title: The key role of patrilineal inheritance in shaping the genetic variation of Dagestan highlanders.
abstract: The Caucasus region is a complex cultural and ethnic mosaic, comprising populations that speak Caucasian, Indo-European and Altaic languages. Isolated mountain villages (auls) in Dagestan still preserve high level of genetic and cultural diversity and have patriarchal societies with a long history of isolation. The aim of this study was to understand the genetic history of five Dagestan highland auls with distinct ethnic affiliation (Avars, Chechens-Akkins, Kubachians, Laks, Tabasarans) using markers on the male-specific region of the Y chromosome. The groups analyzed here are all Muslims but speak different languages all belonging to the Nakh-Dagestanian linguistic family. The results show that the Dagestan ethnic groups share a common Y-genetic background, with deep-rooted genealogies and rare alleles, dating back to an early phase in the post-glacial recolonization of Europe. Geography and stochastic factors, such as founder effect and long-term genetic drift, driven by the rigid structuring of societies in groups of patrilineal descent, most likely acted as mutually reinforcing key factors in determining the high degree of Y-genetic divergence among these ethnic groups.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caciagli
authors.forename: Kazima
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bulayeva
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bulayev
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertoncini
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Taglioli
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pagani
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paoli
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tofanelli
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D003610:Dagestan; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D018703:Founder Effect; D005787:Gene Frequency; D040961:Genetic Drift; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005843:Geography; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny