Dipartimento di Biologia, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
J Hum Genet. 2009 Dec;54(12):689-94. doi: 10.1038/jhg.2009.94. Epub 2009 Nov 13.
The Caucasus region is a complex cultural and ethnic mosaic, comprising populations that speak Caucasian, Indo-European and Altaic languages. Isolated mountain villages (auls) in Dagestan still preserve high level of genetic and cultural diversity and have patriarchal societies with a long history of isolation. The aim of this study was to understand the genetic history of five Dagestan highland auls with distinct ethnic affiliation (Avars, Chechens-Akkins, Kubachians, Laks, Tabasarans) using markers on the male-specific region of the Y chromosome. The groups analyzed here are all Muslims but speak different languages all belonging to the Nakh-Dagestanian linguistic family. The results show that the Dagestan ethnic groups share a common Y-genetic background, with deep-rooted genealogies and rare alleles, dating back to an early phase in the post-glacial recolonization of Europe. Geography and stochastic factors, such as founder effect and long-term genetic drift, driven by the rigid structuring of societies in groups of patrilineal descent, most likely acted as mutually reinforcing key factors in determining the high degree of Y-genetic divergence among these ethnic groups.
高加索地区是一个复杂的文化和民族马赛克，包括讲高加索语、印欧语和阿尔泰语的人群。达吉斯坦的孤立山村（aul）仍然保留着高水平的遗传和文化多样性，并且有着长期与世隔绝的父权制社会。本研究的目的是利用 Y 染色体上的男性特异性区域的标记物，了解五个具有不同民族背景（阿瓦尔人、车臣-阿钦人、库巴希人、拉克人、塔巴萨兰人）的达吉斯坦高地山村的遗传历史。这里分析的群体都是穆斯林，但他们说的语言都属于纳赫-达吉斯坦语系。研究结果表明，达吉斯坦族群拥有共同的 Y 染色体遗传背景，其谱系深远，罕见等位基因可追溯到冰河时代后欧洲殖民的早期阶段。地理和随机因素，如创始效应和长期遗传漂变，受群体中父系世系结构的驱动，很可能是导致这些族群之间 Y 染色体遗传差异程度高的相互加强的关键因素。
