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Ancient iceman probably has no modern relatives
Yahoo News ^ | October, 30, 2008 | Reporting by Michael Kahn

Posted on 10/30/2008 2:49:25 PM PDT by MissCalico

Ancient iceman probably has no modern relatives

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Thu Oct 30, 2:21 pm ET

Reuters – An undated handout file photo shows "Otzi", Italy's prehistoric iceman. "Otzi", …

LONDON (Reuters) – "Otzi," Italy's prehistoric iceman, probably does not have any modern day descendants, according to a study published Thursday.

A team of Italian and British scientists who sequenced his mitochondrial DNA -- which is passed down through the mother's line -- found that Otzi belonged to a genetic lineage that is either extremely rare or has died out.

Otzi's 5,300-year-old corpse was found frozen in the Tyrolean Alps in 1991.

"Our research suggests that Otzi's lineage may indeed have become extinct," Martin Richards of Leeds University in Britain, who worked on the study, said in a statement.

"We'll only know for sure by sampling intensively in the Alpine Valleys where Otzi was born."

The findings published in the journal Current Biology reverses previous research from 1994 on a small section of Otzi's DNA that suggested the so-called "Iceman" had relatives living in Europe. But Richards and colleagues said their analysis confirmed that Otzi belonged to a previously unidentified lineage that has not been seen to date in modern European populations.

Scientists were thrilled to find Otzi's mummified body had remained frozen, and so almost perfectly preserved, for more than 5,000 years. An arrowhead was found in his left shoulder, suggesting Otzi did not simply freeze to death while climbing the high mountains. Evidence shows he was likely a hunte . . .


(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: ancientautopsies; dna; emptydna; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; iceman; mtdna; mummy; oetzi; otzi; superseded; theiceman
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"We'll only know for sure by sampling intensively in the Alpine Valleys where Otzi was born."

Well let's hurry up already . . . it's only been 17 years.

1 posted on 10/30/2008 2:49:26 PM PDT by MissCalico
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To: MissCalico
"We'll only know for sure by sampling intensively in the Alpine Valleys where Otzi was born."

Which is still more than we know about Obie.

2 posted on 10/30/2008 2:51:35 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter ( Sarah Palin is America's Margaret Thatcher; Obama is America's George Galloway.)
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To: MissCalico

“Grant Money”...The gift that keeps giving!!


3 posted on 10/30/2008 2:54:12 PM PDT by Sacajaweau (I'm planting corn...Have to feed my car...)
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To: MissCalico

Just an hunch, but I’m thinking that being stupid enough to wander off into the Alps with little clothing would be a negative factor in leaving offspring.


4 posted on 10/30/2008 2:57:11 PM PDT by MeanWestTexan (A Jew voting for Obama is like a chicken voting for Col. Sanders.)
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To: MissCalico

You mean the great George Gervin didn't have any kids?

5 posted on 10/30/2008 2:58:21 PM PDT by dfwgator (I hate Illinois Marxists)
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To: MeanWestTexan

>Just an hunch, but I’m thinking that being stupid enough to wander off into the Alps with little clothing would be a negative factor in leaving offspring.

True. But he could have been waylaid as he was traveling, as the article says they did find an arrowhead in his shoulder.


6 posted on 10/30/2008 3:02:21 PM PDT by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: Sacajaweau
“Grant Money”...The gift that keeps giving!!

Well, at least it isn't money from U$A taxpayers. ;)

7 posted on 10/30/2008 3:07:12 PM PDT by MissCalico
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To: MissCalico
""Otzi," Italy's prehistoric iceman, probably does not have any modern day descendants"


8 posted on 10/30/2008 3:09:27 PM PDT by JoeProBono
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To: MissCalico
If only he had made it to the party that night...who knows what might have happened?


9 posted on 10/30/2008 3:21:08 PM PDT by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
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To: MeanWestTexan
Since he was in his 40's It's likely he procreated before he died. He also probably had siblings and cousins and even possibly parents, aunts, uncles and maybe even grandchildren and grandparents, some of who shared his Maternal DNA. That one line of DNA either died out sometime over the last several thousand years or there are surviving isolated pockets somewhere.

I don't know why they haven't already checked the DNA of the local surrounding valleys. It would be so interesting to me if they found one of his descendants.

10 posted on 10/30/2008 3:21:30 PM PDT by MissCalico
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To: MissCalico

He’s dead Jim!


11 posted on 10/30/2008 3:24:26 PM PDT by tophat9000 ( We...... Obama's Thugocracys to Noteare all "joe the"... plumber)
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To: MissCalico
Ancient iceman probably has no modern relatives

Maybe they just didn't want a 5,300 year old corpse showing up for the holidays and drinking all their liquor.

12 posted on 10/30/2008 3:32:27 PM PDT by x
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To: MissCalico

Men don’t pass on their mitochondrial DNA, so the rarity or otherwise of the iceman’s mitochondrial DNA has no bearing on the question of his possible descendants.

The “line” that is averred to be extinct includes his mother’s mother’s mother’s ... mother’s mother ) whoever is considered to be the “head of the line”, ) her daughters, daughters’ daughters , daughters’ daughters’ daughters, and so on to the present, and only the living sons of any of these “nth daughters.”


13 posted on 10/30/2008 3:34:03 PM PDT by dr_lew
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To: MissCalico

14 posted on 10/30/2008 3:36:19 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Everytime they open their mouth they shoot themselves in the foot.)
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To: Revolting cat!

Jerry Butler is a great singer and an incredibly nice man.


15 posted on 10/30/2008 3:39:03 PM PDT by Chunga (Vote Republican)
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To: Chunga

I used to work, way back, for a non-profit that he was on the board of. Whenever he’d call, I’d put him on hold, then tell my boss, “Iceman on line 4.”


16 posted on 10/30/2008 3:43:57 PM PDT by Bubba Ho-Tep ("More weight!"--Giles Corey)
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To: dr_lew
Darn...I knew that but didn't think it through B4 I posted about his kids.

In those days, in those isolated, sparsely populated areas, his kids might have shared his maternal DNA anyway. (which is all beside the point)

17 posted on 10/30/2008 3:52:09 PM PDT by MissCalico
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To: MissCalico

Have they checked Miami?


18 posted on 10/30/2008 4:03:51 PM PDT by WHBates
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To: MissCalico
Ancient DNA

Ice Man - Otzi of Italy

Widely known as "Otzi (Oetzi)" the Iceman found in 1991 in the Italian Alps, is also known as "Similaun Man". Of the Neolithic era, Otzi lived between 3350-3300 B.C. in the "Copper Age". He was believed to be 46-years old when he died at the top of a mountain pass from wounds received.

Name - Iceman

Haplo - K

Haplotype - 16224C, 16311C

19 posted on 10/30/2008 4:17:56 PM PDT by blam
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To: blam
Presidential DNA

Thomas Jefferson has/had haplogroup K, same as the Iceman.

20 posted on 10/30/2008 4:21:06 PM PDT by blam
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