Origin and Genealogy of Rare mtDNA Haplotypes Detected in the Serbian Population.

ABSTRACT: Background: The Balkan Peninsula has served as an important migration corridor between Asia Minor and Europe throughout humankind's history and a refugium during the Last Glacial Maximum. Past migrations such as the Neolithic expansion, Bronze Age migrations, and the settlement of Slavic tribes in the Early Middle Ages, are well known for their impact on shaping the genetic pool of contemporary Balkan populations. They have contributed to the high genetic diversity of the region, especially in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) lineages. Serbia, located in the heart of the Balkans, reflects this complex history in a broad spectrum of mtDNA subhaplogroups. Methods: To explore genetic diversity in Serbia and the wider Balkan region, we analyzed rare mtDNA subclades-R0a, N1a, N1b, I5, W,

SUBMITTER: Davidovic S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11765032 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature