Thursday 30 June 2011

SNPs - the latest results: St Clair DNA Study

Many folk are well aware of how 37 or 67 Y-DNA marker tests can be used to identify matches within a genealogical time frame, but there is an increasing and welcome interest in 'deep ancestry'.

The history of the human Y-DNA tree is defined at each branch by an SNP (a single-nucleotide polymorphism), a change to a single nucleotide in a DNA sequence. These events are rare but when they do happen, every descendant of the individual in which the event occurred will carry the mutation to the next generation.

Steve St Clair has posted a very helpful video of recent developments in his project which can be viewed here St. Clair DNA Study

I would also recommend a visit to the St. Clair DNA Study website where there are interviews with Bennett Greenspan, Terry Barton and  Richard White

Sunday 12 June 2011

James Naughtie's DNA

My six-week hell when I thought I might be English

James Naughtie political commentator and presenter of the 'Today' programme on BBC Radio 4 recently had his Y-DNA tested to discover his deep ancestral roots. He was found to be S142+ which is haplogroup I1d and indicative of possible Angle descent.

The light hearted account about his anxious wait for the results can be read  here and the Radio 4 programme listened to at James Naughties DNA