Section MOLECULAR ANTHROPOLOGY – NEW ADVANCES DEEP-ROOTING AFRICAN INFLUENCE IN SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: A VIEW FROM MTDNA IN THE IBERIAN PENINSULA Hernбndez Candela L.1 Novelletto Andrea4 , Pereira Luisa2 , Rodrнguez Juan5 , Dugoujon Jean-Michel3 , Calderуn Rosario1 , Soares Pedro2 , Reales Guillermo1 1Departamento de Zoologнa y Antropologнa Fнsica, Facultad de Biologнa, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain 2Instituto de Patologia e Imunologia Molecular da Universidade do Porto (IPATIMUP), Porto, Portugal 3Laboratoire d’Anthropologie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifi que (CNRS), Universitй Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France 4 Dipartimento di Biologia, Universitа Tor Vergata Rome, Italy 5Servicio de Hematologнa, Hospital Juan Ramуn Jimйnez, Huelva, Spain In the past few decades, the gene fl ow between North Africa and Europe has been a topic of interest for population genetic studies. <...> Key unanswered questions include the timing of migration episodes and their real impact on the European gene pool, the role of physical barriers – as the Mediterranean Sea – and the most plausible dispersal routes for transcontinental crossings. <...> In order to address these topics, different genetic markers have been used. <...> Mitochondrial DNA has shown substantial traces of bidirectional genetic interchange between Africa and Europe, and in a more detailed view between the North of Africa and Iberia. <...> We approached this by analyzing the maternal heritage of the closest Iberian population to North Africa: Andalusia. mtDNA profi les were characterized in two southern Iberian subpopulations, represented by 158 samples from Huelva province and 121 individuals from Granada province. <...> Our results reveal distinctive local histories among Andalusians regarding their maternal legacy, suggesting a role of the westernmost Iberian territory as a noticeable recipient of multiple and diverse human migrations, including relevant African contribution. <...> The African component in western Andalusia was characterized by a high prevalence and diversity of U6 lineage. <...> This fi nding leads us to further investigate U6 in southern Iberia and northern Africa, by sequencing mitogenomes of 16 U6 Andalusian samples. <...> In order to acquire insight into the other side of the Strait of Gibraltar, we also obtained complete <...>