Gene transmission from the protohistoric period to present day in the geographical complex Altaï/Baïkal

• Main Author: Amory, Sylvain
• Other Authors: Laboratoire d'anthropologie moléculaire (LAM), Université Louis Pasteur - Strasbourg I, Laboratoire d'Anthropobiologie (LA), École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS)-Université Toulouse - Jean Jaurès (UT2J), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université de Toulouse (UT)-Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier (UT3), Université de Toulouse (UT)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Eric Crubézy
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: French
• Published: HAL CCSD 2007
• Subjects: ancient DNA; Siberia; Yakutia; autosomal STR; Y chromosomal STR; mitochondrial DNA; ADN ancien; Sibérie; Yakoutie; microsatellites; STR autosomaux; STR du chromosome Y; ADN mitochondrial; [SHS.ANTHRO-BIO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Biological anthropology; Yakut; Yakuts
• Online Access: https://theses.hal.science/tel-00136132; https://theses.hal.science/tel-00136132/document; https://theses.hal.science/tel-00136132/file/Amory_2007.pdf

Among peoples from Oriental Siberia, the origins of the Yakut population represent an enigma that remains unsolved by classical studies. Indeed, the Yakuts are the only horse and cattle breeders surrounded by hunters and reindeer herders. This difference with neighbouring populations is reinforced by their language, composed by Turkic and Mongolic words, as well as their cultural specificities. Therefore, study of the Yakut ethnogenesis by means of the molecular analysis of ancient Yakut specimens seems perfectly adapted. Recent evolution in molecular biology techniques makes it possible to perform genetic study of ancient populations. Furthermore, the environmental conditions faced in Oriental Siberia generally induce a good preservation of nucleic acids. The analysis of more than 60 ancient individuals from Central Yakutia led to the achievement of original results considering the molecular and the anthropological conclusions. Our data confirm the high quality of samples collected in Oriental Siberia since we have obtained good results for nuclear DNA markers, including autosomal and Y chromosomal STRs, even from hair samples. Therefore, we are confident in the authenticity of the ancient data. Moreover, interesting features of the substrates have been highlighted by the analysis of numerous samples and by the use of new protocols applied to different kind of samples. New hypotheses on the origins of paternal and maternal lineages have been proposed thanks to the comparison of Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA data with neighbouring ethnic groups as well as southern Siberian populations. Meridional influences have been confirmed, moreover our results bring new insights on ancient contacts between nomadic tribes from the southern steppes and peoples from Oriental Siberia. In spite of the important cultural modifications underwent by the Yakuts and the Russian colonization during the 18th century, the Yakut gene pool appeared as highly stable. Indeed, some specific male lineages have been transmitted in the ...