title: Standing at the gateway to Europe--the genetic structure of Western balkan populations based on autosomal and haploid markers.
abstract: Contemporary inhabitants of the Balkan Peninsula belong to several ethnic groups of diverse cultural background. In this study, three ethnic groups from Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bosniacs, Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Serbs - as well as the populations of Serbians, Croatians, Macedonians from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegrins and Kosovars have been characterized for the genetic variation of 660 000 genome-wide autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms and for haploid markers. New autosomal data of the 70 individuals together with previously published data of 20 individuals from the populations of the Western Balkan region in a context of 695 samples of global range have been analysed. Comparison of the variation data of autosomal and haploid lineages of the studied Western Balkan populations reveals a concordance of the data in both sets and the genetic uniformity of the studied populations, especially of Western South-Slavic speakers. The genetic variation of Western Balkan populations reveals the continuity between the Middle East and Europe via the Balkan region and supports the scenario that one of the major routes of ancient gene flows and admixture went through the Balkan Peninsula.
authors.affiliation: Estonian Biocentre and Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Tartu, Estonia; Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Ufa Research Centre, RAS, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
authors.forename: Lejla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kovacevic
authors.affiliation: Estonian Biocentre and Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Kristiina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tambets
authors.affiliation: Estonian Biocentre and Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Anne-Mai
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ilumäe
authors.affiliation: Estonian Biocentre and Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Alena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kushniarevich
authors.affiliation: Estonian Biocentre and Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Tartu, Estonia; Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics, Ufa Research Centre, RAS, Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
authors.forename: Bayazit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yunusbayev
authors.affiliation: Estonian Biocentre and Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Solnik
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sarajevo; Bosnia and Herzegovina.
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bego
authors.affiliation: University Center of Forensic Science, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Primorac
authors.affiliation: Genos doo, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Vedrana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Skaro
authors.affiliation: Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Andreja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leskovac
authors.affiliation: Institute for forensic medicine, criminology and and medical deontology, Medical Faculty, University of St. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, F.Y.R of Macedonia.
authors.forename: Zlatko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jakovski
authors.affiliation: National forensic laboratory, Ministry of the Interior, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Drobnic
authors.affiliation: Estonian Biocentre and Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Helle-Viivi
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Tolk
authors.affiliation: Forensic Center, Police Directorate, Danilovgrad, Montenegro.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kovacevic
authors.affiliation: Croatian Academy of Science and Art, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: Pavao
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rudan
authors.affiliation: Estonian Biocentre and Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: Ene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Metspalu
authors.affiliation: Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; University Center of Forensic Science, Split, Croatia.
authors.forename: Damir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marjanovic
mesh_terms: D063368:Balkan Peninsula; D002877:Chromosomes, Human; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005819:Genetic Markers; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D005843:Geography; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D005819:Genetic Markers