A Nomenclature System for the Tree of Human Y-Chromosomal Binary Haplogroups

Summary

The cladistic nomenclature of human mtDNA diversity adopted by many groups some years ago has greatly advanced studies of maternal lineages and the communication of their conclusions (Macaulay et al. 1999). By contrast, recent dramatic advances in the resolution of paternal lineages have resulted in multiple nomenclature systems that have hampered communication among NRY researchers and the scientific community at large. Here, we introduce a strictly phylogenetic (cladistic) nomenclature for human NRY variation based on the phylogeny of 153 paternal lineages. This system is flexible in its ability to assign haplogroup names at different levels of the phylogenetic hierarchy. The phylogeny of the human NRY lies at the heart of a multidisciplinary enterprise in which unambiguous communication is vital. The nomenclature proposed here along with guidelines for revisions, represent an important resource to those interested in medical, forensic, and evolutionary genetics alike.

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