DNA shows Irish people have more complex origins than previously thought

scott.net ^ | July 5, 2013 | Marie McKeown

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SD!

[Salvation]

Irish and German ancestors here. I’ll have to read this and find out how complex I am. LOL!

[ZULU]

The obvious similarities of culture, pale skin, tendency to red hair have historically been prescribed to the two people’s sharing a common celtic ancestry.

Vikings?

[gleeaikin]

The “black Irish” are more likely to be the result of the many Spanish sailers who were wrecked on the Irish shores when the Spanish Armada was destroyed. Catholic Ireland welcomed Catholic Spaniards. England was not so kind.

Regarding the red heads, what about the Neanderthal genes that have been suggested conferred that trait?

[Partisan Gunslinger]

CHRIST in BRITAIN http://www.greatdreams.com/jesus2.htm

Good article.

[Dudoight]

Right...I read somewhere years ago that the redheaded irish were a direct result of the norse/viking settling Ireland.

As a related aside:
Years ago I had occasion to visit Algeria w/ WHO. Was taken around Algiers by a Berber-Kabyle fellow who had freckles. The Berber gentleman explained that they had people in their ethnic group who had red hair and freckles. Those who had these traits were very proud of them. He explained to me that it was the norse/viking influence from over 1000 years ago.

[MD Expat in PA]

Years ago I had occasion to visit Algeria w/ WHO. Was taken around Algiers by a Berber-Kabyle fellow who had freckles. The Berber gentleman explained that they had people in their ethnic group who had red hair and freckles. Those who had these traits were very proud of them. He explained to me that it was the norse/viking influence from over 1000 years ago.

Back in October, I traveled to England on business to visit our parent company located in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the city of Hull. Beautiful country BTW and the people were extremely nice and friendly even as, although we supposedly speak the same language, I had trouble understanding a lot of them. LOL!

I was amazed how so many of the people in this area of England were blue eyed and blonde. They looked rather more like Scandinavians than what I think of as being typically “English”. But I visited one of the local museums and learned that this area of England had been heavily settled by Vikings. My ancestors evidently “got around”.

[Bon of Babble]

Thanks for posting. I’d heard this before.

I am of Scottish descent and we (my family) have Rh (-) blood, a mutation and the origins of which can be traced to the Basque people who have 30% Rh (-) blood. It’s thought the original mutation started in Northern Spain and spread to the British Isles.

[Notforprophet]

There you go bringing class into it again!

[Dudoight]

As I recall, the viking/norse settled areas in Italy, Russia and Normandy was definitely ‘invaded’ and influenced genetically, those years ago.

[MD Expat in PA]

Also, if you’re a woman, you can’t get a very clear reading on the genetic background since you’re missing part of it. If you have a brother, have him do it.

I think perhaps you are partly confused on this.

Females, as well as males, can discover their ancient maternal lineage through DNA testing. Because a father's mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is destroyed at fertilization, a child inherits only the mother's mitochondrial DNA, thus preserving the maternal link to the ancient past. Due to this unique inheritance pattern, both males and females may directly contribute a DNA sample for testing the maternal lineage.

http://ldna.ancestry.com/learnMoreMaternal.aspx

A male providing his Y-chromosome sample also represents the DNA of his father, paternal grandfather, and so on up the paternal line. Y-chromosome results are generally identical throughout the paternal line. But because mutations do occur, it is possible for a son's results to be slightly different from his father's or his brother's.

Women, in spite of not carrying a Y-chromosome, can still trace their paternal lineage. Using a DNA sample provided by a brother, father, or another paternal relative (for example, a male cousin) a woman can treat these Y results as if they were her own.

http://ldna.ancestry.com/learnMorePaternal.aspx

So basically a woman can trace her material ancestry through her own DNA sample without having to also submit the DNA of a male sibling or paternal relative but if she wants to trace her paternal lineage she would have to use the DNA sample provided by a full brother, her father, or another paternal relative (for example, a male cousin).

So if I do decide to get a 23andMe test, I’d probably offer and pay for my brother to get one too in order to get a more complete picture.

[SunkenCiv]

[SunkenCiv]