According to the results of a study conducted based on samples taken from two thousand people, the genetic makeup of Uzbeks is closer to European populations than to Asian ones. This conclusion was stated by Shahlo Turdikulova, Vice President of the Academy of Sciences.
Samples were collected from two thousand residents of various regions of Uzbekistan to conduct the scientific research. Turdikulova noted that the genome of Uzbeks represents a kind of 'ideal bridge between Europe and Asia,' as they do not belong entirely to either European or Asian populations, but are in the middle.
In the scientist's opinion, the studied genetic material is distributed approximately as follows: about two-thirds belongs to European populations, and one-third belongs to Asian populations. This study is also important for medicine.
Currently, most of the data used to determine hereditary traits and diagnose diseases is based on a sample of European population. However, such data is not always suitable for people with a mixed genetic makeup like the population of Uzbekistan. Studying the hereditary features of Uzbeks can help in the future to more accurately determine susceptibility to various diseases among the population, as well as improve diagnostic and treatment methods.
Earlier scientific works have already demonstrated that the peoples of Central Asia formed as a result of the mixing of various population groups that arrived from the West and East over millennia.