Abstract
Improvements in DNA sequencing technology have allowed genetic variation to be studied at the level of fully sequenced genomes. We have sequenced more than 100 <italic>D. melanogaster</italic> genomes originating from sub-Saharan Africa, which is thought to contain the ancestral range of this model organism. We found evidence for recent and substantial non-African gene flow into African populations, which may be driven by natural selection. The data also helped to refine our understanding of the species' history, which may have involved a geographic expansion from southern central Africa (<italic>e.g.</italic> Zambia). Lastly, we identified a large number of genes and functions that may have experienced recent adaptive evolution in one or more populations. An understanding of genomic variation in ancestral range populations of <italic>D. melanogaster</italic> will improve our ability to make population genetic inferences for worldwide populations. The results presented here should motivate statistical, mathematical, and computational studies to identify evolutionary models that are most compatible with observed data. Finally, the potential signals of natural selection identified here should facilitate detailed follow-up studies on the genetic basis of adaptive evolutionary change.
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