# Phylogenetic insights into the genetic legacies of Hungarian-speaking communities in the Carpathian Basin

## TL;DR

This study explores the genetic heritage of Hungarian-speaking communities in the Carpathian Basin using mitochondrial and Y-chromosome data to uncover ancient lineage connections.

## Contribution

The study reveals rare genetic lineages linking these communities to prehistoric and historic populations across Europe and Eastern Eurasia.

## Key findings

- Predominant paternal and maternal DNA aligns with East-Central European genetic patterns.
- Rare subhaplogroups indicate ancient ties to diverse populations spanning Europe and Eastern Eurasia.
- Phylogenetic analysis of STR and mitogenome data uncovered fine-scale genetic connections not detectable through population-based methods.

## Abstract

This study focuses on exploring the uniparental genetic lineages of Hungarian-speaking minorities residing in rural villages of Baranja (Croatia) and the Zobor region (Slovakia). We aimed to identify ancestral lineages by examining genetic markers distributed across the entire mitogenome and on the Y-chromosome. This allowed us to discern disparities in regional genetic structures within these communities. By integrating our newly acquired genetic data from a total of 168 participants with pre-existing Eurasian and ancient DNA datasets, our goal was to enrich the understanding of the genetic history trajectories of Carpathian Basin populations. Our findings suggest that while population-based analyses may not be sufficiently robust to detect fine-scale uniparental genetic patterns with the sample sizes at hand, phylogenetic analysis of well-characterized Y-chromosomal Short Tandem Repeat (STR) data and entire mitogenome sequences did uncover multiple lineage ties to far-flung regions and eras. While the predominant portions of both paternal and maternal DNA align with the East-Central European spectrum, rarer subhaplogroups and lineages have unveiled ancient ties to both prehistoric and historic populations spanning Europe and Eastern Eurasia. This research augments the expansive field of phylogenetics, offering critical perspectives on the genetic constitution and heritage of the communities in East-Central Europe.