Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Are you a Descendant of Genghis Khan?

  
           Known as the creator of the Mongol Empire, the genes of Genghis khan and his tribesman's are prevalent in Asian men today. The Y chromosome, which is the sex-determining chromosome for males, can only be passed down from father to son. In typical cases, the markings on these chromosomes do not last for more than a couple of generations. However, researchers have found recent markings on the Y chromosome that date back to the time of the Mongolian war leader. In a study of 5,321 men from areas such as the Middle East and Korea, more than 11 common markers were found and 37.8% of all the men who were studied had genetic traits that linked back to the eleven dynasty leaders.

            How is this possible? Khans major conquests were not only territorial but also in the field of woman. Traveling often and on horseback, Khan had relationships with woman around the empire. This resulted in the passing on his DNA to the children that came out of these affairs. It is believed that one of Khans sons, had forty of sons of his own, and then his grandson also had twenty-two more sons. Because the Khan men were not monogamous, they were able to produce a large amount of offspring in a short amount of time.

            Having learned about Khan in history classes, I knew that Khan had many offsprings. However, it was amazing to hear that e his genes are still prevalent in society today. This brings up the question as to whether men who carry the same Y-chromosome markings as Khan share any genetic pre-dispositions.

Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/03/10/millions-of-modern-asian-men-can-trace-their-lineage-to-11-powerful-leaders-including-genghis-khan/

Secondary Article: http://www.biography.com/people/genghis-khan-9308634#genghis-khans-death

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