GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives

Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2007-06 > 1181246457


From: (John Chandler)
Subject: Re: [DNA] Megalith Builders
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 16:00:57 -0400 (EDT)
References: <193461.9133.qm@web52111.mail.re2.yahoo.com><000801c7a621$3606dee0$6401a8c0@Richard><REME20070605172210@alum.mit.edu><007c01c7a7c9$4574dc20$6401a8c0@Richard>
In-Reply-To: <007c01c7a7c9$4574dc20$6401a8c0@Richard> (rigastev@cox.net)


Rich wrote:
> Well, despite your somewhat caustic attempt to dismiss the correlation
> between languages and y-haplogroups out of hand, such a correlation does
> exist. The fact that it does is self-evident.

You thought I was being caustic?? No, indeed. I was being extremely
gentle. Most people have a soft spot in their hearts for swashbucklers.
The fact is that a correlation is a quantitative relationship between
variables attached to the same set of study objects, whereas what you
are claiming is nothing like that. The Y-DNA haplogroups are measured
*now*, and the languages *could* be determined *now*, but you are not
basing your claim on any such objective measure. Instead, you are
assuming genetic continuity to carry the modern DNA back to a varying
set of times in the past, of your own choice, when you believe the
very limited clues about languages give a simple enough picture. And
the conclusion you are attempting to draw from this exercise is that
genetic continuity cannot be assumed!

John Chandler

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