The development of patrilineal social systems during the Neolithic period, where children inherit their father’s lineage, could be the reason for a notable decrease in Y chromosome genetic diversity globally between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. In a study recently published in the journal
This study calls into question the previously proposed theory that violent clashes, supposedly due to competition between different clans, in which many men died, were at the origin of the loss of genetic diversity of the Y chromosome. The results of this study also provide new hypotheses on human social organization in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages.
Reference: “Patrilineal segmentary systems provide a peaceful explanation for the post-Neolithic Y-chromosome bottleneck” by Léa Guyon, Jérémy Guez, Bruno Toupance, Evelyne Heyer and Raphaëlle Chaix, 24 April 2024, Nature Communications.
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47618-5