Y chromosome diversity in the Armenian population of Karabakh

Аннотация

Armenians from the Karabakh region are an indigenous ethnic group of the Armenian Highland with strong and distinct national identity. Today, there is only one study on the genetic structure of this geographic group of Armenians. Here, we have analyzed the high resolution Y-chromosomal DNA typing data of 105 unrelated males representing the region of Karabakh and compared it with those of other neighboring Armenian and non-Armenian populations. The results indicate that patrilineal gene pool of Karabakh population predominantly composed of haplogroups of Neolithic origin, while Central Asian lineages are almost absent from its genetic structure. Besides, population of Karabakh demonstrates close genetic affinity to other Eastern Armenian groups.