The peopling of Europe and the cautionary tale of Y chromosome lineage R-M269

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Busby, GBJ (Author) Other; Brisighelli, F (Author) Other; Sanchez Diz, P (Author) Other; Ramos Luis, E (Author) Other; Martinez Cadenas, C (Author) Other; Thomas, MG (Author) Other; Bradley, DG (Author) Other; Gusmao, L (Author) Other; Winney, B (Author) Other; Bodmer, W (Author) Other; Vennemann, M (Author) Other; Coia, V (Author) Other; Scarnicci, F (Author) Other; Tofanelli, S (Author) Other; Vona, G (Author) Other; Ploski, R (Author) Other; Vecchiotti, C (Author) Other; Zemunik, T (Author) Other; Rudan, I (Author) Other; Karachanak, S (Author) Other; Toncheva, D (Author) Other; Anagnostou, P (Author) Other; Ferri, G (Author) Other; Rapone, C (Author) Other; Hervig, T (Author) Other; Moen, T (Author) Other; Wilson, JF (Author) Other; Capelli, C (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Vol. 279

Pages: 884-892

ISSN: 0962-8452

Publisher: The Royal Society

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 56 Citations

Scopus - 72 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-C54

DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1044

Abstract (EN): Recently, the debate on the origins of the major European Y chromosome haplogroup R1b1b2-M269 has reignited, and opinion has moved away from Palaeolithic origins to the notion of a younger Neolithic spread of these chromosomes from the Near East. Here, we address this debate by investigating frequency patterns and diversity in the largest collection of R1b1b2-M269 chromosomes yet assembled. Our analysis reveals no geographical trends in diversity, in contradiction to expectation under the Neolithic hypothesis, and suggests an alternative explanation for the apparent cline in diversity recently described. We further investigate the young, STR-based time to the most recent common ancestor estimates proposed so far for R-M269-related lineages and find evidence for an appreciable effect of microsatellite choice on age estimates. As a consequence, the existing data and tools are insufficient to make credible estimates for the age of this haplogroup, and conclusions about the timing of its origin and dispersal should be viewed with a large degree of caution.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9