The place of Slovakian paternal diversity in the clinal European landscape

<i>Background</i>: Several demographic events have been postulated to explain the contemporaneous structure of European genetic diversity. First, an initial settlement of the continent by anatomically modern humans; second, the re-settlement of northern latitudes after the Last Glacial Maximum; third, the demic diffusion of Neolithic farmers from the Near East; and, fourth, several historical events such as the Slavic migration.<i>Aim</i>: The aim of this study was to provide a more integrated picture of male-specific genetic relationships of Slovakia within the broader pan-European genetic landscape.<i>Subjects and methods</i>: This study analysed a new Y-chromosome data-set (156 individuals) for both SNP and STR polymorphisms in population samples from five different Slovakian localities.<i>Results</i>: It was found that the male diversity of Slovakia is embedded in the clinal pattern of the major R1a and R1b clades extending over the continent and a similar pattern of population structure is found with Y-specific SNP or STR variation.<i>Conclusion</i>: The highly significant correlation between the results based on fast evolving STRs on one hand and slow evolving SNPs on the other hand suggests a recent timeframe for the settlement of the area.