Haplogroups
Thus far we have discovered the following Haplogroups within the project:
E1b, E3a, G, G1, G2, I, I1, I1a, I2a, I2b, J1, J2 N, R1a and R1b. It is of interest to note that we have not seen any E3b, K, or Q. Many other DNA projects out there turn up a few of these.
1. E3a is associated with those of African descent. It is believed this haplogroup spread from northern Africa, south, with the Bantu agricultural expansion. It is the most common haplogroup for African-Americans.
2. G1, G2 and at least some of the R1b indicate the original Pict/Scot/Celt inhabitants of the Strathspey and Glenmoriston regions.
3. The I and at least some of the R1b indicate the Anglo-Saxon and Norman influence in Britain. Though the "I" in our project is typically plain "I" or possibly "I1b" which tends to indicate an origin in Saxony, it is possible some of the "I" may also represent the Danish Viking influence from the old Danelaw in Eastern England. The signature of the Chiefly line of the Grants from 1325 (derived from Andrew Stewart, who married the Grant hieress Maud) has been determined to be R1b, which is typical of those royal lines from the Continent (Normandy and Brittany at least).
4. R1a, when seen in England, Ireland or Scotland, in most cases indicates the heritage of the Norse Vikings (as opposed to the Danish Vikings). Kit # 21365 seems a definite Viking signature of a deep Central Asian (possibly Hunnish extraction) variety with the closest matches being of Germanic/Saxon, Danish and Swedish extraction (the highest matches in Britain being in Scotland, also indicating a high probability of Norse/Viking descent). This kit belongs to an individual with a deep ancestry in England and with ties to Scotland prior to the early 17th century. This signature is the candidate for the original Norse/Viking line of the Grant Chiefs, which failed in the early 14th century and was carried on through some younger sons of the first chiefs, mostly in England, Ireland and possibly France. Any Scottish Grant descendants of the old Clan Allan (surnamed Grant) and the Clan Ciaran (also surnamed Grant) could also match this line. Kit # 35990, is of Eastern European origin and is only one marker off from a common Polish variety of R1a. This signature, if the owner's ancestors did come from Britain, quite possibly represents Danish (but possibly Norse) Viking origins, the legacy of Normans of Visigothic or Alanic descent, or possibly Sarmatians in Roman Britain along Hadrian's Wall. It is unknown where the ancestors of this kit's owner came from -- England, Scotland, Ireland or the Continent -- as the owner can only trace his ancestors to Connecticut around 1750. It is even concievable that this kit's owner could descend from one of the Hungarian noblemen that came with Margaret Atheling to the court of Malcolm Canmore! Kit #55426 turned up R1a, and shows strong matches with Indo-Iranian populations and Ashkenazi Levites - this person's ancestry may be Sarmatian, Danish (Jute), Norman of Visgothic or Alanic descent, or even Jewish Ashkenazim origin.
5. I1a and N these two haplogroups belong to two kits that seem to be outliers. The I1a represents a Grant whose ancestors came from Denmark and the N represents a Grant whose ancestors were from Finland. These two Grants, in all likelihood, are not related in any way to the Grant's in the project that have origins from England, Ireland and Scotland. These two kits probably represent a coincidental name change that was made at someplace like Ellis Island, etc, whereupon immigration officials spelled a name phonetically (or the official couldn't understand the original name, so simply wrote it down as "Grant"). Regardless, there is no connection with the Clan Grant and Finland, and none with Denmark, though it's possible some Grants from Britain went there as mercenary soldiers in the past.