IRISH-AMERICAN-L Archives

From: "Michael O'Hearn" <>
Subject: Re: [IRISH-AMER] DNA testing and (lack of) uses
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 16:06:02 -0800 (PST)

I just noticed by magnifying the maps that there are
small percentages among the Irish of Y-chromosome type
R1a which is most common among Indo-European peoples
of the kurgan culture, and also of type J which
apparently originated among semitic people of the
Middle East. The other more common Middle Eastern
type I probably spread with the Gravettian culture
which is of Upper Paleolithic times and may have been
in Ireland before the Neolithic period.

It could be that both R1a and R1b types were common to
the ancient Celts of central Europe. One theory is
that the Celts were formed by a mix of people who are
characterized from stone battle axes found probably
related to the Slavic people, and other people
characterized by bell shaped beakers probably related
to the Basques. Since the two types of DNA are so
closely related, it may also be the case that the
original kurgan culture comprised both DNA types in
some proportions before spreading westward.





Michael O'Hearn





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This thread:

• [IRISH-AMER] DNA testing and (lack of) uses by Murph <>

  • Re: [IRISH-AMER] DNA testing and (lack of) uses by "Michael O'Hearn" <>