Study provides first genetic evidence of long-lived African presence within Britain

Wellcome Trust via Eureka Science News ^ | Jan 24, 2007 | Craig Brierley

[Pharmboy]

New research has identified the first genetic evidence of Africans having lived amongst "indigenous" British people for centuries. Their descendants, living across the UK today, were unaware of their black ancestry.

The University of Leicester study, funded by the Wellcome Trust and published today in the journal European Journal of Human Genetics, found that one third of men with a rare Yorkshire surname carry a rare Y chromosome type previously found only amongst people of West African origin.

The researchers, led by Professor Mark Jobling, of the Department of Genetics at the University of Leicester, first spotted the rare Y chromosome type, known as hgA1, in one individual, Mr. X. This happened whilst PhD student Ms. Turi King was sampling a larger group in a study to explore the association between surnames and the Y chromosome, both inherited from father to son. Mr. X, a white Caucasian living in Leicester, was unaware of having any African ancestors.

"As you can imagine, we were pretty amazed to find this result in someone unaware of having any African roots," explains Professor Jobling, a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow. "The Y chromosome is passed down from father to son, so this suggested that Mr. X must have had African ancestry somewhere down the line. Our study suggests that this must have happened some time ago."

Although most of Britain's one million people who define themselves as "Black or Black British" owe their origins to immigration from the Caribbean and Africa from the mid-twentieth century onwards, in reality, there has been a long history of contact with Africa. Africans were first recorded in the north 1800 years ago, as Roman soldiers defending Hadrian's Wall.

To investigate the origins of hgA1 in Britain, the team recruited and studied a further eighteen males with the same surname as Mr. X. All but one were from the UK, with paternal parents and grandparents also born in Britain. Six, including one male in the US whose ancestors had migrated from England in 1894, were found to have the hgA1 chromosome.

Further genealogical research to identify a common ancestor for all seven X-surnamed males suggests that the hgA1 Y chromosome must have entered their lineage over 250 years ago. However, it is unclear whether the male ancestor was a first generation African immigrant or a European man carrying an African Y chromosome introduced into Britain some time earlier, or even whether the hgA1 Y chromosome goes back as far as the Roman occupation.

"This study shows that what it means to be British is complicated and always has been," says Professor Jobling. "Human migration history is clearly very complex, particularly for an island nation such as ours, and this study further debunks the idea that there are simple and distinct populations or 'races'."

In addition, Professor Jobling believes that the research may have implications for DNA profiling in criminal investigations.

"Forensic scientists use DNA analysis to predict a person's ethnic origins, for example from hair or blood samples found at a crime scene. Whilst they are very likely to predict the correct ethnicity by using wider analysis of DNA other than the Y chromosome, finding this remarkable African chromosome would certainly have them scratching their heads for a while."

[blam]

Most Europeans have either A or O type blood, about 50-50. Behind Offas Dyke is the highest concentration of O type blood in all of Europe...and it's very ancient.

[AuH2ORepublican]

I didn't mean to criticize you, and if I offended you I apologize. It's just that I'm sick of people taking a "DNA test" and claiming to be Native American or something when that is just a microscopic part of their gene pool.

I know that the Y-chromosome can never be diluted, and that every other gene (found in males) can be, which is why the Y-chromosome is the one used to research ancestry among males (just as matrilineal DNA is used for females). A person could be 99% of, say, African descent, and 99% of his genes would have come from Africa, yet have a Y-chromosome coming from someone from Iceland. As for the Y-chromosome being "more equal than others," that would only be true for purposes of genetics if there were immutable characteristics (other than maleness) that every person with that particular Y-chromosome possesses. You're right that I'm no expert on genetics, and perhaps you can tell me what traits are affected by having a particular Y-chromosome.

[arthurus]

If it does maybe you can get in line for "reparations."

[AuH2ORepublican]

I had heard that the Basques descended from the ancient Celts, although that by itself doesn't tell us much about the origin of the ancient Celts (whether Central Europe or elsewhere), since no one knows where the hell the Basques came from (their language isn't even Indo-European). But it should be noted that the "Basque Country" is located partly in southern France and partly in northern Spain, so it isn't inconsistent with how I described Celtic migration.

[arthurus]

The Celts were also in Anatolia and so were bagpipes that the Ottomans inherited and played along with atabals during the assaults on Vienna to scare the Christians. To this day there are bagpipers in Turkey.

[wideminded]

Scots Irish, me paternity is...saints be praised. And I'm Jewish.

LOL

[blam]

Take the Journey Of Mankind.

[AuH2ORepublican]

Very interesting, thanks.

[Pharmboy]

Thanks for the LOL! Makes me day...

[Right Wing Assault]

Or, maybe one or more of his very recent Celtic ancestors converted to Judaism.

[Right Wing Assault]

If it does maybe you can get in line for "reparations."

Maybe most or even all of us. If "Adam and Eve" started out in Africa, we're all Afro-American.

[ventana]

Yes and he has the wig to prove it! V's wife.

[Pharmboy]

Here are genes and their associated proteins on the Y chromosome:

AMELY (amelogenin,Y-chromosomal)
ANT3Y (adenine nucleotide translocator-3 on the Y)
ASMTY (which stands for acetylserotonin methyltransferase)
AZF1 (azoospermia factor 1)
AZF2 (azoospermia factor 2)
BPY2 (basic protein on the Y chromosome)
CSF2RY (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor, alpha subunit on the Y chromosome)
DAZ (deleted in azoospermia)
IL3RAY (interleukin-3 receptor)
PRKY (protein kinase, Y-linked)
RBM1 (RNA binding motif protein, Y chromosome, family 1, member A1)
RBM2 (RNA binding motif protein 2)
SRY (sex-determining region)
TDF (testis determining factor)
TSPY (testis-specific protein)
UTY (ubiquitously transcribed TPR gene on Y chromosome)
ZFY (zinc finger protein)

They are mainly associated with things male (no surprise here, and that is not unimportant) and some housekeeping genes as well as neurotransmitter and immune function proteins.

And, while there were more Jews in Spain, they were all over western Europe before they were thrown out of France and England in the 13th and 14th centuries; so, the Celt could have come into the family there since they were plenty of Celts around. However, the main proof of my Y origin in the British Isles is the absolute match with Scots Irish in the haplotype, i.e., my Y does not match with Celts in France or Spain.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks PB! Definitely going to ping the GGG list after I get home, not least because of this:

...or even whether the hgA1 Y chromosome goes back as far as the Roman occupation.

Europe has the most numerous documented invasions of any area in the world. :') Not from West Africa, but still...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Pharmboy.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.

Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
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[nopardons]

That's just weird!

[DieHard the Hunter]

> found that one third of men with a rare Yorkshire surname carry a rare Y chromosome type previously found only amongst people of West African origin.

So now I'm curious: what is that rare Yorkshire surname?

[SoCal Pubbie]

Here a picture of a statue in a European cathedral of an African knight who fought on the side of Christian armies. Here's a bit of history:

"Maurice came from Christian Egypt and joined the Roman army. At the head of Theban Legion he fought in the Alps. He refused to pray and sacrifice to Roman gods and together with his companions was massacred on the order of Emperor Maximian. The site of the massacre (now St. Maurice en Valais in Switzerland) became a holy place of pilgrimage at early date. From there the cult spread all over the Alps, then came to Germany and Italy. Like St. George, St. Maurice is patron of knights and soldiers. From the 12th century, due to linguistic similarity between his name and maurus, he was depicted as a Moor. Thus he became the black saint. Both patrons of soldiers, St. George and St. Maurice, are depicted armed, but St. George is white and on horseback, St. Maurice is often black and almost always a foot soldier. "



I believe there was much more contact between areas of the old world than is generally thought of today

[VeniVidiVici]

one third of men with a rare Yorkshire surname

Mutumbo? ;-)

[Myrddin]

My ancestors are Welsh, and my cousin traced our family back to connect to the Welsh royal family, which gives our history back to a 3rd century Roman.

The oldest ancestor I can trace directly in Wales was born in 1777. He built his home in Ysbty Ystwyth. Most of the family lived in LLanfihangel y Creuddyn. Headstones with the family name go back to 1450 in the town cemetery. My wife ends up in Scotland in 1423.

I was most impressed on a visit to the National Library on Wales. They produced the original paper guardianship documents for my great grandfather and his sisters in 1851. My great great grandmother died from tuberculosis that year. Her husband had died from tuberculosis in 1842. The children had to abandon the home in Ysbty Ystwyth and move to LLanfihangel y Creuddyn.

Here is a picture of the house at Ysbty Ystwyth

The old guy on the left is my cousin Ifor.