Genetic analysis of human remains found in two eighteenth century Yakut graves at At-Dabaan.

We extracted DNA from three skeletons belonging to the Yakut population, which were excavated from the At-Dabaan site (dating back 300 years) in the Sakha Republic (Russia). Ancient DNA was analyzed by autosomal STRs (short tandem repeats) and by the sequencing of the hypervariable region 1 (HV1) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. The results showed that these three skeletons were not close relatives but probably linked to the same clan structure. Comparison of their haplotypes with the haplotypes of 8,774 Eurasian individuals suggested a relative specificity and continuity of part of the Yakut mitochondrial gene pool during the last 3 centuries.