Scientific and applied significance of the analysis of Y-chromosome variaition for criminalistics, ethnodemographic studies and historical reconstructions

The purpose of the paper is to briefly review the knowledge accumulated by geneticists using modern DNA technologies about the variation of the Y-chromosome in human populations and to popularize this knowledge among demographers and sociologists. The data on the spatial and temporal variability of Y-chromosome markers, theoretical (problems of human evolution, migration routes during the settlement of mankind around the globe, ethnodemographic studies, historical reconstructions of the origin of individual populations and ethnic groups) and the applied significance of these studies for medicine and criminalistics (DNA-based identification, formation of forensic databases, establishing kinship, in particular paternity, ethno-territorial origin of an unknown person based on DNA sample). The analysis of Y-chromosome haplogroups is applicable in ethnodemographic studies, as it allows marking modern migration flows along the male line. As an example, we present the forecast developed by the authors of the frequency dynamics of Y-chromosome haplogroups in the population of Moscow under the influence of migration, suggesting an increase in the frequency of haplogroups of “southern origin”, which is consistent with data on migration flows to Moscow. This result indicates the necessity for constant updating and maintaining reference databases for DNA-based identification purposes.