The Kalmyks are an ethnic group along the lower Volga River in Russia who are thought to have migrated there from Mongolia about 300 years ago.
Both mtDNA HV1 sequences and Y-chromosome SNP haplogroups indicate a close relationship of Kalmyks with Mongolians.
In addition, genetic diversity for both mtDNA and the Y chromosome are comparable in Kalmyks, Mongolians, and other Central Asian groups, indicating that the Kalmyk migration was not associated with a substantial bottleneck.
The so-called "Genghis Khan" Y-chromosome short tandem repeat (STR) haplotype was found in high frequency (31.3%) among Kalmyks, further supporting a strong genetic connection between Kalmyks and Mongolians.
Studies revealed a close vicinity to Mongolian and Kazakh populations and large genetic distance to geographical neighbours from Russia, Ukraine and the Caucasus. (17314020)
References
Roewer L, Kruger C, Willuweit S, Nagy M, Rodig H, Kokshunova L, Rothamel T, Kravchenko S, Jobling MA, Stoneking M, Nasidze I. Y-chromosomal STR haplotypes in Kalmyk population samples. Forensic Sci Int. 2007 Feb 19; PMID: 17314020
Nasidze I, Quinque D, Dupanloup I, Cordaux R, Kokshunova L, Stoneking M. Genetic evidence for the Mongolian ancestry of Kalmyks. Am J Phys Anthropol. 2005 Dec;128(4):846-54. PMID: 16028228