DNA mapping of indigenous white U.K. population

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Permalink Reply by Philip on January 3, 2017 at 10:19

Interesting. I note that the correlation between Northern Ireland and SW Scotland is explained by 'ancient migration from Ireland to Scotland'. While this migration took place for sure, I would think the huge influx of Scots to Ireland during the Ulster Plantation would be a more telling influence.

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Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on January 4, 2017 at 14:29

Probably not, Philip. If, as the text makes clear, earlier hostile invasions and occupations such as the Romans (1st c.AD), the Viking Danes (9th c) or the Normans (11th c onwards) left little genetic legacy, why should a hostile (16th c onwards) invasion and occupation (euphemism: Ulster Plantation) be "a more telling influence" than the more ancient and more voluntary inter-migration across Sruth na Maoile (Irish & Scottish Gaelic for the Straits of Moyle)?

The old adage, 'The Penis Mightier than the Sword'', may be relevant here. The hostile force majeure of an invasion/occupation, however, even when euphemised as a horticulturally neutral 'plantation', leaves little scope for the voluntary role of the penis. i.e. we didn't mix much back then. Some foolish commentators four centuries later still put this lack of mixing down to our penchant for segregated primary schools!

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Permalink Reply by John D on January 4, 2017 at 14:37

We didn't mix much in 1950s Ayrshire.

A " mixed marriage " was a scandal.

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Permalink Reply by Hugh on January 3, 2017 at 11:09

Thanks Michael. Interesting to see the Orkneys featuring in their own right. I caught the first part of a new series on the ancient history of the Orkneys on BBC2 last night. It's revealing evidence of a sophisticated civilisation in 3,500BC and suggesting the stone building culture that culminated in Stonehenge started there and spread south. Using vole genetics, they've traced ancient links to Belgium. So it was interesting to see in this article that Belgians are the 4th most significant group in our nation's DNA make-up.

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Permalink Reply by EMC2 on January 3, 2017 at 14:02

Bit of a coincidence this as I'd just seen the same graphic and explanation in Adam Rutherford's book on genetics- "A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived". Half way through, I can really recommend it. As he points out in chapter three, each of our (European) family trees, if stretched back to the tenth century, should contain billions of ancestors but there weren't billions around then - and he goes on to demonstrate that all of us (Europeans) are descended from Charlemagne. And, sadly, related to one D. Trump. Lots of thought provoking stuff.

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Permalink Reply by EMC2 on January 3, 2017 at 14:36

A decent summary/ review of the above book.

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