Y-chromosome haplotype distribution in Han Chinese populations and modern human origin in East Asians

We investigated the distribution of Y-chromosome haplotype using 19 Y-SNPs in Han Chinese populations from 22 provinces of China. Our data indicate di stinctive patterns of Y chromosome between southern and northern Han Chines e populations. The southern populations are much more polymorphic than nort hern populations. The latter has only a subset of the southern haplotypes. This result confirms the genetic difference observed between southern and n orthern ethnic populations in East Asia. It supports the hypothesis that th e first settlement of modern humans of African origin occurred in the south ern part of East Asia during the last Ice Age, and a northward migration le d to the peopling of northern China.