The phylogeography of Y chromosome binary haplotypes and the origins of modern human populations

Although molecular genetic evidence continues to accumulate that is consist ent with a recent common African ancestry of modern humans, its ability to illuminate regional histories remains incomplete. A set of unique event pol ymorphisms associated with the non-recombining portion of the Y-chromosome (NRY) addresses this issue by providing evidence concerning successful migr ations originating from Africa, which can be interpreted as subsequent colo nizations, differentiations and migrations overlaid upon previous populatio n ranges. A total of 205 markers identified by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), together with 13 taken from the literature, were used to construct a parsimonious genealogy. Ancestral allele states we re deduced from orthologous great ape sequences. A total of 131 unique hapl otypes were defined which trace the microevolutionary trajectory of global modern human genetic diversification. The genealogy provides a detailed phy logeographic portrait of contemporary global population structure that is e mblematic of human origins, divergence and population history that is consi stent with climatic, paleoanthropological and other genetic knowledge.