Y chromosomes and mtDNA of the Talysh

Sadly, this group seems to be stuck in the prehistoric age of Y-SNP testing, essentially using the same coarse group of markers that they used half a decade ago. Nonetheless, an addition to the sampling of the world's genetic diversity.

No mtDNA haplogroup frequency is included. The most noticeable features of the Y-chromosomes of the Talysh are the predominance of haplogroups J2 (23-32%) and R1*(xR1a1) (14-48%), and the paucity of haplogroup R1a1 (2-3%), considered by some as an Indo-Iranian marker. Also noticeable is the presence of 16% K*(xP) in the Southern Talysh, but 0% in the Northern ones. Some Y-STRs were typed, but no haplotypes were included, or measures of STR variance; only some network diagrams.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology doi: 10.1002/ajpa.20903

mtDNA and Y-chromosome variation in the Talysh of Iran and Azerbaijan

Ivan Nasidze et al.

Abstract

The Northern Talysh from Azerbaijan and the Southern Talysh from Iran self-identify as one ethnic group and speak a Northwestern Iranian language. However, the Northern and Southern Talysh dialects are so different that they may actually be separate languages. Does this linguistic differentiation reflect internal change due to isolation, or could contact-induced change have played a role? We analyzed mtDNA HVI sequences, 11 Y-chromosome bi-allelic markers, and 9 Y-STR loci in Northern and Southern Talysh and compared them with their neighboring groups. The mtDNA data show a close relatedness of both groups with each other and with neighboring groups, whereas the Northern Talysh Y-chromosome variation differs from that of neighboring groups, probably as a result of genetic drift. This genetic drift most likely reflects a founder event in the male gene pool of Northern Talysh: either fewer males than females migrated to Azerbaijan, or there was a higher degree of relatedness among the male migrants. Since we find no evidence of substantial genetic contact between either Northern or Southern Talysh and neighboring groups, we conclude that internal change, rather than contact-induced change, most likely explains the linguistic differentiation between Northern and Southern Talysh.

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