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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