Y-chromosomal STR Variation in Kurds, Yazidis and Turkmans Populations in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region

Abstract

Background: Since ancient times, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq has had a diversified population in terms of race and religion due to racial mixing and immigration. The population of the area is therefore a true ethnic mosaic made up of Kurds, Arabs, Turkmens, Assyrians, Yazidis, and other marginalized groups. As a result, the genetics of the inhabitants in contemporary Kurdistan are of interest to anthropological and forensic specialists.

   Methods: A total of 60 samples were collected from Kurdistan Region of Iraq volunteers belonging to three major ethnic groups, namely: Kurds (n=20), Yazidis (n=20) and Turkmen (n=20) were analyzed by 10 Y-STRs markers (DYS19, DYS390, DYS393, DYS426, DYS437, DYS439, DYS447, DYS460, DYS461, DYS481). DNA was extracted from fresh blood samples using DNA extraction Kit.

Results: A number of genetic parameters such as mean number of alleles, allele frequency, gene diversity, polymorphic information content, genetic distance and phylogenetic were measured in this study. The loci DYS 437 and DYS 439 had the highest diversity (GD = 0.870, 0.880 and 0.900 respectively), while loci DYS 390 and DYS437 had the lowest (GD = 0.700,0.715 and 0.735 respectively). The Dendrogram separated the populations into two main cluster, Kurds and Yazidis in one cluster and Turkmen in second cluster, then Kurd and Yazidis were separated into different sub-cluster with some admix some dendogram leaves between the Kurd and Yazidis group.  

Conclusions: The aim was to study a number of genetic parameters of Kurd, Yazidis and Turkmen   populations in Kurdistan region of Iraq. The results showed a great convergence between the Kurdish and Yazidi groups, while the Turkmen group was far from them by the discriminating power of high-resolution Y-STR typing.