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Haplogroup R1a (M17) is a Y-Chromosome haplogroup that is spread across Eurasia. It is common in Europe, Northern Central Asia and India. In Europe the highest frequencies are in Eastern Europe. Today it is found at over 40% frequencies in many Slavic countries, with some notable exceptions. Relatively high frequencies are also found in Northern Europe and is believed to have been spread across Europe by the Vikings, which accounts for the existance of it in among other places the British Isles. It is however fairly common across all of Europe. In India data points to a correlation between the historical Brahmin caste and the R1a haplogroup.

R1a is genetically closely related to Haplogroup R1b that is dominant in Western Europe.

Origins

The first carriers of the R1a are believed to have been nomadic farmers in the steppes of northern Central Asia about 10,000 years ago. Current theories point to them being the first speakers of the proto-Indo-European languages (the Kurgan culture) and the first ones to domesticate the horse.

References

1. "The Genetic Legacy of Paleolithic Homo sapiens sapiens in Extant Europeans", Semino et al, Science Vol290, 2000

2. Atlas of the Human Journey, The Genographic Project, National Geographic

3. "The Eurasian Heartland: A continental perspective on Y-chromosome diversity", Wells et al, PNAS, 2001, Vol98

4. The History and Geography of Human Genes, Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza (Amazon.com)

• Population genetics