Genetic
diversity outside of Europe has historically been neglected. As sequencing
costs decrease, more and more researchers are sampling new populations outside
of Europe. Recent work by Wen et al. tested 93 Aksay Kazakh men. These
Kazakhs reside in China and are located along the former Silk Road. Their study
focused on 106 bialllic markers and 17 short tandem repeats (STRs) of the Y-chromosome.
Wen and others found low levels of haplogroup diversity, suggesting limited paternal
admixture. They suggest this is related to a tendency to migrate in clans. They
also theorize that the Aksay Kazakhs originate from the Kerei-Abakh clan of
Kazakhstan and migrated between 1000-1400 years ago. Further studies of under
sampled populations will allow researchers to develop higher resolution understandings
of the past.
Joshua Porter – Journal of Human Genetics Update 2
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