title: 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 witness to recent gene flow over the Arabian Sea. Conversely, marker M458 has a significant frequency in Europe, exceeding 30% in its core area in Eastern Europe and comprising up to 70% of all M17 chromosomes present there. The diversity and frequency profiles of M458 suggest its origin during the early Holocene and a subsequent expansion likely related to a number of prehistoric cultural developments in the region. Its primary frequency and diversity distribution correlates well with some of the major Central and East European river basins where settled farming was established before its spread further eastward. Importantly, the virtual absence of M458 chromosomes outside Europe speaks against substantial patrilineal gene flow from East Europe to Asia, including to India, at least since the mid-Holocene.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Child Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1201 Welch Road, Stanford, CA 94304-5485, USA. under@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Underhill
authors.forename: Natalie M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Myres
authors.forename: Siiri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rootsi
authors.forename: Mait
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Metspalu
authors.forename: Lev A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Zhivotovsky
authors.forename: Roy J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Alice A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Cheryl-Emiliane T
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: Ornella
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Semino
authors.forename: Vincenza
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: Ildus
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kutuev
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Järve
authors.forename: Gyaneshwer
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chaubey
authors.forename: Qasim
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ayub
authors.forename: Aisha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mohyuddin
authors.forename: S Qasim
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Mehdi
authors.forename: Sanghamitra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sengupta
authors.forename: Evgeny I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Rogaev
authors.forename: Elza K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Khusnutdinova
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pshenichnov
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Balanovsky
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Balanovska
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jeran
authors.forename: Dubravka Havas
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Augustin
authors.forename: Marian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baldovic
authors.forename: Rene J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Herrera
authors.forename: Kumarasamy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thangaraj
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Lalji
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Partha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Majumder
authors.forename: Pavao
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudan
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Primorac
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Villems
authors.forename: Toomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kivisild
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D005006:Ethnicity; D051456:Gene Flow; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics*