Mosov
2012-02-29, 16:17
A high amount of R1b is found in the Armenian populace. If you take Armenians from Karabakh/Syunik region which have mountainous barriers the prevalence goes to 40%. What say you about this?
Within the R1b haplogroup are modal haplotypes. One of the best-characterized of these haplotypes is the Atlantic Modal Haplotype (AMH). This haplotype reaches the highest frequencies in the Iberian Peninsula and in the British Isles. In the Iberian Peninsula it reaches 33% in Portugal.
There also exists a haplotype of R1b with the DYS393=12 which is known in the literature as Haplotype 35, or ht35, as opposed to the AMH which is known as haplotype 15. They can be found in high numbers in Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. The members of this haplotype are thought to be descended from early R1b's who found shelter in Anatolia. They can be found in high numbers in the Armenian Highland and Armenia with smaller numbers throughout the Middle East, in Jewish populations, in Southeastern Europe, and in the Caucasus Mountains. There is also a sizable pocket of ht35 in Uyghur populations in western China, which is thought to be a remnant of the Tocharians, an Indo-European speaking people that inhabited the Tarim Basin in Central Asia until they were later absorbed by various Turkic peoples. Ht35 is also present in Britain in areas that were found to have a high concentration of Haplogroup J, suggesting they arrived together, perhaps through Roman soldiers. For further information and different subgroups of ht35, see [8] .
R1b1a2a represents the largest haplogroup for Armenians in general and project members in particular. It has been estimated to be 8,000 years old. According to Vince Vizachero who runs the haplogroup R-ht35 Project: "From prior analysis, it appears that R1b1a2a moved north and west into Europe quite rapidly. And the data we are seeing in our project are consistent with that: the oldest forms of R1b1a2a are found at high frequency in the "homeland" of SW Asia and places with the most contact with that region. The closer we get to NW Europe, the more we observe the youngest, derived forms of R1b1a2a." The current distribution of this haplogroup shows a heavy concentration in Western Europe (from the Northern part of the Iberian peninsula to Ireland and England via France and Belgium) as can be seen in this MAP. The map corroborates Vince's conclusions as it shows a 15% concentration of R1b1a2a in a Northern swath of Anatolia - with a peak of 25% in the middle of the swath. The studies on which the map makers drew sampled broadly in the region including Turks, Kurds, Georgians and Azeris. If you sample only Armenians, you get a concentration of 30% of R1b1a2. If you sample only Armenians from Karabakh and Syunik you get concentrations of more than 40%.
The distribution of the "youngest and derived forms" of R1b1a2 found mainly in Western Europe - which do not include any Armenians so far - can be viewed here (the numbers represent percentages). Both are the only known branches of R1b1a2a1a1 (ht-15): P312 = R1b1a2a1a1a and U106 = R1b1a2a1a1b. If any Armenians are found in one of these two groups in the future, it will most likely mean they are descended from Crusaders. As per Wikipedia: It was initially believed that R1b originated in western Europe where (considered as a whole, including subclades) it reaches its highest frequencies. However R1b's variance increases as one moves east, leading to the view that R1b originated further east, and (M269) expanded into Europe in the Neolithic not Paleolithic. Many geneticists now believe that R1b arose in Central Asia or Western Asia. All of the above is illustrated quite clearly in this PowerPoint slide.
This lengthy article on R1b1 is fairly accurate and up-to-date. Recommended reading for members of this haplogroup. A warning however concerning the articles on the other haplogroups: there are numerous inaccuracies and ommissions.
Vince Vizachero prepared the following MAP of the distribution of R1b1a2* (yellow - L265+), R1b1a2a* (green - L23+), R1b1a2a1a* (orange - L51+), and R1b1a2a1a1* (red - L11+). The vast majority of R1b1a2 members of the Armenian DNA Project belong to the green R1b1a2a* L23+ branch. A few are part of the yellow R1b1a2* L265+ branch. None are orange R1b1a2a11* L51+ only. One is red R1b1a2a1a1* L11+. More importantly, no Armenians are found in the big European branches downstream of red L11+, namely U106 & P312.
A recent study published in january 2010 seems to corroborate all of the above. According to its authors (Balaresque et al): "Haplogroup R1b1a2 is the commonest European Y-chromosomal lineage, increasing in frequency from east to west, and carried by 110 million European men. Previous studies suggested a Paleolithic origin, but here we show that the geographical distribution of its microsatellite diversity is best explained by spread from a single source in the Near East via Anatolia during the Neolithic... R1b1a2 was carried as a rapidly expanding lineage from the Near East via Anatolia to the western fringe of Europe during the Neolithic. Our interpretation of the history of hg R1b1a2 now makes Europe a prime example of how expansion of a Y-chromosomal lineage tends to accompany technological and cultural change." Unfortunately, the authors did not type R1b1a2 subgroups. Since their study makes raw use of the genealogical rate of mutation and does not sufficiently cover Balkan samples, their conclusions are somewhat oversimplified.
Another study published in august 2010 (Myres et al.) strengthens this view: "The phylogenetic relationships of numerous branches within the core Y-chromosome haplogroup R-M207 support a West Asian origin of haplogroup R1b, its initial differentiation there followed by a rapid spread of one of its sub-clades carrying the M269 mutation to Europe."
January 2011 update: there now seems to be some structure to the largest haplogroup branch in the Armenian DNA Project. Armenians and others getting tested at 23andMe seem to belong either to one of the two new L277 and L405 subclades or to neither of them. Large scale testing will begin once these SNP mutations are available for testing at Family Tree DNA. Ref. this clear new TREE prepared by Vince Vizachero.
If all of the above is true, it may explain the origin of the Basques.
For the latest research on the less differentiated but not necessarily more ancient R1b1* haplogroup branch, visit the news page of Vincent Vizachero's R1b1* DNA Project. Vizachero computed branch lengths for R1 and came up with the following estimates: R1 = 18,500 years ago; R1b1 = 15,300 years ago; and R1b1a = 12,500 years ago. Here is the summary TREE for R1b1 and its major branches. Vizachero notes that R1b1* exists throughout Eurasia. It is pretty rare in Europe, and there is no getting around the fact that R1b1 is essentially a Eurasian haplogroup with strong phylogenetic structure. As per this MAP, R1b1* has its frequency peak in SW Asia - it appears to have more diversity there too.
As per Vince: "There are two main branches in R1b1 (R1b* is probably a phantom). One branch is R-P297 [R1b1b] and the other branch is what we call R1b1* (or R1b1(xP297). So if you are looking for an origin point for R1b1, then you look for the intersection of those two sets. The TMRCA for those two lines is roughly 16,000 years ago. R-P297 is easy, since there are only two clades which are easily identified by SNP. R1b1a1 and R1b1a2 both have Eurasian distributions, and the origin point for both is in the Near East (call it Anatolia+Levant if you want). The TMRCA of R-P297 is roughly 12,000 years ago. Although the frequency of R-M73 [R1b1a1] is highest in Central Asia, this is not where it is most diverse. And there are three distinct clades of R-M73. R1b1* is itself divided into two major lineages, with the split between them being roughly 15,000 years ago. The academics never pay enough attention to R1b1*, but we can see that the frequency peak of R1b1* is clearly in the Near East." The first cluster of R1b1* (call it A) is comprised solely of Europeans, Sephardic Jews and an Armenian. The second cluster of R1b1* has two subgroups (call them B1 and B2). B1 is composed of an Armenian, an Iraqi Syriac & an Iranian Arab. "B2 is comprised of a wide group of people (including Europeans, Arabians, Ashkenazi, Africans, etc). It is this group B2 which appears to have been the source population for the back-to-Africa migration to Cameroon." Cluster B1 diverged from cluster B2 about 10,000 years ago. A new SNP mutation called V88 separates both A and B1 from B2. Vince Vizachero believes " that R1b1 first appeared in the northern part of southwest Asia (e.g. Iraq/Iran) while V88 first arose in an R1b1 population living just a little further south (e.g. the Levant or Arabia)."
Within the R1b haplogroup are modal haplotypes. One of the best-characterized of these haplotypes is the Atlantic Modal Haplotype (AMH). This haplotype reaches the highest frequencies in the Iberian Peninsula and in the British Isles. In the Iberian Peninsula it reaches 33% in Portugal.
There also exists a haplotype of R1b with the DYS393=12 which is known in the literature as Haplotype 35, or ht35, as opposed to the AMH which is known as haplotype 15. They can be found in high numbers in Southeastern Europe and Western Asia. The members of this haplotype are thought to be descended from early R1b's who found shelter in Anatolia. They can be found in high numbers in the Armenian Highland and Armenia with smaller numbers throughout the Middle East, in Jewish populations, in Southeastern Europe, and in the Caucasus Mountains. There is also a sizable pocket of ht35 in Uyghur populations in western China, which is thought to be a remnant of the Tocharians, an Indo-European speaking people that inhabited the Tarim Basin in Central Asia until they were later absorbed by various Turkic peoples. Ht35 is also present in Britain in areas that were found to have a high concentration of Haplogroup J, suggesting they arrived together, perhaps through Roman soldiers. For further information and different subgroups of ht35, see [8] .
R1b1a2a represents the largest haplogroup for Armenians in general and project members in particular. It has been estimated to be 8,000 years old. According to Vince Vizachero who runs the haplogroup R-ht35 Project: "From prior analysis, it appears that R1b1a2a moved north and west into Europe quite rapidly. And the data we are seeing in our project are consistent with that: the oldest forms of R1b1a2a are found at high frequency in the "homeland" of SW Asia and places with the most contact with that region. The closer we get to NW Europe, the more we observe the youngest, derived forms of R1b1a2a." The current distribution of this haplogroup shows a heavy concentration in Western Europe (from the Northern part of the Iberian peninsula to Ireland and England via France and Belgium) as can be seen in this MAP. The map corroborates Vince's conclusions as it shows a 15% concentration of R1b1a2a in a Northern swath of Anatolia - with a peak of 25% in the middle of the swath. The studies on which the map makers drew sampled broadly in the region including Turks, Kurds, Georgians and Azeris. If you sample only Armenians, you get a concentration of 30% of R1b1a2. If you sample only Armenians from Karabakh and Syunik you get concentrations of more than 40%.
The distribution of the "youngest and derived forms" of R1b1a2 found mainly in Western Europe - which do not include any Armenians so far - can be viewed here (the numbers represent percentages). Both are the only known branches of R1b1a2a1a1 (ht-15): P312 = R1b1a2a1a1a and U106 = R1b1a2a1a1b. If any Armenians are found in one of these two groups in the future, it will most likely mean they are descended from Crusaders. As per Wikipedia: It was initially believed that R1b originated in western Europe where (considered as a whole, including subclades) it reaches its highest frequencies. However R1b's variance increases as one moves east, leading to the view that R1b originated further east, and (M269) expanded into Europe in the Neolithic not Paleolithic. Many geneticists now believe that R1b arose in Central Asia or Western Asia. All of the above is illustrated quite clearly in this PowerPoint slide.
This lengthy article on R1b1 is fairly accurate and up-to-date. Recommended reading for members of this haplogroup. A warning however concerning the articles on the other haplogroups: there are numerous inaccuracies and ommissions.
Vince Vizachero prepared the following MAP of the distribution of R1b1a2* (yellow - L265+), R1b1a2a* (green - L23+), R1b1a2a1a* (orange - L51+), and R1b1a2a1a1* (red - L11+). The vast majority of R1b1a2 members of the Armenian DNA Project belong to the green R1b1a2a* L23+ branch. A few are part of the yellow R1b1a2* L265+ branch. None are orange R1b1a2a11* L51+ only. One is red R1b1a2a1a1* L11+. More importantly, no Armenians are found in the big European branches downstream of red L11+, namely U106 & P312.
A recent study published in january 2010 seems to corroborate all of the above. According to its authors (Balaresque et al): "Haplogroup R1b1a2 is the commonest European Y-chromosomal lineage, increasing in frequency from east to west, and carried by 110 million European men. Previous studies suggested a Paleolithic origin, but here we show that the geographical distribution of its microsatellite diversity is best explained by spread from a single source in the Near East via Anatolia during the Neolithic... R1b1a2 was carried as a rapidly expanding lineage from the Near East via Anatolia to the western fringe of Europe during the Neolithic. Our interpretation of the history of hg R1b1a2 now makes Europe a prime example of how expansion of a Y-chromosomal lineage tends to accompany technological and cultural change." Unfortunately, the authors did not type R1b1a2 subgroups. Since their study makes raw use of the genealogical rate of mutation and does not sufficiently cover Balkan samples, their conclusions are somewhat oversimplified.
Another study published in august 2010 (Myres et al.) strengthens this view: "The phylogenetic relationships of numerous branches within the core Y-chromosome haplogroup R-M207 support a West Asian origin of haplogroup R1b, its initial differentiation there followed by a rapid spread of one of its sub-clades carrying the M269 mutation to Europe."
January 2011 update: there now seems to be some structure to the largest haplogroup branch in the Armenian DNA Project. Armenians and others getting tested at 23andMe seem to belong either to one of the two new L277 and L405 subclades or to neither of them. Large scale testing will begin once these SNP mutations are available for testing at Family Tree DNA. Ref. this clear new TREE prepared by Vince Vizachero.
If all of the above is true, it may explain the origin of the Basques.
For the latest research on the less differentiated but not necessarily more ancient R1b1* haplogroup branch, visit the news page of Vincent Vizachero's R1b1* DNA Project. Vizachero computed branch lengths for R1 and came up with the following estimates: R1 = 18,500 years ago; R1b1 = 15,300 years ago; and R1b1a = 12,500 years ago. Here is the summary TREE for R1b1 and its major branches. Vizachero notes that R1b1* exists throughout Eurasia. It is pretty rare in Europe, and there is no getting around the fact that R1b1 is essentially a Eurasian haplogroup with strong phylogenetic structure. As per this MAP, R1b1* has its frequency peak in SW Asia - it appears to have more diversity there too.
As per Vince: "There are two main branches in R1b1 (R1b* is probably a phantom). One branch is R-P297 [R1b1b] and the other branch is what we call R1b1* (or R1b1(xP297). So if you are looking for an origin point for R1b1, then you look for the intersection of those two sets. The TMRCA for those two lines is roughly 16,000 years ago. R-P297 is easy, since there are only two clades which are easily identified by SNP. R1b1a1 and R1b1a2 both have Eurasian distributions, and the origin point for both is in the Near East (call it Anatolia+Levant if you want). The TMRCA of R-P297 is roughly 12,000 years ago. Although the frequency of R-M73 [R1b1a1] is highest in Central Asia, this is not where it is most diverse. And there are three distinct clades of R-M73. R1b1* is itself divided into two major lineages, with the split between them being roughly 15,000 years ago. The academics never pay enough attention to R1b1*, but we can see that the frequency peak of R1b1* is clearly in the Near East." The first cluster of R1b1* (call it A) is comprised solely of Europeans, Sephardic Jews and an Armenian. The second cluster of R1b1* has two subgroups (call them B1 and B2). B1 is composed of an Armenian, an Iraqi Syriac & an Iranian Arab. "B2 is comprised of a wide group of people (including Europeans, Arabians, Ashkenazi, Africans, etc). It is this group B2 which appears to have been the source population for the back-to-Africa migration to Cameroon." Cluster B1 diverged from cluster B2 about 10,000 years ago. A new SNP mutation called V88 separates both A and B1 from B2. Vince Vizachero believes " that R1b1 first appeared in the northern part of southwest Asia (e.g. Iraq/Iran) while V88 first arose in an R1b1 population living just a little further south (e.g. the Levant or Arabia)."