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The Y-chromosome haplogroup Q-M242 forms the basis of the gene pool of the Native Americans, and in Eurasia it reaches the highest frequencies in populations of Central and Southern Siberia. Genotyping with an extensive panel of SNP markers, highlighting about 60 branches within haplogroup Q, allowed us to perform an in-depth phylogeographic analysis in populations of Southern Siberia and adjacent regions. The study of six populations of Tuvans and Tozhu people revealed three branches of haplogroup Q, ascending to one root, YP1102. The most frequent of them, the YP1691 lineage, reaches a maximum in the gene pool of northeastern Tozhu Tuvans (51%), decreasing in frequency from east to west to 4%. The distribution of the YP1102* basal lineage follows a similar trend. The third BZ99* lineage is rare in Tuvans (2%), but is noticeable in the Khakas gene pool (9%). Phylogenetic analysis of STR haplotypes showed the distribution of the same clusters not only in different groups of Tuvans but also among the surrounding populations. The structure of the main cluster indicates an increase in the number of carriers of the YP1691 lineage during the Late Iron Age. The frequency map of the YP1691 lineage reflects the consequences of active migration processes during the Common Era within the territory of Southern and Western Siberia. Among the ancient populations of Siberia, the YP1102* variant was found in five individuals: four representatives of the Bronze Age of the Baikal region and one representative of the Scythian-Siberian type culture at the border of Mongolia and Tuva. Ancient DNA data and a higher genetic diversity in the population of Southern Siberia suggest the origin of haplogroup Q-YP1102 in this region and its further penetration to the west and north of Siberia, possibly including with the ancestors of populations of the Yenisei language family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The majority of the Kazakhs from South Kazakhstan belongs to the 12 clans of the Senior Zhuz. According to traditional genealogy, nine of these clans have a common ancestor and constitute the Uissun tribe. There are three main hypotheses of the clans' origin, namely, origin from early Wusuns, from Niru'un Mongols, or from Darligin Mongols. We genotyped 490 samples of South Kazakhs by 35 Y-chromosomal SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism) and 17 STRs (short tandem repeat). Additionally, 133 samples from citizen science projects were included into the study., Results: We found that three Uissun clans have unique Y-chromosomal profiles, but the remaining six Uissun clans and one non-Uissun clan share a common paternal gene pool. They share a high frequency (> 40%) of the C2*-ST haplogroup (marked by the SNP F3796), which is associated with the early Niru'un Mongols. Phylogenetic analysis of this haplogroup carried out on 743 individuals from 25 populations of Eurasia has revealed a set of haplotype clusters, three of which contain the Uissun haplotypes. The demographic expansion of these clusters dates back to the 13-fourteenth century, coinciding with the time of the Uissun's ancestor Maiky-biy known from historical sources. In addition, it coincides with the expansion period of the Mongol Empire in the Late Middle Ages. A comparison of the results with published aDNA (ancient deoxyribonucleic acid) data and modern Y haplogroups frequencies suggest an origin of Uissuns from Niru'un Mongols rather than from Wusuns or Darligin Mongols., Conclusions: The Y-chromosomal variation in South Kazakh clans indicates their common origin in 13th-14th centuries AD, in agreement with the traditional genealogy. Though genetically there were at least three ancestral lineages instead of the traditional single ancestor. The majority of the Y-chromosomal lineages of South Kazakhstan was brought by the migration of the population related to the medieval Niru'un Mongols.

The Turkic peoples represent a diverse collection of ethnic groups defined by the Turkic languages. These groups have dispersed across a vast area, including Siberia, Northwest China, Central Asia, East Europe, the Caucasus, Anatolia, the Middle East, and Afghanistan. The origin and early dispersal history of the Turkic peoples is disputed, with candidates for their ancient homeland ranging from the Transcaspian steppe to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. Previous genetic studies have not identified a clear-cut unifying genetic signal for the Turkic peoples, which lends support for language replacement rather than demic diffusion as the model for the Turkic language's expansion. We addressed the genetic origin of 373 individuals from 22 Turkic-speaking populations, representing their current geographic range, by analyzing genome-wide high-density genotype data. In agreement with the elite dominance model of language expansion most of the Turkic peoples studied genetically resemble their geographic neighbors. However, western Turkic peoples sampled across West Eurasia shared an excess of long chromosomal tracts that are identical by descent (IBD) with populations from present-day South Siberia and Mongolia (SSM), an area where historians center a series of early Turkic and non-Turkic steppe polities. While SSM matching IBD tracts (> 1cM) are also observed in non-Turkic populations, Turkic peoples demonstrate a higher percentage of such tracts (p-values ≤ 0.01) compared to their non-Turkic neighbors. Finally, we used the ALDER method and inferred admixture dates (~9th-17th centuries) that overlap with the Turkic migrations of the 5th-16th centuries. Thus, our results indicate historical admixture among Turkic peoples, and the recent shared ancestry with modern populations in SSM supports one of the hypothesized homelands for their nomadic Turkic and related Mongolic ancestors.