The landscape of Y chromosome polymorphisms in Russia

Abstract

Background: The pattern of diversity for the Y chromosome provides a view of male-driven processes of dispersal and settlement. By virtue of the broad geographic continuity, the genetic signature of movements from Asia to Europe can be detected in populations of north-eastern Europe.

Aim: To directly test previous hypotheses on the peopling of Russia, by considering a broader spectrum of potential diversity.

Subjects and methods: A total of 636 unrelated males (24 samples) from geographically and ethnically defined populations of Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Georgia were analysed for 16 Y-STR loci. Some of the populations represent more or less distinct isolates.

Results: Microsatellites alone can have the power of detecting Asian contributions to the gene pool of populations now residing in Europe. Within Europe, a greater heterogeneity among populations sharing the same language than between populations sharing the same ethnic affiliation was found. There was low diversity and marked population differentiation in some Altaic speakers. Sympatry eroded inter-ethnic differentiation. No regular decline in genetic similarity with geography was seen.

Conclusion: Two layers of overall diversity represent a main feature of the genetic landscape of the population of the European portion of Russia.

Keywords::

• Russia
• SNP polymorphisms
• STRs
• Western Eurasia
• haplotypes

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all donors for their participation in this project. We acknowledge the contribution of the following collaborators during the sampling campaigns: Dr Lia Bitadze (Adjarians), Dr Ludmila Bogoslovskaya (Siberian Eskimo), Dr Elsa Khusnutdinova (Bashkirs), Dr Eldar Nadyrov (Byelorussians), Mr Vladislav Nuvano (Chukchi) and Dr Konstantin Yugov (Buryats). Russian samples were collected in the frame of an Italian–Russian scientific–technological project (3.RB3, Principal Investigator A.I.K.). The paper was presented at the 51st Symposium of the Society for the Study of Human Biology, 18–20 June 2009; Villa Mondragone, Rome, Italy

Declaration of interest: Laboratory work was supported by grant MIUR-PRIN 2007 to A.N. A sampling campaign in Eastern Chokotka was supported by NATO Collaborative Linkage Grant Ref. 980469 to A.N. and A.I.K. The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.