Ongar S. Chagarov

Introduction. The geographical feature of the Volga-Ural region is its location on the border of Europe and Asia, which, together with the proximity to the Caspian steppes, Ciscaucasia and Siberia, facilitated as the formation of many migration and trade routes connecting these regions in different historical periods, which in turn affected the ethnogenesis of the peoples of the region. Genetic features underlying the inheritance of human pigmentation features are the subject of active study by molecular and population geneticists. Goals. The work aims to study the distribution of alleles and genotypes of polymorphic variants rs12913832 of the HERC2 gene and rs1042602 of the TYR gene in the Mordvin and Udmurt populations. Materials and methods. The investigated material includes DNA isolated from the peripheral blood of Udmurts (N = 95) and Mordvins (N = 59). Blood sampling was performed after signing an informed consent to participate in the scientific study. A comparative analysis was conducted between the studied populations and populations of the world. Results. Our study revealы statistically significant differences (p≤0.05) in the distribution of allele frequencies and genotypes of polymorphic variants of rs12913832 of the HERC2 gene and rs1042602 of the TYR gene in the Mordvin and Udmurt populations. The results of the study are consistent with the data of anthropologists on the analyzed ethnic groups and are an important link in the study of the ethnogenesis of the Finno-Permian populations of Russia. Conclusions. These features of the distribution of allele frequencies of melanogenesis genes in the Mordvins and Udmurts should be taken into account in population genetic, ethnological, as well as in associative and pharmacogenetic studies.

The work examines the main mechanisms responsible for the process of acclimatization of the population of high mountain regions to the conditions of hypobaric hypoxia. The purpose of this review is to describe the pathways of genetic, epigenetic and physiological control in the adaptation of indigenous populations of highlands to reduced barometric pressure and oxygen tension in the environment. It has been shown that populations living in different high-mountain regions demonstrate different ways of adaptation in response to a decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen in the inspired air. The changes that occur in the body in response to stressful conditions are extremely diverse. These include changes in the respiratory, cardiovascular, hematological systems and cellular adaptation. In this review, we examine genomic variations leading to evolutionary adaptation to life at high altitudes, gene expression, pathophysiological and metabolic features, and long-term adaptation in various high-altitude populations. We also consider the peoples of the Caucasus as one of the most promising populations for further study of complex adaptation mechanisms.

В статье рассмотрены возможности применения одного из современных палеодиетологических методов, а именно анализа изотопного состава коллагена костной ткани. Полученные данные использованы для реконструкции типа хозяйства, системы жизнеобеспечения и существенно пополняют наши знания о носителях традиций курганных захоронений на Среднем Дону в скифское время. В работе использованы палеоантропологические материалы из могильников Колбино-I и Терновое-I среднедонской культуры конца V – IV в. до н. э. Полученные результаты охарактеризовали состав обыденного рациона как преимущественно белковый (мясомолочный) с добавлением неоднородного растительного компонента. Один из его вариантов – растения С4-типа фотосинтеза, предположительно просо. The paper explores possibilities for applying one of modern paleodietary methods, namely, analysis of the stable isotope composition of bone tissue collagen. The data obtained are used for reconstructing the type of economy and livelihood activities and substantially enrich our knowledge of the population with traditions of kurgan burials in the Middle Don region during the Scythian period. The paper uses paleoanthropologicacemeteries of the late 5th– 4th centuries BC. The results characterize the composition of typical dietary intake as predominantly protein (meat and milk) plus a heterogeneous plant component. One of its variants are C4 plants, supposedly, millet.