Gypsies
The 8-10 million European Roma/Gypsies are a founder population of common origins that has subsequently split into multiple socially divergent and geographically dispersed Gypsy groups.
Unlike other founder populations, whose genealogy has been extensively documented, the demographic history of the Gypsies is not fully understood and, given the lack of written records, has to be inferred from current genetic data.
Linguistic evidence suggests that Gypises are of diverse Indian origins. Their social structure within Europe resembles that of the jatis of India, where the endogamous group, often defined by profession, is the primary unit.
Genetic studies have reported dramatic differences in the frequencies of mutations and neutral polymorphisms in different Romani populations. These studies have not resolved ambiguities regarding the origins and relatedness of Romani populations.
Y-chromosome markers
- asian Y-chromosome haplogroup VI-68 at M82 locus(44.8% of Romani Y chromosomes)
mtDNA markers
- Asian mtDNA-Haplogroup M (26.5% of female lineages)
Limited diversity within the two main haplogroups, measured by the variation at eight short-tandem-repeat loci for the Y chromosome, and sequencing of the HVS1 for the mtDNA are consistent with a small group of founders splitting from a single ethnic population in the Indian subcontinent. (11704928)
Principal-components analysis and analysis of molecular variance indicate that genetic structure in extant endogamous Romani populations has been shaped by genetic drift and differential admixture and correlates with the migrational history of the Roma in Europe. (11704928)
By contrast, social organization and professional group divisions appear to be the product of a more recent restitution of the caste system of India. (11704928)
mutational studies
- Identity of the congenital myasthenia 1267delG mutation in Gypsy and Indian/Pakistani chromosomes provided the best evidence yet of the Indian origins of the Gypsies. (15322984)
- Dramatic differences in mutation frequencies and haplotype divergence and very limited haplotype sharing pointed to strong internal differentiation and characterized the Gypsies as a founder population comprising multiple subisolates. (15322984)
- Using disease haplotype coalescence times at the different loci, we estimated that the entire Gypsy population was founded approximately 32-40 generations ago, with secondary and tertiary founder events occurring approximately 16-25 generations ago. (15322984)
See also
frequent mendelian disorders in Gypsies
private mutations in Gypsies
References
Irwin J, Egyed B, Saunier J, Szamosi G, O?callaghan J, Padar Z, Parsons TJ. Hungarian mtDNA population databases from Budapest and the Baranya county Roma. Int J Legal Med. 2006 Dec 22; PMID: 17186294
Gresham D, Morar B, Underhill PA, Passarino G, Lin AA, Wise C, Angelicheva D, Calafell F, Oefner PJ, Shen P, Tournev I, de Pablo R, Kucinskas V, Perez-Lezaun A, Marushiakova E, Popov V, Kalaydjieva L. Origins and divergence of the Roma (gypsies). Am J Hum Genet. 2001 Dec;69(6):1314-31. PMID: 11704928
Morar B, Gresham D, Angelicheva D, Tournev I, Gooding R, Guergueltcheva V, Schmidt C, Abicht A, Lochmuller H, Tordai A, Kalmar L, Nagy M, Karcagi V, Jeanpierre M, Herczegfalvi A, Beeson D, Venkataraman V, Warwick Carter K, Reeve J, de Pablo R, Kucinskas V, Kalaydjieva L. Mutation history of the roma/gypsies. Am J Hum Genet. 2004 Oct;75(4):596-609. PMID: 15322984
Kalaydjieva L, Calafell F, Jobling MA, Angelicheva D, de Knijff P, Rosser ZH, Hurles ME, Underhill P, Tournev I, Marushiakova E, Popov V. Patterns of inter- and intra-group genetic diversity in the Vlax Roma as revealed by Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA lineages. Eur J Hum Genet. 2001 Feb;9(2):97-104. PMID: 11313742
Kalaydjieva L, Gresham D, Calafell F. Genetic studies of the Roma (Gypsies): a review. BMC Med Genet. 2001;2:5. PMID: 11299048