Y-chromosome lineages trace diffusion of people and languages in southwestern Asia

Lluís Quintana-Murci, Csilla Krausz, Tatiana Zerjal, S. Hamid Hamid Sayar, Michael F. Hammer, S. Qasim Qasim Mehdi, Qasim Ayub, Raheel Qamar, Aisha Mohyuddin, Uppala Radhakhrishna, Mark A. Jobling, Chris Tyler-Smith, Ken McElreavey

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

122 Scopus citations

Abstract

The origins and dispersal of farming and pastoral nomadism in southwestern Asia are complex, and there is controversy about whether they were associated with cultural transmission or demic diffusion. In addition, the spread of these technological innovations has been associated with the dispersal of Dravidian and Indo-Iranian languages in southwestern Asia. Here we present genetic evidence for the occurrence of two major population movements, supporting a model of demic diffusion of early farmers from southwestern Iran - and of pastoral nomads from western and central Asia - into India, associated with Dravidian and Indo-European-language dispersals, respectively.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)537-542
Number of pages6
JournalAmerican Journal of Human Genetics
Volume68
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2001

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Genetics
  • Genetics(clinical)

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