Irish History Takes a Paternity Test

ScienceNOW Daily News ^ | 21 December 2005 | Michael Schirber

[neverdem]

Legend has it that, while raiding England around 500 C.E., the Irish warlord Niall of the Nine Hostages took a young St. Patrick prisoner and brought him to Ireland. Historians disagree about whether Niall was really the kidnapper, but one thing is for certain: This ancient king went on to found the most powerful ruling dynasty in Irish medieval history, the Uí Néill (literally "descendants of Niall"). Now, a study reveals that this royal lineage may be imprinted in the genes of roughly a tenth of Irish men living today.

Although most of our genetic makeup comes from both parents, men inherit their Y chromosome exclusively from their fathers. As such, geneticists can trace paternal lineage by studying genetic markers on this chromosome. Small mutations creep in over generations, so the number of differences in the markers of any two men can reveal how long ago their common forefather lived. In 2003, a population study in East Asia discovered a set of Y chromosomes with very similar markers among men living in what had been the Mongol Empire. The scientists speculated that some 16 million men with these markers were all descendants of Genghis Khan (Science, 23 February 2003, p. 1179).

In the same spirit, geneticist Daniel Bradley and his colleagues from Trinity College in Dublin analyzed the Y chromosomes of 796 Irish men. Interestingly, quite a few shared the same markers--more than would be expected by chance. Looking for a historical explanation, the team realized that many of the men with this Y signature had family names that traced back to various offshoots of the Uí Néills. "Our research shows that these dynastic groups did have a common ancestor," Bradley says, thus providing a genetic underpinning to Ireland's rich genealogical tradition. This ancestor appears to have lived approximately 1700 years ago--consistent with the period of Niall's reign--the team reports 8 December in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Some experts remain sceptical. Although the findings are compatible with the Niall hypothesis, geneticist Chris Tyler-Smith of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, U.K., warns that the conclusion rests on uncertain assumptions about mutation rates and time between generations. He thinks the main significance of this work is that it shows--as did the earlier Genghis Khan study--how power and status can affect genetics. The Uí Néill Y chromosome owes its success not to a particular evolutionary advantage, he says, but rather to the fact that the high-ranking Uí Néill males in medieval Ireland could father many sons who later did the same.

[ElkGroveDan]

If mumps did indeed make billyblytheclinton infertile, it is a tremendous gift the the world.

Are you suggesting that someone else might be Chelsea's real father?

[dljordan]

You're making me thirsty. I love draught Guinness but the bottled with the "fizzy thing" tastes like crap. The local stouts around Boulder are about 7%. Delicious!

[Central Scrutiniser]

Nope, west coast, central Ireland.

[ValerieUSA]

no, no, no ... calcium can react to cranberry juice and make the kidney stone problem worse. drinking cranberry snapple iced tea nearly killed me one summer before I found that out. it's important to have the stones analyzed before taking anything in massive amounts. coffee, tea, colas, dark sodas and cranberry juice must be consumed in minimal portions by many kidney stone patients. I learned the hard way.

[AnAmericanMother]

Funny, it was my dad's urologist who gave me that nugget of information.

Of course, it WAS years ago (dad had his kidney attack back some time in the 70s . . . ) but he was (still is) a darned good urologist. Saved my dad's life (even though he lost one kidney). He's 80 years old now & has been running on one kidney for about 30 years.

[SunkenCiv]

this one was first, these are similar/related:

Scientists discover most fertile Irish male
Reuters on Yahoo | 1/17/06 | Siobhan Kennedy
Posted on 01/17/2006 12:16:45 PM EST by NormsRevenge
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1559642/posts

Britons Dedicate Renovated Franklin Home
Forbes/Associated Press | 01.17.2006 | JILL LAWLESS
Posted on 01/17/2006 8:16:05 PM EST by Pharmboy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1559965/posts
40 posted on 01/18/2006 6:30:54 AM EST by Pharmboy (The stone age didn't end because they ran out of stones.)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1559965/posts?page=40#40

If New York's Irish Claim Nobility, Science May Back Up the Blarney
NY Times | January 18, 2006 | NICHOLAS WADE
Posted on 01/18/2006 12:53:58 AM EST by neverdem
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1560100/posts

Scientist Discover Most Fertile Irish Male
Reuters | 1/17/06 | Siobhan Kennedy
Posted on 01/18/2006 2:34:03 AM EST by strider44
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1560122/posts

[SunkenCiv]

update:

DNA test proves husband is a king
by Clarissa Satchell
Tuesday, 8th August 2006

"My husband was busy doing exams at university and was only vaguely interested but agreed to be tested. When I got the results back, they said he was 'haplogroup R1b' which didn't mean anything to us then. A haplogroup is a grouping of genetically similar people who share an ancient ancestor, a sort of genetic clan. I found that R1b had been found to be the likely group of Niall of the Nine Hostages, a High King of Ireland who established a long line of Irish chiefs. It is also the group that Colla Uais is thought to belong to. He is another High King from whom many Scottish and Irish clans are descended. Thomas was really excited."

[Birdsong]

Here is how I pass the tonic passed my lips, 4 parts cranberry juice and 1 part shine ( home made of course )or the liquid of your choice this way we will not compromise our genetic code, bottoms up

[SunkenCiv]

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[SunkenCiv]

the rest of the Niallofthe9hostages keyword, sorted:

• Half Of Western European Men Descended From One Bronze Age 'King' [04/30/2016]
• Scans of King Tut's Tomb Reveal Hidden Rooms, Egypt's Antiquities Ministry Says [03/17/2016]
• The Egyptian in all of us: First modern humans from Europe and Asia from the Sinai peninsula [05/28/2015]
• Ancient artefacts at Tullaghoge [Ireland, 5000 BC] [02/19/2015]
• Genghis Khan's genetic legacy has competition [01/29/2015]
• Ancient and Modern Europeans Have Surprising Genetic Connection [11/08/2014]
• Modern Humans Arrived in Europe Earlier Than Previously Thought, Study Finds [08/20/2014]
• A different take on Tut [02/16/2014]
• Irish surnames explained - the meaning behind the top ten clan names [11/23/2013]
• Blood of the Irish: DNA Proves Ancestry of the People of Ireland [07/13/2013]
• Guide to American Presidents [06/18/2013]
• King Tut and half of European men share DNA [08/04/2011]
• Half of European men share King Tut's DNA [08/01/2011]
• Girl Traces US Presidents' Family Tree, All Related But One [04/02/2011]
• Race row professor and policeman 'may be distant cousins' [07/29/2009]
• Harvard Professor Gates Is Half-Irish, Related to Cop Who Arrested Him [07/29/2009]
• Harvard Prof Gates Is Half-Irish, Related to Cop Who Arrested Him [07/28/2009]
• Harvard Prof Gates Is Half-Irish, Related to Cop Who Arrested Him [07/28/2009]
• About that charity you run, Professor Gates [07/25/2009]
• Arrested Black Professor Claims Racism [07/22/2009]
• The Revolutionary War was tough and brutal [07/08/2007]
• Reunited At Last! This Is David, The Brother I Lost Just 1,000 Years Ago [12/31/2006]
• Medieval Irish warlord boasts three million descendants [01/19/2006]
• Up to three million men descended from medieval Irish warlord: study [01/19/2006]
• Scientists discover most fertile Irish male [01/18/2006]
• Scientist Discover Most Fertile Irish Male [01/17/2006]
• If New York's Irish Claim Nobility, Science May Back Up the Blarney [01/17/2006]
• Britons Dedicate Renovated Franklin Home [01/17/2006]
• Scientists discover most fertile Irish male [01/17/2006]
• DNA Shows Celtic Hero Somerled's Viking Roots [04/26/2005]