Torres et al. correctly attribute the presence of M89 lineages in Legacy Afro-North Americans (or Middle Passage Afro-North Americans) to relationships with European males which occurred during the period of enslavement of tropical Africans in North America. (We also noted that slavery existed in the Caribbean and Central and South America where such relationships also existed.)
While mention was made of the presence of a high frequency of non-Yap (M89) lineages in certain West African peoples (specifically the Hausa), we did not discuss, due to space considerations, the likelihood that some of the M89 lineages in South Carolina and other locales in the Americas may have come from Africa. It is known that populations with a high frequency of M89 (specifically the Hausa) were numerous in some communities of enslaved Africans in the New World (e.g. Brazil). Further analyses are necessary to localize origins.
Also due to space considerations we did not fully discuss the implications of past mating patterns amplifying the frequencies of lineages seen today. It is often not discussed generally or fully that the percentage of distinct lineages in a population does not necessarily reflect the percentage of these lineages at foundation in works addressing "origins." Random mating cannot always be assumed especially in certain historical contexts whether ancient or modern. Various social practices, such as polygamy or even social or sexual selection, as well as evolutionary factors--depending on the particular case--could amplify or diminish the lineages contributed by "founder" males.

SUBMITTED BY S.O.Y. KEITA