In recent years, in most population genetics papers, an evolutionary mutation rate for Y chromosome microsatellites (STRs) of 0.00069/locus/generation has been used. This rate was proposed by Zhivotovsky et al. (2004) (pdf), and defended in Zhivotovsky et al. (2005), and especially Zhivotovsky, Underhill and Feldman (2006) (henceforth Z.U.F.) This mutation rate exceeds the observed germline...

This is a free paper which establishes the difference between highland Northeast Caucasian speakers and lowland Altaic speakers in Daghestan. The lowland groups show evidence of Mongoloid haplogroups in both Y chromosomes and mtDNA, while the highland groups are dominated by haplogroup J: The highland Avar, Dargin, and Kubachi exhibit high frequencies of haplogroup J (0.56, 1.00, and 0.67,...

Via the New Scientist: Even with the human genome in hand, geneticists are split about how to deal with issues of race, genetics and medicine. Some favor using genetic markers to sort humans into groups based on ancestral origin – groups that may show meaningful health differences. Others argue that genetic variations across the human species are too gradual to support such divisions and that...

Personal Relationships doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6811.2008.00195.x Race, social relationships, and mental health K. JILL KIECOLT et al. ABSTRACT Researchers often assume that the extent, quality, and effectiveness of personal relationships explain why African Americans have relatively good mental health despite experiencing high levels of stress. This study tests this assumption using data from the...

American Journal of Physical Anthropology Ecogeographic variation in human nasal passages Todd R. Yokley Abstract Theoretically, individuals whose ancestors evolved in cold and/or dry climates should have greater nasal mucosal surface area relative to air volume of the nasal passages than individuals whose ancestors evolved in warm, humid climates. A high surface-area-to-volume (SA/V) ratio...