The Eurasian Heartland: A continental perspective on Y-chromosome diversity

The nonrecombining portion of the human Y chromosome has proven to be a val uable tool for the study of population history. The maintenance of extended haplotypes characteristic of particular geographic regions, despite extens ive admixture, allows complex demographic events to be deconstructed. In th is study we report the frequencies of 23 Y-chromosome biallelic polymorphis m haplotypes in 1,935 men from 49 Eurasian populations, with a particular f ocus on Central Asia. These haplotypes reveal traces of historical migratio ns, and provide an insight into the earliest patterns of settlement of anat omically modern humans on the Eurasian continent. Central Asia is revealed to be an important reservoir of genetic diversity, and the source of at lea st three major waves of migration leading into Europe, the Americas, and In dia. The genetic results are interpreted in the context of Eurasian linguis tic patterns.