Y-Chromosomal insights into the paternal genealogy of the Kerey tribe have called into question their descent from the Stepfather of Genghis Khan.

The Kerey is one of the prominent Kazakh tribes and has long been a subject of ethnographic scrutiny, with a lack of consensus on its origin and traditional genealogy. Their historical significance, intertwined with the emergence of the empire established by Genghis Khan, necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their genetic history. This study focuses on unraveling the genetic heritage of the Kerey tribe. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of Y-chromosome data from genetic genealogy as citizen science and genetic screening of 23 Y-STRs and 37 Y-SNPs on 207 males from the Kerey tribe within academic science. Our results reveal two prevalent phylogenetic lineages within the C2a1a3a-F3796 haplogroup, also known as the C2*-Star Cluster (C2*-ST), which is one of the founding paternal lineages of the ancient Niru'un clan of the Mongols: C2-FT411734 and C2-FT224144, corresponding to the Abak and Ashamaily clans. While indicating a common male ancestry for them, our findings challenge the notion that they are full siblings. Additionally, genetic diversity analysis of the Y-chromosomes in the Kerey tribe and Kazakhs confirms their kinship with the Uissun tribe but refutes the claim of the Abak clan's progenitor originating from this tribe. Furthermore, genetic evidence fails to support popular historical and ethnographic hypotheses regarding the Kerey tribe's kinship with the Uak, Sirgeli, Adai, Törtkara, Karakerey, and Kereyit Kazakh tribes. The absence of a genetic paternal connection with the Kereyt tribe raises doubts about the genealogical link between the Kerey tribe and the stepfather of Genghis Khan.

Ancient Components and Recent Expansion in the Eurasian Heartland: Insights into the Revised Phylogeny of Y-Chromosomes from Central Asia.

In the past two decades, studies of Y chromosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNPs) and short tandem repeats (Y-STRs) have shed light on the demographic history of Central Asia, the heartland of Eurasia. However, complex patterns of migration and admixture have complicated population genetic studies in Central Asia. Here, we sequenced and analyzed the Y-chromosomes of 187 male individuals from Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Karakalpak, Hazara, Karluk, Tajik, Uyghur, Dungan, and Turkmen populations. High diversity and admixture from peripheral areas of Eurasia were observed among the paternal gene pool of these populations. This general pattern can be largely attributed to the activities of ancient people in four periods, including the Neolithic farmers, Indo-Europeans, Turks, and Mongols. Most importantly, we detected the consistent expansion of many minor lineages over the past thousand years, which may correspond directly to the formation of modern populations in these regions. The newly discovered sub-lineages and variants provide a basis for further studies of the contributions of minor lineages to the formation of modern populations in Central Asia.