Paternal and maternal lineages in the Balkans show a homogeneous
landscape over linguistic barriers, except for the isolated Aromuns.
Authors: Bosch, E.1
Calafell, F.1
González-Neira, A.
Flaiz, C.
Mateu, E.1
Scheil, H.-G.2
Huckenbeck, W.3
Efremovska, L.4
Mikerezi, I.5
Xirotiris, N.6
Grasa, C.7
Schmidt, H.8
Comas, D.
david.comas@...
Source: Annals of Human Genetics; Jul2006, Vol. 70 Issue 4, p459-487,
29p, 12 charts
Document Type: Article
Subject Terms: *ETHNIC relations
*GENE mapping
*GENETIC recombination
*GENETICS
*HUMAN gene mapping
*POPULATION genetics
*GENETIC markers
Author-Supplied Keywords: Balkan Peninsula
mitochondrial DNA
Y chromosome
genetic variation
population genetics
Abstract: The Balkan Peninsula is a complex cultural mosaic comprising
populations speaking languages from several branches of the
Indo-European family and Altaic, as well as culturally-defined
minorities such as the Aromuns who speak a Romance language. The
current cultural and linguistic landscape is a palimpsest in which
different peoples have contributed their cultures in a historical
succession. We have sought to find any evidence of genetic
stratification related to those cultural layers by typing both mtDNA
and Y chromosomes, in Albanians, Romanians, Macedonians, Greeks, and
five Aromun populations. We have paid special attention to the
Aromuns, and sought to test genetically various hypotheses on their
origins. MtDNA and Y-chromosome haplogroup frequencies in the Balkans
were found to be similar to those elsewhere in Europe. MtDNA sequences
and Y-chromosome STR haplotypes revealed decreased variation in some
Aromun populations. Variation within Aromun populations was the
primary source of genetic differentiation. Y-chromosome haplotypes
tended to be shared across Aromuns, but not across non-Aromun
populations. These results point to a possible common origin of the
Aromuns, with drift acting to differentiate the separate Aromun
communities. The homogeneity of Balkan populations prevented testing
for the origin of the Aromuns, although a significant Roman
contribution can be ruled out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Author Affiliations: 1Unitat de Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat Pompeu
Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
2Institute of Human Genetics and Anthropology,
Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany
3Institute of Legal Medicine, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf,
Germany
4Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty Skopje, Republic of Macedonia
5Faculty of Natural Science, University Tirana, Albania
6Laboratory of Anthropology, Democritus University of Thrace,
Komotini, Greece
7University Ovidius, Constanta, Romania
8Institute of Human Genetics and Anthropology, University of Ulm, Germany