Greece's Mani region has one of Europe's most genetically distinct populations.

A study published Feb. 4 in Communications Biology reports that the Deep Maniot community at the southern tip of Greece has been genetically isolated for roughly 1,400 years and retains ancient paternal lineages linked to Bronze Age and Roman-period Greek-speaking populations.

A new genetic study reports that a small community in the far south of Greece's Mani Peninsula has remained largely isolated for about 1,400 years and preserves ancestry linked to ancient Greek and Roman-period populations. The research was published Feb. 4 in the journal Communications Biology and analyzed modern DNA to explore why the Maniots appear different from other mainland Greeks. Historical and archaeological evidence suggests the Mani Peninsula avoided much of the demographic change that affected other parts of the Peloponnese during the early Middle Ages. Researchers examined both paternal (Y chromosome) and maternal (mitochondrial) markers to reconstruct the community's genetic history. Key findings: - Researchers analyzed Y-chromosome data from 102 men with Deep Maniot paternal ancestry and mitochondrial DNA from 50 people with maternal Deep Maniot ancestry. - Deep Maniots show a very high frequency of a rare paternal lineage traced to the Caucasus region about 28,000 years ago and a strong link to Bronze Age, Iron Age and Roman-period Greek-speaking populations. - The Deep Maniot Y chromosomes lack the common Germanic and Slavic lineages found in many other mainland Greek populations, consistent with long-term isolation. - Both paternal and maternal markers show founder effects: a paternal bottleneck dated to about A.D. 380–670 (with more than half of Maniot men descending from a single seventh-century ancestor) and a maternal bottleneck around A.D. 540–866. - Maternal lineages are more varied: researchers identified 30 distinct mitochondrial lineages, most connected to Western Eurasian Bronze/Iron Age groups, while several appear specific to Deep Maniots. - The pattern is consistent with a strongly patriarchal social structure in which male lineages remained locally rooted while a smaller number of women from outside were incorporated. Summary: Researchers say the Deep Maniot community represents a genetic snapshot of southern Greece prior to the population shifts of the Migration Period, reflecting long-term isolation and founder events that shaped paternal and maternal ancestries. Undetermined at this time.