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.
