Haplogroup R1a-M198 in Turkic-speaking populations of the North Caucasus

Objective: to study the genetic structure and diversity of gene pools of populations of the North Caucasus based on the variability of the haplogroup R1a-M198 of the Y chromosome. Material and methods. The analysis of the genetic diversity of the Caucasian populations was carried out according to the results of the variability of the haplogroup R1a-M198 of the Y chromosome. Results. Based on the results of genotyping, it was revealed that the haplogroup R1a-Z2123 is the major haplo group in the Turkic-speaking populations of the Central and Western regions of the North Caucasus, while it turned out to be uncharacteristic for the Turkic-speaking populations of Dagestan and the Kuban Nogai. We conducted an analysis of the frequency distribution of the branches of the haplogroup R1a-M198 of the Y chromosome in the Balkarian population, taking into account their belonging to different subethnic groups (Baksans, Chegemians, Kholamets, Bezengi, Malkars). Conclusion. The subethnic groups of Bezengis and Kholamets are characterized by the lowest frequency of lines of the haplogroup R1a-M198, and in the subpopulation of cholama, only haplogroup R1a-Z2123 is detected.