According to a new study reported in the journal European Journal of Human Genetics, millions of modern Asian men are descended from eleven dynastic leaders, who lived between 2100 BC and 1600 CE.
Asia’s peoples, Nordisk familjebok, 1904.
The study, co-led by Dr Patricia Balaresque from the Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse, France, and Prof Mark Jobling from the University of Leicester, examined the male-specific Y-chromosome, which is passed from father to son, in more than 5,000 Asian men belonging to 127 populations.
Most Y-chromosome types are very rare, but the scientists discovered 11 types that were relatively common across the sample and studied their distributions and histories.
Two common male lineages have been discovered before, and have been ascribed to one well-known historical figure, Genghis Khan (1162 – 1227), and another less-known one, Giocangga.
Prof Jobling, Dr Balaresque and their colleagues found genetic links via a chain of male ancestors to both Genghis Khan and Giocangga, in addition to nine other dynastic leaders who originated from throughout Asia and date back to between 2100 BC and 700 CE.
“The youngest lineages, originating in the past 1,700 years, are found in pastoral nomadic populations, who were highly mobile horse-riders and could spread their Y chromosomes far and wide,” Prof Jobling said.
“For these lineages to become so common, their powerful founders needed to have many sons by many women, and to pass their status – as well as their Y chromosomes – on to them. The sons, in turn, could then have many sons, too. It’s a kind of trans-generation amplification effect.”
Dr Balaresque said: “identifying the ancestors responsible for these lineages will be difficult or impossible, as it would rely on finding their remains and extracting and analyzing ancient DNA.”
“This hasn’t yet been done for Genghis Khan, for example, so the evidence remains circumstantial, if pretty convincing.”
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Patricia Balaresque et al. Y-chromosome descent clusters and male differential reproductive success: young lineage expansions dominate Asian pastoral nomadic populations. European Journal of Human Genetics, published online January 14, 2015; doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2014.285
