摘要：The origin of the Berber populations is not clearly established today but their ancestors are considered as the oldest inhabitants of North Africa since the Upper Palaeolithic or the Neolithic.
Then, the historical period is marked by successive invasions and conquests that caused important changes on North-African autochthonous people. By studying present-day Berber populations it may be possible to describe both cultural and religious changes, in the context of the North-African settlement.
Within the EUROCORES framework "The Origin of Man, Language and Languages" (OMLL), we describe here the genetic structure of several Berber-speakers. We study 2 genetic polymorphisms: the GM immunoglobulin allotypic system and 13 autosomal microsatellites (STR). The aim of the work is to characterize both the cultural and genetic relationships between North-African Berbers and between the Berbers and geographically related populations.
The analyses reveal the correspondence between GM and STR results. We see (1) a clear genetic differentiation between North-West and North-East African Berbers; (2) a relationship between North-West African Berbers and South-West European populations; (3) in Morocco, a genetic distinction between Arabic- and Berber-speakers.
Finally, it seems that the present-day Berbers bear some old traces of the North-African settlement. Moreover, they have preserved their cultural identity in spite of the successive past events.
