the genetic landscape of Serbian populations through mitochondrial DNA sequencing and non-recombining region of the Y chromosome microsatellites.

Abstract

The Balkan Peninsula is known to represent a complex cultural mosaic and it is a strategic area because it represents a gateway into Europe from the Near East . This research seeks to evaluate the variability of both uniparental markers (mtDNA and non-recombining region of the Y chromosome) to dissect the genetic makeup of Serbians. The whole sample pertains to 257 Serbians (87 from the central region and 170 from the southern area) who have been analyzed for both uniparental genetic markers. The results showed that the extant inhabitants of the Balkan Peninsula have a homogeneous genetic background, despite their linguistic and cultural differences. The obtained data were compared with those of neighboring populations to detect possible relationships among groups. On the whole, the genetic variability of the Balkan populations seems to be due to an admixture process of European and Asian lineages in different proportions whose con- tributions constitute the current maternal and paternal genetic landscape