<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->DMXX
May I remind you that various subclades of R1b are currently all found in Central Asia, the intermediate area between the zone of land you specified in your post ("from Germany to Mongolia"). Whether some of these R1b subclades are representative of the region's ancient inhabitants or not is unknown.
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..What happened to the apparent high diversity of R1a1 above the Black Sea in Ukraine? The recent study on R1a1 by Underhill et al. has shown this region was one of the later regions to fall under the subclade's (ultimate) expansion from South Asia; the same applies with the supposed "great age" of R1a1 in the Balkans, which I remember you were a proponent of not so long ago. <b>How about the now-abandoned connection between haplogroup R1b and the Cro-Magnons? Recent work by enthusiasts (such as vineviz) had shown a SE-to-NW gradient in R1b1b2's diversity, cutting that theory down from the knees. </b>Yet, herein lies proof of a Slavic expansion from East Europe, together with a DNA trail that fits our existing knowledge; a fine example of DNA's power, and it's ability to prove (in this case) previous hypotheses.
You are correct in echoing the words of so many previous posters here; ancient DNA will resolve, correct and contribute to what we know. I can only foresee more pet theories being shotgunned into oblivion by hard science. And I look forward to it.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
May I remind you that various subclades of R1b are currently all found in Central Asia, the intermediate area between the zone of land you specified in your post ("from Germany to Mongolia"). Whether some of these R1b subclades are representative of the region's ancient inhabitants or not is unknown.
..
..What happened to the apparent high diversity of R1a1 above the Black Sea in Ukraine? The recent study on R1a1 by Underhill et al. has shown this region was one of the later regions to fall under the subclade's (ultimate) expansion from South Asia; the same applies with the supposed "great age" of R1a1 in the Balkans, which I remember you were a proponent of not so long ago. <b>How about the now-abandoned connection between haplogroup R1b and the Cro-Magnons? Recent work by enthusiasts (such as vineviz) had shown a SE-to-NW gradient in R1b1b2's diversity, cutting that theory down from the knees. </b>Yet, herein lies proof of a Slavic expansion from East Europe, together with a DNA trail that fits our existing knowledge; a fine example of DNA's power, and it's ability to prove (in this case) previous hypotheses.
You are correct in echoing the words of so many previous posters here; ancient DNA will resolve, correct and contribute to what we know. I can only foresee more pet theories being shotgunned into oblivion by hard science. And I look forward to it.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->