Matrilineal genetic structure of the Artsakh armenians

Abstract

The Armenians living in Artsakh, a landlocked region in the South Caucasus, are characterized by strong and distinct national identity. The genetic legacy of this geographic group is of particular scientific interest due to its reproductive isolation during many centuries. However, there is no comprehensive study of matrilineal genetic variation of the Artsakh population so far. Here, we have analyzed the high resolution mitochondrial DNA typing data of 44 unrelated males from Artsakh and compared it with those of other neighboring Armenian and non-Armenian populations. The results indicate that matrilinear gene pool of the Artsakh population predominantly comprises the European lineages, while only weak traces of Central Asian genetic influence were detected. In addition, along with other Armenian geographic groups, the Armenians of Artsakh has close genetic affinity to the Near Eastern populations.