Turkish Cypriot paternal lineages bear an autochthonous character and closest resemblance to those from neighbouring Near Eastern populations

<p><b>Background:</b> Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea with a documented history of human settlements dating back over 10,000 years.</p> <p><b>Aim:</b> To investigate the paternal lineages of a representative population from Cyprus in the context of the larger Near Eastern/Southeastern European genetic landscape.</p> <p><b>Subjects and methods:</b> Three hundred and eighty samples from the second most populous ethnic group in Cyprus (Turkish Cypriots) were analysed at 17 Y-chromosomal short tandem repeat (Y-STR) loci.</p> <p><b>Results:</b> A haplotype diversity of 0.9991 was observed, along with a number of allelic variants, multi-allelic patterns and a most frequent haplotype that have not previously been reported elsewhere. Pairwise genetic distance comparisons of the Turkish Cypriot Y-STR dataset and Y-chromosomal haplogroup distribution with those from Near East/Southeastern Europe both suggested a closer genetic connection with the Near Eastern populations. Median-joining network analyses of the most frequent haplogroups also revealed some evidence towards <i>in situ</i> radiation.</p> <p><b>Conclusion:</b> Turkish Cypriot paternal lineages seem to bear an autochthonous character and closest genetic connection with the neighbouring Near Eastern populations. These observations are further underscored by the fact that the haplogroups associated with the spread of Neolithic Agricultural Revolution from the Fertile Crescent (E1b1b/J1/J2/G2a) dominate (>70%) the Turkish Cypriot haplogroup distribution.</p

A glimpse at the intricate mosaic of ethnicities from Mesopotamia: Paternal lineages of the Northern Iraqi Arabs, Kurds, Syriacs, Turkmens and Yazidis - Fig 5

<p><b>Counter-clockwise: Panel A, J1 M-JN based on eight Y-STR loci</b> (excluded loci are DYS385a/b, DYS389I/II, DYS392, DYS437, DYS438, DYS448 and DYS58); <b>Panel B, the combined R1a and R1b M-JN based on 13 Y-STR loci</b> (excluded loci are DYS385a/b and DYS389I/II), the R1a and R1b networks are in fact split along the right and left of the black arrow, respectively, and just below the proposed ancestral modal haplotype for both haplogroups, which was not sampled; <b>Panel C, J2a1b M-JN based on eight Y-STR loci</b> (excluded loci are DYS385a/b, DYS389I/II, DYS392, DYS437, DYS438, DYS448 and DYS58). Asterisks (*) mark the proposed ancestral modal haplotypes. A scale bar whose length denotes a single mutation event between two neighbouring haplotypes is also provided for each network.</p

Statistical parameters of forensic interest for the combined Northern Iraqi (<i>n</i> = 500), as well as the Arab (<i>n</i> = 102), Kurdish (<i>n</i> = 104), Syriac (<i>n</i> = 86), Turkmen (<i>n</i> = 102) and Yazidi (<i>n</i> = 106) populations.

<p>Statistical parameters of forensic interest for the combined Northern Iraqi (<i>n</i> = 500), as well as the Arab (<i>n</i> = 102), Kurdish (<i>n</i> = 104), Syriac (<i>n</i> = 86), Turkmen (<i>n</i> = 102) and Yazidi (<i>n</i> = 106) populations.</p

Distribution of the <i>in silico</i> assigned Y-chromosomal haplogroups by the Whit Athey algorithm for the 17-loci Y-STR datasets from Northern Iraq (<i>n</i> = 500).

<p>Distribution of the <i>in silico</i> assigned Y-chromosomal haplogroups by the Whit Athey algorithm for the 17-loci Y-STR datasets from Northern Iraq (<i>n</i> = 500).</p

Distribution of the <i>in silico</i> assigned (by the Whit Athey algorithm) Y-chromosomal haplogroups for the five different ethnic groups from Northern Iraq, as well as for the combined dataset (<i>n</i> = 500).

<p>Distribution of the <i>in silico</i> assigned (by the Whit Athey algorithm) Y-chromosomal haplogroups for the five different ethnic groups from Northern Iraq, as well as for the combined dataset (<i>n</i> = 500).</p

Immediate geographic location of the Republic of Iraq (A modified version of the Iraq physiography map taken from the CIA’s World Factbook).

<p>Only the self-reported birthplaces of the volunteers (e.g. cities, towns, etc.) are shown on the map.</p

The number of times each allelic microvariant, bi-allelic pattern and null allele were observed in each of the five ethnic groups from Northern Iraq and their overall frequency in the combined population.

<p>The number of times each allelic microvariant, bi-allelic pattern and null allele were observed in each of the five ethnic groups from Northern Iraq and their overall frequency in the combined population.</p

Pairwise genetic distance matrix based on the <i>R</i>_<i>st</i> and <i>P</i> values between the five major ethnic groups from Northern Iraq and representative nearby and distant populations^†.

<p>Pairwise genetic distance matrix based on the <i>R</i>_<i>st</i> and <i>P</i> values between the five major ethnic groups from Northern Iraq and representative nearby and distant populations^{<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0187408#t003fn001" target="_blank">†</a>}.</p

A two-dimensional MDS plot showing genetic relationships among the five Northern Iraqi ethnic groups and representative nearby and distant populations.

<p>Asterisks (*) mark populations from the present study.</p