New DNA research challenges the “1 in 200 men” Genghis Khan claim

Ancient DNA from medieval Mongol elites suggests the lineage long linked to Genghis Khan was more likely shared by multiple steppe clans than inherited from one man alone.

Genghis Khan, Founder of the Mongol Empire

For more than two decades, scientists and media reports have repeated the claim that about 1 in 200 men alive today descend from Mongol ruler Genghis Khan. The statistic originated from a 2003 Y chromosome study that identified a lineage shared by roughly 8% of men across parts of Central Asia. New ancient DNA a…