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Cited by 19Forensic and Genetic ResearchGenetic diversity and population structureEurasian Exchange Networks

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Molecular Genealogy of a Mongol Queen’s Family and Her Possible Kinship with Genghis Khan

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Abstract

Members of the Mongol imperial family (designated the Golden family) are buried in a secret necropolis; therefore, none of their burial grounds have been found. In 2004, we first discovered 5 graves belonging to the Golden family in Tavan Tolgoi, Eastern Mongolia. To define the genealogy of the 5 bodies and the kinship among them, SNP and/or STR profiles of mitochondria, autosomes, and Y chromosomes were analyzed. Four of the 5 bodies were determined to carry the mitochondrial DNA haplogroup D4, while the fifth carried haplogroup CZ, indicating that this individual had no kinship with the others. Meanwhile, Y-SNP and Y-STR profiles indicate that the males examined belonged to the R1b-M343 haplogroup. Thus, their East Asian D4 or CZ matrilineal and West Eurasian R1b-M343 patrilineal origins reveal genealogical admixture between Caucasoid and Mongoloid ethnic groups, despite a Mongoloid physical appearance. In addition, Y chromosomal and autosomal STR profiles revealed that the four D4-carrying bodies bore the relationship of either mother and three sons or four full siblings with almost the same probability. Moreover, the geographical distribution of R1b-M343-carrying modern-day individuals demonstrates that descendants of Tavan Tolgoi bodies today live mainly in Western Eurasia, with a high frequency in the territories of the past Mongol khanates. Here, we propose that Genghis Khan and his family carried Y-haplogroup R1b-M343, which is prevalent in West Eurasia, rather than the Y-haplogroup C3c-M48, which is prevalent in Asia and which is widely accepted to be present in the family members of Genghis Khan. Additionally, Tavan Tolgoi bodies may have been the product of marriages between the lineage of Genghis Khan's Borjigin clan and the lineage of either the Ongud or Hongirad clans, indicating that these individuals were members of Genghis Khan's immediate family or his close relatives.

Overview

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TL;DR

Ancient DNA from five Tavan Tolgoi graves attributed to Genghis Khan’s Golden family shows four bodies sharing mtDNA haplogroup D4 and male members carrying Y-haplogroup R1b-M343, while a fifth Golden-family-associated body carried CZ and had no kinship with them. The authors propose that Genghis Khan’s male lineage may have carried R1b-M343 rather than the widely discussed C3c-M48, and that the Tavan Tolgoi bodies were either mother–sons or full siblings.

Key findings

  • Of 7 Tavan Tolgoi bodies, 4 suspected Golden family members (MN0104, MN0125, MN0126, MN0127) had identical mtDNA sequences and were assigned to haplogroup D4; MN0105 carried CZ and showed no kinship with the other Golden family members.
  • Male Golden family bodies MN0104 and MN0126 belonged to Y-haplogroup R1b-M343 and shared identical Y-STR haplotypes; the general-public warrior MN0376 belonged to R1a1a-M17 and differed from them.
  • A-STR and Kinship Index analyses indicated MN0104, MN0125, and MN0126 were related as either mother and two sons or full siblings with nearly the same probability; the probability of a parent–child relationship between MN0104 and MN0126 was 0%, and full-sibling probability was 64.2%.
  • Modern Y-STR matches to MN0104 were found mainly in West/Central Eurasia, including Kalmyk, Hui, Uzbek, Russian, and Tajik individuals; the authors report R1b-M343 at 0.0% (0/101) and R1a1a-M17 at 0.99% (1/101) in modern-day Mongolians across the Mongolian plateau.

Methods

  • The study analyzed ancient DNA from 7 Tavan Tolgoi skeletons plus 122 contemporary buccal samples, using physical anthropological sex/age estimation and prior radiocarbon dating of the graves to 1130–1250 AD.
  • mtDNA HVR1, HVR2, and coding regions were sequenced for haplogroup assignment; male bodies were typed for 10 Y-SNP markers and 16 Y-STR loci; autosomal STRs were typed at 8 loci plus amelogenin, with repeated extractions/PCRs in two independent laboratories and contamination controls including UDG treatment.
  • Modern comparisons used neighbor-joining trees with 8,478 modern mtDNA sequences, YHRD searches of up to 154,329 individuals (searched August 25, 2015), published Y-STR datasets, and a Kinship Index Calculation program.

Limitations

  • Stated by the paper: MN0127 could not be analyzed for Y-SNP, Y-STR, or A-STR because of insufficient DNA/PCR failure; MN0126 had only 4 definable Y-SNP markers and 8 of 16 Y-STR loci; exact identities of the Tavan Tolgoi bodies remain ambiguous.
  • Stated by the paper: no human remains from Genghis Khan’s grave were available, so the proposed R1b-M343 link to Genghis Khan and his Borjigin clan is inferential, not directly proven.
  • Evident from the text: kinship conclusions rest on a small number of A-STR loci and missing data, and the broader genealogical scenarios rely on historical/geographical interpretation plus modern reference databases rather than direct ancient pedigree evidence.

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Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1371/journal.pone.0161622

Cites

64 of 64 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

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Figures

Fig 1 Geographical features of Tavan Tolgoi graves. A: A map of Tavan Tolgoi (top) and the relative geographical locations (bottom) of the graves excavated there. B: Two headless stone statues called Mongol King and Queen are located at the entrance of Tavan Tolgoi.
Fig 1 Geographical features of Tavan Tolgoi graves. A: A map of Tavan Tolgoi (top) and the relative geographical locations (bottom) of the graves excavated there. B: Two headless stone statues called Mongol King and Queen are located at the entrance of Tavan Tolgoi.CC BY · PubMed Central
Fig 2 Some of the burial artifacts excavated from the Tavan Tolgoi graves. A-D: MN0105; A-B: a golden ring engraved with a falcon image, C-D: another golden ring engraved with the same falcon image as in A. E-G: MN0125; E: a saddle sheathed in gold dragon-shaped artistic decoration, F: the same golden ornament of boqta as those of the boqtas of Mongol khatuns in the design and shape, G: a golden ornament inside the boqta. H: Jins of MN0124. I: a golden earring of MN0126. J-K: MN0127; J: a golden earring, K: a coffin made of cinnamon.
Fig 2 Some of the burial artifacts excavated from the Tavan Tolgoi graves. A-D: MN0105; A-B: a golden ring engraved with a falcon image, C-D: another golden ring engraved with the same falcon image as in A. E-G: MN0125; E: a saddle sheathed in gold dragon-shaped artistic decoration, F: the same golden ornament of boqta as those of the boqtas of Mongol khatuns in the design and shape, G: a golden ornament inside the boqta. H: Jins of MN0124. I: a golden earring of MN0126. J-K: MN0127; J: a golden earring, K: a coffin made of cinnamon.CC BY · PubMed Central
Fig 3 Geographic distribution of modern-day populations with haplogroup R1b-M343. Each circle represents a population sample; the area of the circle is proportional to the sample size. Black sectors denote the relative frequency of R1b-M343-carrying groups identified in the literature.
Fig 3 Geographic distribution of modern-day populations with haplogroup R1b-M343. Each circle represents a population sample; the area of the circle is proportional to the sample size. Black sectors denote the relative frequency of R1b-M343-carrying groups identified in the literature.CC BY · PubMed Central

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Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Z Batsaikhan, 2008, Is Tengeriin Ovoo a burial of Chinggis Khaan? Mongolian Great Khans tombs in Burkhan Khaldun Mountain, Mon J of Anthropol Archaeol and Ethnol, 4, 37
  2. D Tumen, 2006, Archaeology of the Mongolian period: A brief introduction, Silk Road, 4, 51
  3. D Navaan, 2006, Sukhbaatar aimag, Ongon Sum, Tavan Tolgoi site, grave 5 and the study of nobleman grave monuments from Mongolian period, Mon J of Anthropol Archaeol and Ethnol, 2, 10
  4. D Navaan, 2006, Tomb of Genghis Khan is still being found, Silk Road, 4, 55
  5. D Tumen, 2006, Paleoanthropology of ancient populations of Mongolia, Mon J of Anthropol Archaeol and Ethnol, 54, 90
  6. D Tumen, 2008, Anthropological of archaeological populations from Inner Asia, Mon J of Anthropol Archaeol and Ethnol, 4, 162

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Metadata

Authors
Lkhagvasuren, G., Shin, H., Lee, S. E., Tumen, D., Kim, J.-H., Kim, K.-Y., Kim, K., Park, A. J., Lee, H. W., Kim, M. J., Choi, J., Choi, J.-H., Min, N. Y., & Lee, K.-H.
Affiliations
  • Chung-Ang University (KR)
  • National University of Mongolia (MN)
  • Dong-A University (KR)
  • Chung-Ang University Hospital (KR)
Corresponding author
Lee, Kwang-Ho
Venue
PLOS ONE
Published
2016-09-14
Volume
11
Issue
9
Pages
e0161622
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2520487819
Cited by
19
References
69
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2
FWCI
0.68
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • National Research Foundation
  • Chung-Ang University
  • National Research Foundation of Korea
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Forensic and Genetic Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic diversity and population structure
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Eurasian Exchange Networks
Keywords
Genghis Khan, kinship analysis, Mongol khanates
MeSH terms
Archaeology, DNA, Mitochondrial, Family, Female, Genealogy and Heraldry, Genetics, Population, Haplotypes, Humans, Male, Molecular Biology, Mongolia, History, Medieval

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