ABSTRACT HAMMER OPP-9423429 Well publicized genetic studies linking the origin of modern humans to Africa have been based largely on maternally-inherited mitochondrial DNA, which reveal nothing about the role of males in the dynamics of human migration. The overall goal of this research project is to use the Y chromosome (carried by males alone) as an independent tool to test hypotheses regarding the origin and migration patterns of modern human populations and the male-dedicated gene flow in selected regions of the world. This research is the first comprehensive effort to systematically examine genetic variation in the human Y chromosome. These paternally derived data will complement the growing wealth of linguistic and archaeological data in northern Eurasia and give a more complete view of the origins and migration patterns of humans into the New World. *** ??
