[A search for a "Genghis Khan chromosome"]

Zerial et al. (2003) have shown that a special variant of the Y chromosome, characterized by a set of microsatellite markers occurs at high frequency in the number of human populations of Central Asia. This variant was attributed to the descendants of Genghis Khan and its accumulation, to social selection. A search of this Y chromosome variant in Russian populations was conducted. The "Genghis Khan Y chromosome" has been found among Altaians, Altai Kazakhs, Buryats, Kalmyks, Nogaits, and Tuvinians. Its highest frequency (13.8%) was observed in Nogaits. In the examined cases the carriers of the "Genghis Khan Y chromosome" possessed no information on their origin.