Haplogroup R1b (Haplotype 35)

Haplotype 35 Distribution In Eurasia

Haplotype 35 Distribution Relative To Haplotype 15

Haplotype 35 Distribution In The British Isles

Haplotype 35 Correlated With Haplogroups J/J2

Haplotype 35 As A Marker Of Tradition "Celtic" Origins

The Problem Of "Structure" With Haplotype 35

Ken Nordtvedt's Research On Eastern R1b

Sean Silver's Research On Jewish R1b

Parting Shots And Caveats

Unfortunately, the RFLP test cited above is not commercially available. DNA genealogists

who seek to distinguish Haplotype 15 from Haplotype 35 must, for the time being, rely on

other differences between the two haplotypes. One major difference is that the most common

values for the DYS393 marker are 13 for Haplotype 15, and 12 for Haplotype 35. Otherwise,

the basic six markers for their respective modal haplotypes are identical, as shown below.

(DYS # 19/388/390/391/392/393)

14-12-24-11-13-13 (ht15 or AMH)

14-12-24-11-13-12 (Haplotype 35)

This variation in the values of the DYS393 marker may not seem like much, but it

could be quite defnitive. Studies conducted on the frequency of mutation events among

Y chromosome DNA markers indicate that DYS393 has one of the lowest mutation rates of the

12 main markers used to identify a haplotype. The Kayser study of 2000 demonstrated a

mutation rate of zero for DYS392 and DYS393, while the Heyer study of 1997 recorded a

mutation rate of zero for DYS390 and DYS393.  Only DYS393 had a mutation rate of zero

in both studies. That does not mean that DYS393 never mutates, but it does suggest that

it mutates very rarely.

We may conclude that any given R1b haplotype from Western Europe with a DYS393

value of 12 could have acquired it through a rare one step mutation, but also that many -

if not most - of these haplotypes exhibited a DYS393 value of 12 for many generations,

and ultimately originated in Eastern Europe or Western Asia.

Research conducted by the administrators of the Border Reivers DNA Project

has identified numerous haplotypes in persons of British descent that show Haplotype 35

markers. Moreover, most of these haplotypes appear to originate from areas of Britain

near the Antonine Wall, Hadrian's Wall and other places of Roman fortification or settlement.

These areas include Galloway, Dumfries, Ayrshire and The Borders in Scotland, and

Cumbria, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Shropshire and Staffordshire in England.

Many of the Roman troops stationed in these areas came from Southeastern Europe

or Western Asia. They included Sarmatians, Dacians, Goths, Syrians, Mesopotamians,

Thracians and Anatolians. The Capelli study has shown that these areas also exhibit higher

than average frequencies of haplogroups E3b and J2, neither of which is native to Britain.

E3b is found most commonly in North Africa, Iberia, the Mediterranean and the Near East,

and J2 occurs most frequently in the Near East, the Mediterranean and Western Asia.

The fact that all three groups - E3b, J2 and Haplotype 35 - have a similar origin in territories

of the Roman Empire, and occur at comparable frequencies in parts of Britain with a known

history of Roman settlement, suggests that they arrived in Britain through the same means.

We have examined the Capelli data set for any haplotypes classed as R1b that resembled variants

of Haplotype 35. Very simply put, these would include any haplotype with a DYS393 value of 12.

There are several caveats we must observe in regard to our analysis. These include:

1) The high percentage of DYS393=12 R1b in a given area may simply reflect

the high proportion of R1b in general.

2) The areas where R1b is plentiful and indigenous will also be places where

R1b haplotypes exhibit the largest number of variations - including

haplotypes that resemble Haplotype 35.

3) DYS393=12 haplotypes in Britain are no doubt at least partially attributable

to mutations, and many of those will be more alike in "descent" to indigenous

British ht15, even though they may resemble Anatolian ht35 in "state".

4) One way to identify which parts of the British Isles may exhibit DYS393=12

haplotypes that are legitimately of Eastern European or Western Asiatic descent

is to calculate the ratios of ht35 to ht15. The areas that show ratios significantly

higher than the norm will be those where DYS393=12 R1b haplotypes of

continental origin could have supplemented those that arose from mutations.

The chart below calculates these ratios for the Capelli data set, and ranks

them in descending order. From these results, we have made the

following observations:

1) Among those areas with the top ten ratios, two fall in areas of Central

England with a well-documented history of Roman settlement (Uttoxeter

and Southwell), and two fall in the Anglo-Scottish Border region (Penrith

and among the Border Reiver sample itself). It is well worth noting that

both Uttoxeter and Southwell also exhibit higher than average percentages

of E3b and J/J2, which may be associated with Roman settlement.

2) Pitlochry, in Perthshire, shows both a high ratio of ht35 to ht15, and

the highest proportion of J/J2 in the Capelli study. The center of

Roman settlement in Scotland (to the extent that there was one) was

in Perthshire.

3) Three areas in the top ten - Dublin, Argyll and Pembrokeshire

in Wales - exhibit high overall levels of R1b. Since these areas

have a strong Celtic history, and virtually no Roman settlement

(except for Wales), the high levels of apparent ht35 may simply be

due to mutations. However, Dublin and Argyll do have a history of

Norse colonization, and Haverfordwest had a large Flemish colony

from the 12th century onward. Since both Western Norway and

parts of the southern Netherlands exhibit fairly high levels of

ht35-like haplotypes in YHRD, this may explain the high ratios

here. (We duly note, however, that the Capelli Norway sample

shows no ht35 at all.)

4) The elevated ratio of ht35 in the Orkneys, and Cumbria to some degree,

may also have a Norse origin.

We tentatively conclude that ht35-like haplotypes in the British Isles

may have at least three sources:

1) Mutations occurring in an R1b population that is plentiful,

indigenous and highly various.

2) Roman settlement, especially in areas where higher than

average levels of E3b and J/J2 also occur.

3) Norse or Norman origin - possibly. Despite its absence from

the Capelli Norway sample, ht35-like haplotypes do occur

frequently enough in the YHRD "Western Norway" sample, and

among haplotypes of Scandinavian or Baltic origin in Sorensen.

Haplotype 35 Correlated With Haplogroups J/J2

This link at Dienekes' Anthropology Blog describes how the frequency of R1b has been positively correlated with the

frequency of J2 in Southeastern Europe. According to Dienekes himself, the R1b in question is almost entirely of the

ht35 variety. This suggests that both ht35 and J2 came to Europe from Asia Minor and diffused through the Balkans and

the coastal areas of the Eastern Mediterranean to other parts of Europe.

Below are some charts that show the overall distribution of R1b in Italy (first panel), the distribution of DYS393=12

R1b in Italy (second panel), and the distribution of one sub-clade of J2 in Italy (third panel). Note how both DYS393=12

R1b and J2a tend to cluster in Southern Italy, the vicinity most influenced by the Eastern Mediterranean, while R1b in

general is concentrated in the North, closer to the Celtic" regions of Western Europe.

If ht35 and J2 are associated, it stands to reason that those samples with the highest correlation of J2 and R1b

DYS393=12 will include the highest proportion of R1b DYS393=12 haplotypes that are true ht35, as opposed to ht15

haplotypes that may simply have mutated on the DYS393 marker.

Proceeding on this basis, we have created the chart below. This compares the percentage of R1b DYS393=12

haplotypes to the percentage of haplotypes belonging to haplogroups J and J2 - which are all related, but of which

the vast majority are J2 in the Border Reiver database. We calculated the percent difference between the proportion

of suspected ht35 and the proportion of haplogroups J and J2. Then we sorted each locale in ascending order by that

difference, so that those locales whose proportions were most similar appear at the top.

(Please note that those locales which had suspected ht35, but no J2, or J2 but no ht35, were marked N/A and were

grouped at the bottom of the chart. Interestingly, many locales that had relatively high proportions of suspected ht35,

but no J2, included heavily Gaelic parts of the British Isles that saw no Roman settlers or troops, such as Ireland, and

Western and Northern Scotland. If ht35 and J2 are indeed fellow travelers, one might conclude that the R1b DYS393=12

haplotypes in these locales are most likely the result of random mutations from native Western European ht15.)

Of the top ten samples, three were from the Borders area - Penrith, Morpeth and the Reivers, three were from Southern

England - Cornwall, Norfolk and Chippenham, and three were from the central midlands or the Welsh Marches - Llangefni,

Uttoxeter and Southwell. All of these locales saw substantial Roman settlement or troop deployment.

Pitlochry, in Perthshire, has high proportions of both ht35 and J2. This is remarkable, and at first seems

anomalous, since Pitlochry is in the Central Highlands. However, when one remembers that the Antonine Wall stretched

across Scotland just south of Pitlochry, and that the city of Perth itself was originally a Roman town, these proportions -

although still surprising - do make a little more sense.