The Genetic History of the Caucasus
Mark Stoneking (Biométrie et Biologie Évolutive, UMR 5558, CNRS & Université de Lyon)
To paraphrase Tolstoy, all populations are alike in have interesting histories, but each history is interesting in its own way. In the case of the Caucasus, the interest centers around the extensive linguistic diversity (in particular, the relationship of Caucasian populations speaking Indo-European or Turkic languages to those speaking Caucasian languages), the position of the Caucasus as a potential crossroads for contact between the East and the West, and the impact of the Caucasus Mountains on the genetic diversity and structure of populations living in the mountainous regions. In this presentation, which I shall endeavour to make accessible to non-geneticists, I will take an historical approach: first, I will describe early studies of genetic variation in Caucasian populations that I carried out with my colleague, Ivane (Vano) Nasidze, that focused mostly on analyses of the maternally-inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the paternally-inherited Y chromosome. I will then discuss the more detailed insights into population history provided by analyses of genome-wide variation in modern human populations from the Caucasus, followed by the additional insights arising from the recent studies of ancient DNA. The results to date of this relatively under-studied region indicate a complex history of both contact and continuity, and a major impact of the mountainous regions on the genetic structure of the populations living there.
Место проведения: Старая Басманная ул., 21/4, ауд. Б-421
Время проведения: 16:00–18:00