Kurds and their origins

[Anthea]

Annals of Human Genetics

Volume 69, Issue 4, pages 401–412, July 2005

MtDNA and Y-chromosome Variation in Kurdish Groups

Summary

In order to investigate the origins and relationships of Kurdish-speaking groups, mtDNA HV1 sequences, eleven Y chromosome bi-allelic markers, and 9 Y-STR loci were analyzed among three Kurdish groups: Zazaki and Kurmanji speakers from Turkey, and Kurmanji speakers from Georgia. When compared with published data from other Kurdish groups and from European, Caucasian, and West and Central Asian groups, Kurdish groups are most similar genetically to other West Asian groups, and most distant from Central Asian groups, for both mtDNA and the Y-chromosome.

However, Kurdish groups show a closer relationship with European groups than with Caucasian groups based on mtDNA, but the opposite based on the Y-chromosome, indicating some differences in their maternal and paternal histories. The genetic data indicate that the Georgian Kurdish group experienced a bottleneck effect during their migration to the Caucasus, and that they have not had detectable admixture with their geographic neighbours in Georgia. Our results also do not support the hypothesis of the origin of the Zazaki –speaking group being in northern Iran; genetically they are more similar to other Kurdish groups. Genetic analyses of recent events, such as the origins and migrations of Kurdish-speaking groups, can therefore lead to new insights into such migrations.

Introduction

Kurds are an Indo-European speaking group that inhabit the highlands in the border area of Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq. This region lies astride the Zagros Mountains of Iran and the eastern extension of the Taurus Mountains in Turkey, and extends in the south across the Mesopotamian plain to include the upper reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (Figure 1). Several languages and/or dialects of Kurdish are recognized, and are classified as belonging to the northwestern branch of Iranian languages (Ethnologue, 2000).

Link to full INTERESTING Article:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... x/abstract

[Anthea]

I will have to look into this study much when I am fully awake

But I might have discovered a fly in the ointment - as well as the study only taking place on (in my valued judgement) to small a number of participants - it seems that the study was done on Kurdish speaking individuals

in the brief glance I had I did not see any mention of Arab speakers being included in the study