When genetics researchers stumbled onto an interesting similarity in Y-chromosomes among many Asian men, they didn’t initially realize they had discovered a key to history’s most potent patriarch.
It’s estimated that approximately eight percent of Asian males can be traced back to a common ancestor: the legendary conqueror Genghis Khan, according to a new report “The Genetic Legacy of the Mongols.” Science News Online explains that Genghis Kahn’s military success 800 years ago may have spread a particular form of the Y chromosome, one he may have himself carried. Estimates suggest that this makes the mega-ancestor approximately eight hundred thousand times more successful at reproduction than the average man.
“Between that and the fact that he conquered most of the world, it’s fair to wonder if he was a little genetically unusual,” mused Dr. Cochran, one of the study’s co-authors. “Of course, if you found his corpse and could extract his DNA, eventually, at some point in the future, you’d be able to clone ‘the Perfect Warrior.”
Hey there, soldier!