APPLICATIONS OF MICROSATELLITE-BASED Y-CHROMOSOME HAPLOTYPING

Y-chromosomal microsatellites have been investigated for the purposes of application to male identification, population genetics and populat ion history. With nine markers, every male in a German population samp le (n = 70) could be identified by an individual-specific Y microsatel lite haplotype. The analysis of 474 unrelated males of nine human popu lations with seven markers revealed 301 different Y haplotypes. The an alysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) approach was used to detect male population characteristics of Y microsatellite haplotypes. With pairwi se comparisons of inter-population variance, most of the populations c ould be distinguished significantly. Sixty individuals from different male populations in Asia and Northern Europe carrying a novel Y-chromo somal T-->C transition show reduced microsatellite variability togethe r with haplotype similarities. Microsatellite data suggest that the mu tation occurred recently in Asia, supporting the hypothesis of Asian a ncestry of some northern European populations.