The origin of Cretan populations as determined by characterization of HLA alleles

The Cretan HLA gene profile has been compared with those of other Mediterra nean populations in order to provide additional information regarding the h istory of their origins. The allele frequencies, genetic distances between populations, relatedness dendrograms and correspondence analyses were calcu lated. Our results indicate that the Indoeuropean Greeks may be considered as a Mediterranean population of a more recent origin (after 2000 B.C.), wh ile all other studied Mediterraneans (including Cretans) belong to an older substratum which was present in the area since pre-Neolithic times. A sign ificant Turkish gene flow has not been detected in the Greek or Cretan popu lations, although Greeks and Turks have two high frequency HLA-DRB-DQB hapl otypes in common. It is proposed that Imazighen (Caucasoid Berbers living a t present in the North African coast and Saharan areas) are the remains of pre-Neolithic Saharan populations which could emigrate northwards between a bout 8000-6000 B.C,, when desert desiccation began. They also could he part of the stock that gave rise to Sumerians, Cretans and Iberians; this is su pported by both linguistic and HLA genetic data.