American Journal of Human Genetics (online early)
The Himalayas as a Directional Barrier to Gene Flow
Tenzin Gayden et al.
High-resolution Y-chromosome haplogroup analyses coupled with Y–short tandem repeat (STR) hap
American Journal of Human Genetics (online early)
The Himalayas as a Directional Barrier to Gene Flow
Tenzin Gayden et al.
High-resolution Y-chromosome haplogroup analyses coupled with Y–short tandem repeat (STR) haplotypes were used to (1) investigate the genetic affinities of three populations from Nepal—including Newar, Tamang, and people from cosmopolitan Kathmandu (referred to as "Kathmandu" subsequently)—as well as a collection from Tibet and (2) evaluate whether the Himalayan mountain range represents a geographic barrier for gene flow between the Tibetan plateau and the South Asian subcontinent. The results suggest that the Tibetans and Nepalese are in part descendants of Tibeto-Burman–speaking groups originating from Northeast Asia. All four populations are represented predominantly by haplogroup O3a5-M134–derived chromosomes, whose Y-STR–based age (±SE) was estimated at 8.1 ± 2.9 thousand years ago (KYA), more recent than its Southeast Asian counterpart. The most pronounced difference between the two regions is reflected in the opposing h