Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id JAA03970 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 13 Nov 2000 09:21:01 GMT Message-ID: <A4400389479FD3118C9400508B0FF2300410B6@DELTA.newhouse.akzonobel.nl> From: "Gatherer, D. (Derek)" <D.Gatherer@organon.nhe.akzonobel.nl> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: New evidence for we have a wrong view on our culture !? Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 10:15:42 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
This refers to the Semino et al paper in Science last week (Semino O et al
Volume 290, Number 5494, Issue of 10 Nov 2000, pp. 1155-1159) . The paper
is accessible on: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/290/5494/1155
<http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/290/5494/1155> , but requires
payment for non-academics (I think).
The abstract is:
"A genetic perspective of human history in Europe was derived from 22 binary
markers of the nonrecombining Y chromosome (NRY). Ten lineages account for
>95% of the 1007 European Y chromosomes studied. Geographic distribution and
age estimates of alleles are compatible with two Paleolithic and one
Neolithic migratory episode that have contributed to the modern European
gene pool. A significant correlation between the NRY haplotype data and
principal components based on 95 protein markers was observed, indicating
the effectiveness of NRY binary polymorphisms in the characterization of
human population composition and history. "
Basically, the Y chromosomal lineages are indicative of inheritance from
father to son, since females don't have them. 2 of the Y lineages are old
enough for them to have been around prior to the Neolithic migration. The
other 8 are probably of more recent origin - either Neolithic or the
much-debated 'Kurgan invasion'. The 2 older lineages together constitute
about 50% of all the Y chromosomes. Both of the older lineages have
affinities with a lineage found in Native Americans and Siberians. The fact
that there are 2 Palaeolithic lineages possibly reflects the fact that there
were 2 refugia from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) around 13-20K b.p. The
contribution of the Neolithic lineages is greater in Southern Europe.
I don't think we can say that the Palaeolithic culture was 'our' culture,
and the Neolithic culture was 'foreign'. Maybe the Aurignacian and
Epi-Gravettian inhabitants of Europe (which interestingly seem to have had
distributions over Iberia and the northern Balkans during the LGM which
match the epicentres of the 2 Palaeolithic lineages) might have seen the
Neolithic farmers are invaders, but anybody today who has European ancestry
(and that includes most African-Americans and Latin Americans as well as the
so-called 'Caucasians') is both Neolithic and Palaeolithic. For instance in
Holland, about 70% of Y chromosomes are Eu18 (western Palaeolithic,
Aurignacian culture), with another 22% Eu7 (also western Palaeolithic,
perhaps post-LGM). So if you live in the Low Countries and are male, there
is a 92% chance your Y-chromosome is Palaeolithic. However, there are
traces of Eu4 at 4% (Neolithic) and also Eu19 at 4% ('Kurgan invasion'?).
Even if you have a Palaeolithic Y-chromosome, you are quite likely to have
genes of Neolithic origin on other autosomes.
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