Reference Type: Journal Article

Record Number: 104

Author: I. Nasidze, D. Quinque, M. Rahmani, S. A. Alemohamad, P. Asadova, O. Zhukova and M. Stoneking

Year: 2009

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

Journal: Am J Phys Anthropol

Volume: 138

Issue: 1

Pages: 82-9

Epub Date: 2008/08/20

Date: Jan

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

ISSN: 1096-8644 (Electronic)

DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20903,

Accession Number: 18711736

Keywords: Arabs/genetics, Azerbaijan, Chromosomes, Human, Y/*genetics, DNA, Mitochondrial/blood/*genetics/isolation & purification, Genetic Markers, *Genetic Variation, Geography, Humans, Iran, Language, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid,

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.

Notes: Nasidze, Ivan, Quinque, Dominique, Rahmani, Manijeh, Alemohamad, Seyed Ali, Asadova, Pervin, Zhukova, Olga, Stoneking, Mark, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, United States, American journal of physical anthropology, Am J Phys Anthropol. 2009 Jan;138(1):82-9.,

Author Address: Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany. nasidze@eva.mpg.de

Language: eng