The Genetic Background of Historical Human Migrations in South-Eastern Europe: Three Decades of Croatian Genetic Heritage Studies

Abstract

This chapter aims to offer a short review of scientific data about the Croatian genetic heritage obtained over the past 30 years. Europe is undoubtedly the most extensively studied region in molecular genetic research on the history and movements of human populations. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the Y chromosome show distinct settlement patterns within specific regions, implying diverse evolutionary trajectories for the same population or geographic area. Due to the widespread practice of patrilocality, men typically reside closer to their birthplace, while women exhibit higher levels of migration at the local level. Consequently, the Y chromosome displays more pronounced local differentiation. The lineage marker data demonstrate that the Croatian and other regional human populations, like most other European populations, represent a remarkable genetic mixture. A substantial majority, exceeding three-quarters of the present-day Croatian male population, likely traces its ancestry to Old Europeans (who survived the Last Glacial Maximum within some European LGM refugias). The remaining part of the population is the offspring of the people arriving in this part of Europe through the southeastern migratory route in the last 10,000 years, mainly during Neolithization. We believe that this chapter will help us to summarize almost three decades of scientific effort within the analysis of the genetic structure of the Croatian population in more detail, as well as the aspects of its demographic history. Further insights will benefit from ancient DNA studies and their interpretation in an interdisciplinary population genetic framework.