First ancient Irish human genomes sequenced

Phys.org ^ | December 28, 2015 | Phys.org

[WhiskeyX]

A team of geneticists from Trinity College Dublin and archaeologists from Queen's University Belfast has sequenced the first genomes from ancient Irish humans, and the information buried within is already answering pivotal questions about the origins of Ireland's people and their culture.

The team sequenced the genome of an early farmer woman, who lived near Belfast some 5,200 years ago, and those of three men from a later period, around 4,000 years ago in the Bronze Age, after the introduction of metalworking. Their landmark results are published today in international journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[relictele]

‘What have you found, Callaghan?’

‘A sequence, sir. The first letters so far are G U I N N E S S.’

‘Good work. Keep me posted.’

[Islander7]

God created whiskey so the Irish couldn’t conquer the world.

[PTBAA]

Brilliant!

[Travis McGee]

[central_va]

That glass of stout looks like it could be one of his relatives.

[DannyTN]

And here is the reconstruction of that genome...

[Travis McGee]

The original Irish DNA is in the Guinness formula.

[Red Badger]

Were they preserved in alcohol?......!!

[elcid1970]

Sure and they were indeed, my lad! In Jameson’s of course!

;^)

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping of possible interest*

[Albion Wilde]

God created whiskey so the Irish couldn't conquer the world.

Something had to come along to shut us up!

[Albion Wilde]

Ping!

[Albion Wilde]

Ping!

[jmacusa]

My older brother did a gene search and found that on my (late) mothers side the genetic make to be about 95% British Isles. The rest was found to be Gallic/Mediterranean. My father was found to be 100% British Isles, that is to say Irish.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks fieldmarshaldj.

Scientists sequence first ancient Irish human genomes [Book of Invasions]