title: Molecular Genealogy of a Mongol Queen's Family and Her Possible Kinship with Genghis Khan.
abstract: Members of the Mongol imperial family (designated the Golden family) are buried in a secret necropolis; therefore, none of their burial grounds have been found. In 2004, we first discovered 5 graves belonging to the Golden family in Tavan Tolgoi, Eastern Mongolia. To define the genealogy of the 5 bodies and the kinship among them, SNP and/or STR profiles of mitochondria, autosomes, and Y chromosomes were analyzed. Four of the 5 bodies were determined to carry the mitochondrial DNA haplogroup D4, while the fifth carried haplogroup CZ, indicating that this individual had no kinship with the others. Meanwhile, Y-SNP and Y-STR profiles indicate that the males examined belonged to the R1b-M343 haplogroup. Thus, their East Asian D4 or CZ matrilineal and West Eurasian R1b-M343 patrilineal origins reveal genealogical admixture between Caucasoid and Mongoloid ethnic groups, despite a Mongoloid physical appearance. In addition, Y chromosomal and autosomal STR profiles revealed that the four D4-carrying bodies bore the relationship of either mother and three sons or four full siblings with almost the same probability. Moreover, the geographical distribution of R1b-M343-carrying modern-day individuals demonstrates that descendants of Tavan Tolgoi bodies today live mainly in Western Eurasia, with a high frequency in the territories of the past Mongol khanates. Here, we propose that Genghis Khan and his family carried Y-haplogroup R1b-M343, which is prevalent in West Eurasia, rather than the Y-haplogroup C3c-M48, which is prevalent in Asia and which is widely accepted to be present in the family members of Genghis Khan. Additionally, Tavan Tolgoi bodies may have been the product of marriages between the lineage of Genghis Khan's Borjigin clan and the lineage of either the Ongud or Hongirad clans, indicating that these individuals were members of Genghis Khan's immediate family or his close relatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Science of Cultural Heritage, Graduate School, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Gavaachimed
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lkhagvasuren
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Heejin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Si Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, School of Social Science, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
authors.forename: Dashtseveg
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tumen
authors.affiliation: Department of Archaeology and Art History, College of Humanities, Donga University, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyung-Yong
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kijeong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ae Ja
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ho Woon
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Jin
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jaesung
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jee-Hye
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Na Young
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Min
authors.affiliation: Department of Science of Cultural Heritage, Graduate School, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.|Department of Life Science, College of Natural Sciences, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang-Ho
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7572-8125
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D001106:Archaeology; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D005789:Genealogy and Heraldry; D005828:Genetics, Population; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008967:Molecular Biology; D008986:Mongolia
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial