A prevalent Y-chromosome haplotype among Asian men may trace back to Genghis Khan

(a) Haplotype network for the Y chromosomes of Asian men showing the predominance of the star-cluster haplotype thought to trace back to Genghis Khan. The area of the circle is proportional to the number of individuals with the specific haplotype that the circle represents. (b) Geographical distribution of the star-cluster haplotype. Populations are shown as circles with an area proportional to sample size; the proportion of individuals in the sample carrying star-cluster chromosomes is indicated by green sectors. No star-cluster chromosomes were found in populations having no green sector in the circle. The shaded area represents the extent of Genghis Khan’s empire.

[Data from T. Zerjal et al., Am. J. Hum. Genet. 72, 2003, 717-721.]