title: The Y-chromosome C3* star-cluster attributed to Genghis Khan's descendants is present at high frequency in the Kerey clan from Kazakhstan.
abstract: To verify the possibility that the Y-chromosome C3* star-cluster attributed to Genghis Khan and his patrilineal descendants is relatively frequent in the Kereys, who are the dominant clan in Kazakhstan and in Central Asia as a whole, polymorphism of the Y-chromosome was studied in Kazakhs, represented mostly by members of the Kerey clan. The Kereys showed the highest frequency (76.5%) of individuals carrying the Y-chromosome variant known as C3* star-cluster ascribed to the descendants of Genghis Khan. C3* star-cluster haplotypes were found in two subclans, Abakh-Kereys and Ashmaily-Kereys, diverged about 20-22 generations ago according to the historical data. Median network of the Kerey star-cluster haplotypes at 17 STR loci displays a bipartite structure, with two subclusters defined by the only difference at the DYS448 locus. Noteworthy is a strong correspondence of these subclusters with the Kerey subclans affiliation. The data obtained suggest that the Kerey clan appears to be the largest known clan in the world descending from a common Y-chromosome ancestor. Possible ways of Genghis Khan's relationship to the Kereys are discussed.
authors.affiliation: NI Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119991 Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: Serikbai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abilev
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Malyarchuk
authors.forename: Miroslava
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Derenko
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wozniak
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grzybowski
authors.forename: Ilya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zakharov
mesh_terms: D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics*; D005197:Famous Persons; D005787:Gene Frequency / Q000235:genetics*; D006239:Haplotypes; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D007623:Kazakhstan; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics