Editing Demographics of Bahrain (section)

=== Genetics ===
{{See also|Genetic history of the Middle East|Demographics of Iran#Genetics|Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup}}

==== Ancient DNA and genetic history ====
A 2024 study sequenced whole genomes from four individuals who lived in Bahrain during the [[Tylos|Tylos period]] (circa 300 BCE to 600 CE).  The genetic makeup of these ancient Bahrainis revealed a blend of ancestries, primarily tracing back to ancient populations of the [[Near East]].  Analysis indicated that their genetic heritage is best described as a mixture of Ancient [[Anatolia]], [[Levant]], and [[Iran]]/[[Caucasus]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Martiniano |first=Rui |last2=Haber |first2=Marc |last3=Almarri |first3=Mohamed A. |last4=Mattiangeli |first4=Valeria |last5=Kuijpers |first5=Mirte C.M. |last6=Chamel |first6=Berenice |last7=Breslin |first7=Emily M. |last8=Littleton |first8=Judith |last9=Almahari |first9=Salman |last10=Aloraifi |first10=Fatima |last11=Bradley |first11=Daniel G. |last12=Lombard |first12=Pierre |last13=Durbin |first13=Richard |date=March 2024 |title=Ancient genomes illuminate Eastern Arabian population history and adaptation against malaria |url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10943591/#:~:text=We%20extracted%20DNA%20from%2025,the%20Tylos%20period%20and%20sequenced |journal=Cell Genomics |language=en |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=100507 |doi=10.1016/j.xgen.2024.100507 |issn=2666-979X |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250202165248/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10943591/ |archive-date=2025-02-02}}</ref>

Subtle genetic differences were observed among the four individuals, suggesting a degree of population diversity within Bahrain even before the Islamic era. One individual displayed a stronger affinity to Levantine populations, while others showed closer genetic links to groups from Iran and the Caucasus.<ref name=":2" />

Comparing the ancient Bahraini genomes to those of modern populations revealed notable connections. Genetically, the Tylos-period individuals showed closer affinities to present-day inhabitants of Iraq and the Levant than to modern-day Arabians from the peninsula.<ref name=":2" />

==== Malaria adaptation ====
The [[G6PD]] Mediterranean mutation, known to provide protection against [[malaria]], was found in three out of the four ancient individuals. Genetic analysis suggests that this mutation began to increase in frequency in [[Eastern Arabia]] around 5,000 to 6,000 years ago. This timeframe coincides with the emergence of agriculture in the region, which could have inadvertently created environments conducive to malaria-carrying mosquitoes, thus driving natural selection for malaria resistance.<ref name=":2" />

==== Haplogroups ====
===== Y-chromosome DNA =====
[[File:Y-DNA hplogroup in the four governorates of Bahrain.png|thumb|Proportions of predicted Y-DNA haplogroups observed in the four governorates of Bahrain (Study of 2020)]]
[[Y chromosome|Y-Chromosome]] DNA (Y-DNA) represents the male lineage. In 2020, a study was made on 562 unrelated Bahraini males.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Al-Snan |first1=Noora R. |last2=Messaoudi |first2=Safia A. |last3=Khubrani |first3=Yahya M. |last4=Wetton |first4=Jon H. |last5=Jobling |first5=Mark A. |last6=Bakhiet |first6=Moiz |date=2020 |title=Geographical structuring and low diversity of paternal lineages in Bahrain shown by analysis of 27 Y-STRs |journal=Molecular Genetics and Genomics |volume=295 |issue=6 |pages=1315–1324 |doi=10.1007/s00438-020-01696-4 |issn=1617-4615 |pmc=7524810 |pmid=32588126}}{{Creative Commons text attribution notice|cc=by4|from this source=yes}}</ref> Paternal population structure within Bahrain was investigated using the 27 Y-STRs (short tandem repeats) in the Yfiler Plus kit to generate haplotypes from 562 unrelated Bahraini males, sub-divided into four geographical regions—[[Northern Governorate|Northern]], [[Capital Governorate, Bahrain|Capital]], [[Southern Governorate|Southern]] and [[Muharraq Governorate|Muharraq]].<ref name=":0" />

Haplogroup prediction indicated diverse origins of the population with a predominance of haplogroups [[Haplogroup J-M172|J2]] and [[Haplogroup J-M267|J1]], but also haplogroups such as B2 and [[Haplogroup E-M215|E1b1a]] likely originating in Africa, and H, L and R2 likely indicative of migration from South Asia.<ref name=":0" /> Haplogroup frequencies differed significantly between regions, with J2 significantly more common in the Northern region compared with the [[Southern Governorate|Southern]], possibly due to differential settlement by [[Baharna]], [[Ajam of Bahrain|Ajams]] and Arabs.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:J2-Y-DNA-Haplogroup-Map-J2-M172-Map-J2-Haplogrubu-Haritasi-v3.png|thumb|reach of Haplotype J2]]
Haplogroup prediction suggests that haplogroup [[Haplogroup J-M172|J2]] is the most common in the Bahraini population (It is thought that J-M172 may have originated in the [[Caucasus]], [[Anatolia]] or [[Western Iran]]) encompassing 27.6% of the sample, followed by [[Haplogroup J-M267|J1]] (23.0%), [[Haplogroup E-M215|E1b1b]] (8.9%), [[Haplogroup E-V38|E1b1a]] (8.6%) and [[Haplogroup R1a|R1a]] (8.4%), with other predicted haplogroups (G, T, L, R1b, Q, R2, B2, E2, H and C) occurring at progressively lower frequencies.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:HG J1 (ADN-Y).PNG|thumb|Spread of Haplotype J1]]
Haplogroup [[Haplogroup J-M267|J1]] is most frequent in the [[Southern Governorate]] (27%) where the highest proportion of Arabs live, and in the [[Muharraq Governorate]] (27%) where many migrant [[Huwala people|Huwala Arabs]] resettled, and it declines to its lowest frequency in the [[Northern Governorate|Northern]] and [[Capital Governorate, Bahrain|Capital]] Governorates (21% and 19%).<ref name=":0" />

By contrast, the [[Northern Governorate|Northern]] and [[Capital Governorate, Bahrain|Capital]] Governorates where the [[Baharna]] and [[Ajam of Bahrain|Ajam]] are most represented show higher frequencies of haplogroup [[Haplogroup J-M172|J2]] (34% and 31%) than in [[Muharraq Governorate|Muharraq]] and the [[Southern Governorate]] (both 17%).<ref name=":0" />