Y-Chromosome Genetic Analysis of Modern Polish Population.

Łukasz Grochowalski,Maria Urbanowicz,Dominik Strapagiel,Paulina Borówka,Andrzej Ossowski,Justyna Jarczak,Maria Szargut,Błażej Marciniak,Wiesław Lorkiewicz,Marcin Słomka,Marta Sobalska-Kwapis

doi:10.3389/fgene.2020.567309

Łukasz Grochowalski, Maria Urbanowicz + Show 9 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2020.567309

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Abstract

The study presents a full analysis of the Y-chromosome variability of the modern male Polish population. It is the first study of the Polish population to be conducted with such a large set of data (2,705 individuals), which includes genetic information from inhabitants of all voivodeships, i.e., the first administrative level, in the country and the vast majority of its counties, i.e., the second level. In addition, the available data were divided into clusters corresponding to more natural geographic regions. Genetic analysis included the estimation of FST distances, the visualization with the use of multidimensional scaling plots and analysis of molecular variance. Y-chromosome binary haplogroups were classified and visualized with the use of interpolation maps. Results showed that the level of differentiation within Polish population is quite low, but some differences were indicated. It was confirmed that the Polish population is characterized by a high degree of homogeneity, with only slight genetic differences being observed at the regional level. The use of regional clustering as an alternative to counties and voivodeships provided a more detailed view of the genetic structure of the population. Those regional differences identified in the present study highlighted the need for additional division of the population by cultural and ethnic criteria in such studies rather than just by geographical or administrative regionalization.

Highlights

IntroductionThe allochthonous theory assumes that the Slavs arrived in this area between the fifth and sixth century CE from the Upper Dnieper basin, an area believed to be their cradle (Trzeciecki, 2016)
The structure and variability of the modern Polish population have arisen as a result of the demographic and political changes that have formed the populations of this part of Europe
The genetic variability of the Y chromosome across the Polish population has been analyzed over the years, in studies in regard to different regions of Poland (Pepinski et al, 2001; Janica et al, 2005; Rebala and Szczerkowska, 2005; Soltyszewski et al, 2007; Wozniak et al, 2007; Wolanska-Nowak et al, 2009; Kostrzewa et al, 2013), among Lithuanian, Byelorussian, and Tatar minorities living in Poland (Pepinski et al, 2004c, 2005a; Janica et al, 2005) and in studies of larger population groups, including the entire population of the country (Lessig et al, 2001; Ploski et al, 2002; Kayser et al, 2005; Lessig et al, 2008; Soltyszewski et al, 2008; Rebala et al, 2013)

Summary

Introduction

The allochthonous theory assumes that the Slavs arrived in this area between the fifth and sixth century CE from the Upper Dnieper basin, an area believed to be their cradle (Trzeciecki, 2016) This 100year-old discussion has recently been joined by anthropologists and geneticists studying modern mtDNA and Y-chromosome polymorphisms (Malyarchuk et al, 2002, 2008; Branicki et al, 2005; Grzybowski et al, 2007; Rebala et al, 2007, 2013; Wozniak et al, 2010; Mielnik-Sikorska et al, 2013a) and recently ancient DNA (Juras et al, 2014)

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