Genetic‑Geography Congruence Metric

Updated: 2026.01.06 23D ago 1 sources
Create a standardized, quantitative metric (and map‑projection workflow) that measures how closely PCA axes align with latitude/longitude for any dataset, reports variance explained, cross‑correlations, and flags populations that deviate because of admixture or recent migration. Publish the metric as a simple provenance badge and machine‑readable checklist to accompany any public‑facing PCA figure. — A public, auditable congruence score would curb overinterpretation of PCA maps in media, courts, and policy and make claims about ancestry and geographic origin more evidence‑based and transparent.

Sources

Genetic space and geographic space: how similar are they, really?
Davide Piffer 2026.01.06 100% relevant
Davide Piffer’s article implements regressions of PC1~latitude and PC2~longitude and projects PCA onto a basemap — this can be formalized into the proposed metric and reporting badge.
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