Separating the post-Glacial coancestry of European and Asian Y chromosomes within haplogroup R1a.

ABSTRACT: Human Y-chromosome haplogroup structure is largely circumscribed by continental boundaries. One notable exception to this general pattern is the young haplogroup R1a that exhibits post-Glacial coalescent times and relates the paternal ancestry of more than 10% of men in a wide geographic area extending from South Asia to Central East Europe and South Siberia. Its origin and dispersal patterns are poorly understood as no marker has yet been described that would distinguish European R1a chromosomes from Asian. Here we present frequency and haplotype diversity estimates for more than 2000 R1a chromosomes assessed for several newly discovered SNP markers that introduce the onset of informative R1a subdivisions by geography. Marker M434 has a low frequency and a late origin in West Asia bearing

SUBMITTER: Underhill PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2987245 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature