunnink", "given": "Hilde", "initials": "H"}, {"family": "Chousou-Polydouri", "given": "Natalia", "initials": "N"}, {"family": "Delius", "given": "Peter", "initials": "P"}, {"family": "Tollman", "given": "Stephen", "initials": "S", "orcid": "0000-0003-0744-7588", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/c52770a5a5ec42dfbc532a59c102a929.json"}}, {"family": "G\u00f3mez-Oliv\u00e9", "given": "F Xavier", "initials": "FX"}, {"family": "Norris", "given": "Shane", "initials": "S", "orcid": "0000-0001-7124-3788", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/74e0dddf0b3847b6bb0eb7146cab2b50.json"}}, {"family": "Mashinya", "given": "Felistas", "initials": "F", "orcid": "0000-0002-4132-7558", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/9774b05f7b0b4e8888137a58109643cc.json"}}, {"family": "Alberts", "given": "Marianne", "initials": "M"}, {"family": "AWI-Gen Study", "given": "", "initials": ""}, {"family": "H3Africa Consortium", "given": "", "initials": ""}, {"family": "Hazelhurst", "given": "Scott", "initials": "S", "orcid": "0000-0002-0581-149X", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/9236b66cde3649f9b6258dab137d9e2a.json"}}, {"family": "Schlebusch", "given": "Carina M", "initials": "CM", "orcid": "0000-0002-8160-9621", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/c3c5882a2df9403a8756665cc3ae6b76.json"}}, {"family": "Ramsay", "given": "Mich\u00e8le", "initials": "M", "orcid": "0000-0002-4156-4801", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/d4f71ae4634344f0a63c321aaa349e7d.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2021-04-07", "journal": {"title": "Nat Commun", "issn": "2041-1723", "volume": "12", "issue": "1", "pages": "2080", "issn-l": "2041-1723"}, "abstract": "South Eastern Bantu-speaking (SEB) groups constitute more than 80% of the population in South Africa. Despite clear linguistic and geographic diversity, the genetic differences between these groups have not been systematically investigated. Based on genome-wide data of over 5000 individuals, representing eight major SEB groups, we provide strong evidence for fine-scale population structure that broadly aligns with geographic distribution and is also congruent with linguistic phylogeny (separation of Nguni, Sotho-Tswana and Tsonga speakers). Although differential Khoe-San admixture plays a key role, the structure persists after Khoe-San ancestry-masking. The timing of admixture, levels of sex-biased gene flow and population size dynamics also highlight differences in the demographic histories of individual groups. The comparisons with five Iron Age farmer genomes further support genetic continuity over ~400 years in certain regions of the country. Simulated trait genome-wide association studies further show that the observed population structure could have major implications for biomedical genomics research in South Africa.", "doi": "10.1038/s41467-021-22207-y", "pmid": "33828095", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC8027885"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "10.1038/s41467-021-22207-y"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-08-20T08:51:26.502Z", "modified": "2026-08-20T08:51:26.807Z"}, {"entity": "publication", "iuid": "6474ec028f8d4ca4b03769ef14e526fb", "links": {"self": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/6474ec028f8d4ca4b03769ef14e526fb.json"}, "display": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/publication/6474ec028f8d4ca4b03769ef14e526fb"}}, "title": "Population collapse in Congo rainforest from 400 CE urges reassessment of the Bantu Expansion.", "authors": [{"family": "Seidensticker", "given": "Dirk", "initials": "D", "orcid": "0000-0002-8155-7702", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/f42f07deae9b4a08a71ee35a1609bed4.json"}}, {"family": "Hubau", "given": "Wannes", "initials": "W", "orcid": "0000-0003-3795-4986", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/713136e7c10e40c283bb42058c0d3560.json"}}, {"family": "Verschuren", "given": "Dirk", "initials": "D", "orcid": "0000-0002-9116-5446", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/17b83e9c835b40c6bdee2c17703078e9.json"}}, {"family": "Fortes-Lima", "given": "Cesar", "initials": "C", "orcid": "0000-0002-9310-5009", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/c8c6a3da506647c8b9b3d4689fd3adcb.json"}}, {"family": "de Maret", "given": "Pierre", "initials": "P"}, {"family": "Schlebusch", "given": "Carina M", "initials": "CM", "orcid": "0000-0002-8160-9621", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/c3c5882a2df9403a8756665cc3ae6b76.json"}}, {"family": "Bostoen", "given": "Koen", "initials": "K", "orcid": "0000-0003-2284-6165", "researcher": {"href": "https://publications-affiliated.scilifelab.se/researcher/ff856b3b48364a0691c5d4bd26dd6d26.json"}}], "type": "journal article", "published": "2021-02-00", "journal": {"title": "Sci Adv", "issn": "2375-2548", "volume": "7", "issue": "7", "issn-l": "2375-2548"}, "abstract": "The present-day distribution of Bantu languages is commonly thought to reflect the early stages of the Bantu Expansion, the greatest migration event in African prehistory. Using 1149 radiocarbon dates linked to 115 pottery styles recovered from 726 sites throughout the Congo rainforest and adjacent areas, we show that this is not the case. Two periods of more intense human activity, each consisting of an expansion phase with widespread pottery styles and a regionalization phase with many more local pottery styles, are separated by a widespread population collapse between 400 and 600 CE followed by major resettlement centuries later. Coinciding with wetter climatic conditions, the collapse was possibly promoted by a prolonged epidemic. Comparison of our data with genetic and linguistic evidence further supports a spread-over-spread model for the dispersal of Bantu speakers and their languages.", "doi": "10.1126/sciadv.abd8352", "pmid": "33579711", "labels": [], "xrefs": [{"db": "pmc", "key": "PMC7880602"}, {"db": "pii", "key": "7/7/eabd8352"}], "notes": [], "created": "2026-08-20T11:58:35.110Z", "modified": "2026-08-20T11:58:35.368Z"}]}