Genghis brought home the bacon so no one knew...
Posted on 06/22/2004 9:49:06 AM PDT by blam
Genghis Khan: Father to Millions?
By Rossella Lorenzi, Discovery News
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20040621/gallery/genghis_goto.jpg>
Statue of the Mongol Emperor
June 22, 2004 —Genghis Khan left a legacy shared by 16 million people alive today, according to a book by a Oxford geneticist who identified the Mongol emperor as the most successful alpha male in human history.
Regarded by the Mongolians as the father of their nation, Genghis Khan was born around 1162. A military and political genius, he united the tribes of Mongolia and conquered half of the known world with a cavalry riding on grass-fed ponies.
By the time Genghis died in 1227, his empire stretched from the Pacific coast of China to the Caspian Sea.
Bryan Sykes, professor of human genetics at Oxford University and author of "Adam's Curse," a study of the Y chromosome, believes Genghis's "super Y" chromosome survived and proliferated as far as the British Isles. He has just begun to check it at Oxford Ancestors, a leading provider of DNA-based services for use in personal ancestry research.
"We will offer British men genetic tests to see if they are Genghis's descendants. It is possible that the Mongol emperor's Y chromosome spread as far as the U.K. through gradual immigration from further East over the centuries," Sykes told Discovery News.
The genetic testing follows another Oxford study, which involved a survey of the Y chromosome — which is passed unchanged from father to son — from all over Central Asia.
The researchers found one Y chromosome fingerprint that was identical in eight percent of the male population.
"This was highly unusual and suggested that they may all have descended from one man living in the fairly recent past. By seeing what small changes had occurred, it was possible to estimate the time at which this common ancestor lived, and it was consistent with an origin in the 12th or 13th century," Sykes said.
Matching that evidence with the overlap between where the chromosome was abundant and the geographical extent of the Mongol empire established by Genghis Khan in the 12th century, the researchers concluded it was Genghis' chromosome.
The Mongol emperor's habit of killing the men and inseminating the women when his army conquered a new territory, coupled with handing the Empire and other wealth to his sons, and their sons, would explain how the chromosome came to such prevalence today, said Sykes.
The final piece of evidence came from the Hazara, a hill tribe in Pakistan who had a strong oral history of being descended from Genghis Khan.
"The Y chromosome was present in the Hazara, but not in the surrounding tribes, who did not have this oral history. Though the evidence is circumstantial, it is, I believe, very strong," Sykes said.
Finding Genghis Khan's tomb, one of the great secrets of all time, could provide the definitive evidence, leading to a direct comparison of Genghis' Y chromosome with those of modern men.
Sykes' hypothesis seems to be consistent with history, according to David Morgan, a Mongol history specialist at the University of Wisconsin.
"There's no reason to doubt that Genghis Khan fathered a good crop of children, if one is to believe the testimony of contemporaries," Morgan told Discovery News.
I thought mongoloid was the old term for down's syndrome affected people.
Very interesting.
I suddenly crave Mongolian BBQ for lunch.
why you talk about me like that?
LOL
BTTT
Mongoloid. It is a slur refering to people with Downs Syndrome. It's at least 50 years out of date and extremely offensive.
Genghis brought home the bacon so no one knew...
Now now, we mustn't be judgmental. < /whining liberal>
"There's no reason to doubt that Genghis Khan fathered a good crop of children,
Fathered? Good crop? Good Grief!
No offense intended, but I didn't know the term wasn't used any more. I thought it referred to some characteristics in the eye folds (among other physical characteristics) in those afflicted with Down's syndrome. As a kid I remember that term, not as a slur, but as the name more common than Down's syndrome.
Was I mistaken?
No you're not. Mongoloid was originally part of the race theory of human beings, and then it became associated with down's syndrome. Those afflicted with the condition often times took on the eye characteristics of 'Mongoloids'and as such today it's not used anymore because it's seen as offensive because you're associating mental disorder with a group of people.
It may have been inoffensive once, but... it's really more in how it's used. People don't use "mongoloid" affectionately, they use it as a slur. Or as a way to objectify a person- "that mongoloid kid", something along those lines. The only people I've ever heard using the term were being offensive. It's like people who say "tard" to refer to someone who's mentally retarded.
If you used it in front of a friend or family member of someone who has Downs Syndrome, you'd either be politely educated, or slugged, depending on whether they thought you were being intentionally rude.
Genghis Khan was a great man.
H establlished one of the world's first non-sectarin states - all religions were tolerated. As a matter of fact, some of the Khan's court and successors were Christians. He personally abolished the use of torture. He always made an overture of alliance to his enemies and only destroyed them when they refused and insulted his ambassadors. He was one of the first to grant envoys protected status.
Ghengis was a great man. WE, the U.S., could use someone like him now. If he were in charge Fallujah wopuld be toast, as would be Iran and Mr. Sadr and his followers.
Yeah but all his kids turned out to be Mongoloids....sorry.
In 800 years Clinton can have a legacy too.
Where exactly in Pennsyltucky are you ? LOL , Lighten up !
LOL
You know it's sometimes hard to keep up with what words are 'in' and what words are 'out'. Instead of jumping on Martin wouldn't it be better to assume he didn't know he was using an 'out' word? You could have explained it in your first post rather than getting angry. While you're at it, do you know why the word oriental is out and asian is in?
In the year 1999 (911)? and sept,
A great King of Terror will come from the sky.
He will bring back the great King Genghis Khan.
Before and after Mars rules happily. - Nostradamus
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