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Abstract: There is growing interest in the study of X-chromosome markers in population and forensic genetics. Since most of the studies focused on Short Tandem Repeats (STRs), data concerning Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are still scarce. In the present work, male samples from Africa (Angola: n =46; Mozambique: n =42) and Asia (Taiwan: n =21; China: n =43; Bangladesh: n =58) were analysed for 25 SNPs located on the X chromosome to evaluate the diversity pattern in the populations from the two continents. Data were compared with previously published results from Somalia and Mediterranean populations. The results showed a clear genetic differentiation between Sub-Saharan populations and those from northern Africa and the Mediterranean. The differentiation between eastern and southern Africa was also recognizable, with Angola and Mozambique being statistically different from Somalia but not from each other. Likewise, the Asian samples formed a separate cluster with Bangladesh exhibiting a statistically significant difference from those of China and Taiwan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The European Consortium "High-throughput analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms for the forensic identification of persons--SNPforID", has performed a selection of candidate Y-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for making inferences on the geographic origin of an unknown sample. From more than 200 SNPs compiled in the phylogenetic tree published by the Y-Chromosome Consortium, and looking at the population studies previously published, a package of 29 SNPs has been selected for the identification of major population haplogroups. A "Major Y-chromosome haplogroup typing kit" has been developed, which allows the multiplex amplification of all 29 SNPs in a single reaction. Allele genotyping was performed with a single base extension reaction (minisequencing) detected by CE. The validation of the multiplex was performed in a total of 1126 unrelated males distributed among 12 worldwide populations. The approach takes advantage of the specific geographic distribution of the Y-chromosome haplogroups and demonstrates the utility of binary polymorphisms to infer the origin of a male lineage.