Signature of recent historical events in the European Y-chromosomal STR haplotype distribution.
Previous studies of human Y-chromosomal single-nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNPs) established a link between the extant Y-SNP haplogroup distribution and the prehistoric demography of Europe. By contrast, our analysis of seven rapidly evolving Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat loci (Y-STRs) in over 12,700 samples from 91 different locations in Europe reveals a signature of more recent historic events, not previously detected by other genetic markers. Cluster analysis based upon molecular variance yields two clearly identifiable sub-clusters of Western and Eastern European Y-STR haplotypes, and a diverse transition zone in central Europe, where haplotype spectra change more rapidly with longitude than with latitude. This and other observed patterns of Y-STR similarity may plausibly be related to particular historical incidents, including, for example, the expansion of the Franconian and Ottoman Empires. We conclude that Y-STRs may be capable of resolving male genealogies to an unparalleled degree and could therefore provide a useful means to study local population structure and recent demographic history.
Roewer
Lutz
L
Institute of Legal Medicine, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Germany.
Croucher
Peter J P
PJ
Willuweit
Sascha
S
Lu
Tim T
TT
Kayser
Manfred
M
Lessig
Rüdiger
R
de Knijff
Peter
P
Jobling
Mark A
MA
Tyler-Smith
Chris
C
Krawczak
Michael
M
D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y; D005060:Europe; D005838:Genotype; D006239:Haplotypes; D006664:History; D006801:Humans; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences / Q000235:genetics*