Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes in Pakistani populations

Received 19 August 2000; accepted 1 November 2000.

Abstract

16 Y-specific STR loci have been analysed in 711 males from 12 populations in Pakistan. Individual loci showed between 4 and 10 alleles, and diversities ranged from 0.07 to 0.77. A total of 527 different haplotypes were found and the haplotype diversity ranged from 0.92 to 0.99 for the different populations. 446 haplotypes occurred in single individuals, and only 19 haplotypes were present in more than three males, but two striking examples of haplotype sharing were found, one involving 13 individuals, and the other 17. The 13 individuals were all Parsis, and 16 of the 17 were Brahuis, providing evidence for population substructuring.

Keywords: STR, Y chromosome, Pakistan, Population substructure

a Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK

b Biomedical and Genetic Engineering Laboratories, 25 Mauve Area, PO Box 2891, Islamabad, Pakistan

c Institute of Biological Anthropology, University of Oxford, 58 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6QS, UK

Corresponding author. Tel.: +44-1865-275222; fax: +44-1865-275259

PII: S0379-0738(01)00382-6

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