Genetics Iranian peoples

a tajik woman holding child



pamiri girl in afghanistan

regueiro et al (2006) , grugni et al (2012) have performed large-scale sampling of different ethnic groups within iran. found common haplogroups were:

three kurdish children bismil province, turkey



j1-m267; typical of semitic-speaking people, on 10% in iranian groups, high 30% in assyrian minorities of iran..
j2-m172: common hg in iran (~23%); exclusively represented j2a-m410 subclade (93%), other major sub-clade being j2b-m12. apart iranians, j2 common in mediterranean , balkan peoples (croatians, serbs, greeks, bosnians, albanians, italians, bulgarians, turks), in caucasus (armenians, georgia, northeastern turkey, north/northwestern iran, kurds, persians); whilst frequency drops beyond afghanistan, pakistan , northern india. in europe, j2a more common in southern greece , southern italy; whilst j2b (j2-m12) more common in thessaly, macedonia , central – northern italy. j2a , subgroups within have wide distribution italy india, whilst j2b confined balkans , italy, being rare in turkey. whilst closely linked anatolia , levant; , putative agricultural expansions, distribution of various sub-clades of j2 represents number of migrational histories require further elucidation.
r1a-m198: common in iran, more in east , south rather west , north; suggesting migration toward south india secondary westward spread across iran. whilst grongi , regueiro studies did not define sub-clades iranian r1a haplogrouops belong to, private genealogy tests suggest virtually belong eurasian r1a-z93. indeed, population studies of neighbouring indian groups found in r1a-z93. implies r1a in iran did not descend european r1a, or vice versa. rather, both groups collateral, sister branches descend parental group hypothesized have lived somewhere between central asia , eastern europe.
r1b – m269: widespread ireland iran, , common in highland west asian populations such armenians, turks , iranians – average frequency of 8.5%. iranian r1b belongs l-23 subclade, older derivative subclade (r1b-m412) common in western europe.
haplogroup g , subclades: concentrated in southern caucasus, present in 10% of iranians.
haplogroup e , various subclades markers of various northern , eastern african populations. present in less 10% of iranians (see afro-iranians).

two large – scale papers haber (2012) , di cristofaro (2013) analyzed populations afghanistan, several iranian-speaking groups native. found different groups (e.g. baluch, hazara, pashtun) quite diverse, yet overall:

r1a (subclade not further analyzed) predominant haplogroup, amongst pashtuns, balochi , tajiks.
the presence of east eurasian haplogroup c3, in hazaras (33–40%), in part linked mongol expansions region.
the presence of haplogroup j2, in iran, of 5–20%.
a relative paucity of indian haplgroup h (< 10%).

internal diversity , distant affinities

overall, iranian-speaking populations characterized high internal diversity. afghanistan, possibly due strategic location of region , unique harsh geography of mountains, deserts , steppes, have facilitated establishment of social organizations within expanding populations, , helped maintaining genetic boundaries among groups have developed on time distinct ethnicities high level of endogamy practiced these groups . data suggests afghanistan, other northern-central asian regions, has continually been recipient rather source of gene flow. although, populations iran proper diverse, j2a-m530 spread out of iran, , constitutes common genetic substratum iranian populations, modified further differential gene flows. in iran, language greater determinant of genetic similarity between different groups, whereas in afghanistan , other areas of northern central asia, not case.

overall in iran, native population groups not form tight clusters either according language or region. rather, occupy intermediate positions among near eastern , caucasus clusters. of iranian groups lie within near eastern group (often such turks , georgians), none fell arab or asian groups. iranian groups in iran, such gilakis , mazandaranis, have paternal genetics (y-dna) virtually identical south caucasus ethnic groups.

in afghanistan, iranian population groups such pashtuns , tajiks occupy intermediate positions amongst northwestern south asian ethnic groups, such along baloch, brahui, kashmiris , sindhis, small minor pull towards west asia.

iranians distantly related europeans whole, predominantly southern europeans greeks, albanians, serbs, croatians, italians, bosniks, spaniards, macedonians, portuguese, , bulgarians, rather northern europeans norwegians, danes, swedes, irish, scottish, english, finns, estonians, welsh, latvians, , lithuanians. nevertheless, iranian-speaking central asians show closer affinity europeans turkic-speaking central asians.