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Y-chromosome variation and Irish origins

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A pre-neolithic gene gradation starts in the near East and culminates in western Ireland.

Abstract

Ireland's position on the western edge of Europe suggests that the genetics of its population should have been relatively undisturbed by the demographic movements that have shaped variation on the mainland. We have typed 221 Y chromosomes from Irish males for seven (slowly evolving) biallelic and six (quickly evolving) simple tandem-repeat markers. When these samples are partitioned by surname, we find significant differences in genetic frequency between those of Irish Gaelic and of foreign origin, and also between those of eastern and western Irish origin. Connaught, the westernmost Irish province, lies at the geographical and genetic extreme of a Europe-wide cline.

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Figure 1: Distribution of observed and estimated haplogroup 1 Y-chromosome haplotypes in Europe.
Figure 2: Consensus maximum parsimony networks of Irish Gaelic haplotypes summarizing both single tandem-repeat (DYS19, DYS3891, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392 and DYS393 ; ref. 14) and biallelic variation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, Trinity College, Dublin, 2, Ireland

    Emmeline W. Hill & Daniel G. Bradley

  2. Department of Genetics, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, UK

    Mark A. Jobling

Authors
  1. Emmeline W. Hill
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  2. Mark A. Jobling
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  3. Daniel G. Bradley
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Correspondence to Daniel G. Bradley.

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Hill, E., Jobling, M. & Bradley, D. Y-chromosome variation and Irish origins. Nature 404, 351–352 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35006158

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