About us
14 Nov 2017 - Project set up.
July 2021 - A progress report on how his research has progressed by our member Dr. Ian A Paterson.
DNA STUDIES OF IAN PATERSON
Introduction,
Ian Paterson first obtained DNA results from Family Tree DNA in November 2005. The results assigned him to Haplogroup R1b (M343). In December, 2017 Ian’s Y DNA results were upgraded to Y DNA 37 and results were also obtained for autosomal DNA (Family Finder Test). In January 2021 Ian obtained Mt DNA results.
Autosomal DNA (Family Finder Test)
This test is designed to find relatives on any of your ancestral lines within the last five generations. Family Finder uses autosomal DNA, which is the mixture of DNA you received from both parents (about 50% from your mother and about 50% from your father). Because autosomal DNA is a random mixture of your mother’s and father’s DNA, it is unique to each person.
Before commencing on interpretation of the DNA results it is worth while investigating the locations of the various branches of Ian’s family 3 generations ago (great great grandparents). They are as follows:
George Paterson, Tough, b.1793; Marjory Paterson (Mitchell), Glengairn, b. 1799;
Peter Riddel, Cluny, b. 1798; Mary Riddel (Sherriffs), Midmar, b. 1799;
William Mavor, Inverurie, b.1797; Mary Mavor (Williamson), Aberdeen, b.1813;
Alexander Rennie, Aberdeen, 1826; Elizabeth Rennie (Falconer), b. 1825;
Alexander Paul, Udny, b,1850; Mary Paul (Ingram), Keith Hall, b. 1854;
Alexander Masson, Savoch, b.1851; Mary Masson (Bruce), Old Deer, b. 1849;
Malcolm McPhee, Isle of Skye, b. 1807; Isabella McPhee (Webster), Kincardine O’ Neil, b. 1825;
George Scott, Echt, b.1820; Isabella Scott (Christie), b. 1840.
The birth place locations of great great grandparents can be summarised as: 12 from rural Aberdeenshire, 3 from Aberdeen and one from the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland. It would seem logical to suggest that Ian’s DNA is rooted in rural Aberdeenshire where most of the inhabitants were crofters or crofters’ wives who could possibly have been the descendants of the Pictish people who lived in the area between 0 and 900 ad. People tended to remain in the same area unless compelled to move because of some invasive force. The only “alien” influence is that of Malcolm McPhee who hailed from the west coast and may have had an Irish Celtic or Viking inheritance.
The autosomal data outlines clusters which highlight major historical and genetic events and shed light on the complexity of our genetic makeup. People with similar autosomal data are clustered predominantly in the United Kingdom (97%) with 3 % in Ireland. On the European map 90 % of the data is clustered in the British Isles with the other 10 % in northwestern Europe.
Autosomal data also takes a stab at ancient origins from about 1,500 bp to 11,000 bp. The data suggests that Ian’s DNA origins are 49 % hunter gatherer, 41 % farmer and 10 % metal age invader. The hunter gatherers would have moved into northern Britain 6,000 and 11,000 bp, the farmers between 4,000 and 6,000 bp and the metal age invaders between 500 and 2,500 bp.
It would appear that Ian’s genetic background has not undergone significant interference from Roman, Anglo Saxon and Viking influences over the last 2,000 years.
The autosomal data also indicates that Ian’s genetic makeup is one point away from the “Western Atlantic Modal Haplotype” - R1b or in more detail R-M269. This 12 marker Haplotype represents about 1.3% of European male lines.
Mitochondrial DNA
Ian’s mitochondrial DNA placed him in the U5a1b1 Haplogroup. The “U “ group originated in the Ukraine 30,000 to 35,000 years ago and then split into two groups - the one going to the Baltic area ( U5a?) and the second to northern Italy and southern France (U5b). Haplogroup U is found in 11% of Europeans and is the oldest maternal haplogroup in that area. It was the dominant type of mitochondrial DNA before the advent of agriculture.
The ice age (22,000 to 13,000 years ago) would have confined the populations to southern France and southern Baltic. At the end of the ice age people slowly moved north or west out of southern Europe. Great Britain would have been populated by a hunter gatherer population at this time Up until 6000 bp, there would not have been an English Channel to impede their progress. Ian’s ancestors probably originated in the southern Baltic area and migrated west.
The Haplogroup U5a1b1 formed between 5,000 and 9,000 bp . Persons with this subclade are concentrated in Belarus, Finland, Scandinavia, , Poland, Germany, northern France, UK and Ireland.
Cheddar man from southwestern England has been dated at 9,100 bp and had a U5a Mt DNA signature.
Ian’s most distant relative on the maternal line is great great-great grandmother Jane Marnoch (Christie) who was born in 1806 in the Tough/Cluny area of west central Aberdeenshire. The chances are that her maternal ancestors go back at least 1,000 years in northeast Scotland.
Y DNA
Ian’s 2005 DNA results placed him in the Haplogroup R1b and in the R-M343 subclade. Additional DNA analysis carried out in 2017 refined the results and gave positive results for R-M269, R-L151, R-L21 and finally R-Z253. The following table gives notes on each of the subclades which produced mutations in the migration of R1b people from east to west in Europe. No doubt this table will have to be revised in the near future as DNA information is accumulating rapidly.
The Y DNA data also indicates that Ian’s genetic makeup is of the “Western Atlantic Modal Haplotype” (WAMH) - R1b or in more detail R-M269. The WAMH haplogroup is the most common group in Europe.
R1b: originated in the western Eurasian steppes in the Caspian Sea area about 18,000 years ago in the middle of the ice age.
R-M269: centred in southern Russia east of the Volga about 13,000 years ago at the end of the ice age. R- L23: Peoples living in this area (Ukraine, southern Russia) gave rise to the “Kurgan” culture (buried dead in mounds), the domestication of horses and the Indo-European language between 6,600 and 4,400 bp
R-L51: this haplogroup founder lived in the steppe to the west of the Black Sea around 6,100 bp. This was about the time that farming started to take over from hunter-gathering in Scotland.
R-P310: Haplogroup was formed around Slovakia and the people gave rise to the Yamna culture (5,500 – 4,500bp). The people were nomadic herders in the late Copper Age to early Bronze Age. Contact between Yamna people and existing Neolithic inhabitants of Romania, gave rise to the development of Corded Ware Culture or Battle-Axe Culture. Having developed the use of metals, horses and pottery these people had a tendency to dominance which could result in takeover of adjacent cultures.
R-L151: The next Haplogroup founder probably lived around 5000 bp in Austria. The person probably had an indigenous female Neolithic mother who interbred with a Yamna culture migrant (invader?).
R-P312: around 4,800 bp, the founder of this ancestral haplogroup was born in the Rhine valley. He was Ian’s 152nd great grandfather. In subsequent years , people of the Yamna culture migrated into Bell-Beaker culture which was dominant in western Europe at this time.
R-L21: is likely a haplogroup belonging to the Insular Celts (among others), who migrated to Western Europe during the Bronze Age around 4,500 bp populating vast regions of what is now Ireland, Great Britain, Northern Spain, and Northern France. The Celtic language spoken by the people of Cornwall and southern Ireland would probably have been Q Celtic. This may have taken over from a Basque like language which may have prevailed prior to 4,500 bp.
R-DF13: Characteristic subclade of majority of living males in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. Probably originated around 4300 years ago.
R-Z253: This mutation is estimated to have occurred 4,200 years ago during the height of the early Bronze Age occupation of the British Isles. Early branches of this subclade are found in southern Ireland, southwest England and Spain suggesting a maritime trading connection between the three locations. In Scotland , men registering as R-L21 constitute 48.8 % of the male population and of the male R-L21 population 5.3 % register as R-Z253.
The next step is to somehow connect Ian Paterson’s great- great- great grandfather William Paterson, born c. 1761 in Aberdeenshire with his 125th grandfather born 4000 years ago most likely in southern Ireland or Cornwall. To gain understanding of this period of history will require two developments. Firstly, Ian will need to delve deeper into his DNA perhaps by obtaining Y DNA 700 and secondly there has to be an increase in results from men whose families are rooted in Aberdeenshire over the generations. The more information we obtain , the greater the clarification of our somewhat obscure origins - -let us grow our haplotree and become enlightened about our past!
IAP/July, 2021
July 2021 - A progress report on how his research has progressed by our member Dr. Ian A Paterson.
DNA STUDIES OF IAN PATERSON
Introduction,
Ian Paterson first obtained DNA results from Family Tree DNA in November 2005. The results assigned him to Haplogroup R1b (M343). In December, 2017 Ian’s Y DNA results were upgraded to Y DNA 37 and results were also obtained for autosomal DNA (Family Finder Test). In January 2021 Ian obtained Mt DNA results.
Autosomal DNA (Family Finder Test)
This test is designed to find relatives on any of your ancestral lines within the last five generations. Family Finder uses autosomal DNA, which is the mixture of DNA you received from both parents (about 50% from your mother and about 50% from your father). Because autosomal DNA is a random mixture of your mother’s and father’s DNA, it is unique to each person.
Before commencing on interpretation of the DNA results it is worth while investigating the locations of the various branches of Ian’s family 3 generations ago (great great grandparents). They are as follows:
George Paterson, Tough, b.1793; Marjory Paterson (Mitchell), Glengairn, b. 1799;
Peter Riddel, Cluny, b. 1798; Mary Riddel (Sherriffs), Midmar, b. 1799;
William Mavor, Inverurie, b.1797; Mary Mavor (Williamson), Aberdeen, b.1813;
Alexander Rennie, Aberdeen, 1826; Elizabeth Rennie (Falconer), b. 1825;
Alexander Paul, Udny, b,1850; Mary Paul (Ingram), Keith Hall, b. 1854;
Alexander Masson, Savoch, b.1851; Mary Masson (Bruce), Old Deer, b. 1849;
Malcolm McPhee, Isle of Skye, b. 1807; Isabella McPhee (Webster), Kincardine O’ Neil, b. 1825;
George Scott, Echt, b.1820; Isabella Scott (Christie), b. 1840.
The birth place locations of great great grandparents can be summarised as: 12 from rural Aberdeenshire, 3 from Aberdeen and one from the Isle of Skye on the west coast of Scotland. It would seem logical to suggest that Ian’s DNA is rooted in rural Aberdeenshire where most of the inhabitants were crofters or crofters’ wives who could possibly have been the descendants of the Pictish people who lived in the area between 0 and 900 ad. People tended to remain in the same area unless compelled to move because of some invasive force. The only “alien” influence is that of Malcolm McPhee who hailed from the west coast and may have had an Irish Celtic or Viking inheritance.
The autosomal data outlines clusters which highlight major historical and genetic events and shed light on the complexity of our genetic makeup. People with similar autosomal data are clustered predominantly in the United Kingdom (97%) with 3 % in Ireland. On the European map 90 % of the data is clustered in the British Isles with the other 10 % in northwestern Europe.
Autosomal data also takes a stab at ancient origins from about 1,500 bp to 11,000 bp. The data suggests that Ian’s DNA origins are 49 % hunter gatherer, 41 % farmer and 10 % metal age invader. The hunter gatherers would have moved into northern Britain 6,000 and 11,000 bp, the farmers between 4,000 and 6,000 bp and the metal age invaders between 500 and 2,500 bp.
It would appear that Ian’s genetic background has not undergone significant interference from Roman, Anglo Saxon and Viking influences over the last 2,000 years.
The autosomal data also indicates that Ian’s genetic makeup is one point away from the “Western Atlantic Modal Haplotype” - R1b or in more detail R-M269. This 12 marker Haplotype represents about 1.3% of European male lines.
Mitochondrial DNA
Ian’s mitochondrial DNA placed him in the U5a1b1 Haplogroup. The “U “ group originated in the Ukraine 30,000 to 35,000 years ago and then split into two groups - the one going to the Baltic area ( U5a?) and the second to northern Italy and southern France (U5b). Haplogroup U is found in 11% of Europeans and is the oldest maternal haplogroup in that area. It was the dominant type of mitochondrial DNA before the advent of agriculture.
The ice age (22,000 to 13,000 years ago) would have confined the populations to southern France and southern Baltic. At the end of the ice age people slowly moved north or west out of southern Europe. Great Britain would have been populated by a hunter gatherer population at this time Up until 6000 bp, there would not have been an English Channel to impede their progress. Ian’s ancestors probably originated in the southern Baltic area and migrated west.
The Haplogroup U5a1b1 formed between 5,000 and 9,000 bp . Persons with this subclade are concentrated in Belarus, Finland, Scandinavia, , Poland, Germany, northern France, UK and Ireland.
Cheddar man from southwestern England has been dated at 9,100 bp and had a U5a Mt DNA signature.
Ian’s most distant relative on the maternal line is great great-great grandmother Jane Marnoch (Christie) who was born in 1806 in the Tough/Cluny area of west central Aberdeenshire. The chances are that her maternal ancestors go back at least 1,000 years in northeast Scotland.
Y DNA
Ian’s 2005 DNA results placed him in the Haplogroup R1b and in the R-M343 subclade. Additional DNA analysis carried out in 2017 refined the results and gave positive results for R-M269, R-L151, R-L21 and finally R-Z253. The following table gives notes on each of the subclades which produced mutations in the migration of R1b people from east to west in Europe. No doubt this table will have to be revised in the near future as DNA information is accumulating rapidly.
The Y DNA data also indicates that Ian’s genetic makeup is of the “Western Atlantic Modal Haplotype” (WAMH) - R1b or in more detail R-M269. The WAMH haplogroup is the most common group in Europe.
R1b: originated in the western Eurasian steppes in the Caspian Sea area about 18,000 years ago in the middle of the ice age.
R-M269: centred in southern Russia east of the Volga about 13,000 years ago at the end of the ice age. R- L23: Peoples living in this area (Ukraine, southern Russia) gave rise to the “Kurgan” culture (buried dead in mounds), the domestication of horses and the Indo-European language between 6,600 and 4,400 bp
R-L51: this haplogroup founder lived in the steppe to the west of the Black Sea around 6,100 bp. This was about the time that farming started to take over from hunter-gathering in Scotland.
R-P310: Haplogroup was formed around Slovakia and the people gave rise to the Yamna culture (5,500 – 4,500bp). The people were nomadic herders in the late Copper Age to early Bronze Age. Contact between Yamna people and existing Neolithic inhabitants of Romania, gave rise to the development of Corded Ware Culture or Battle-Axe Culture. Having developed the use of metals, horses and pottery these people had a tendency to dominance which could result in takeover of adjacent cultures.
R-L151: The next Haplogroup founder probably lived around 5000 bp in Austria. The person probably had an indigenous female Neolithic mother who interbred with a Yamna culture migrant (invader?).
R-P312: around 4,800 bp, the founder of this ancestral haplogroup was born in the Rhine valley. He was Ian’s 152nd great grandfather. In subsequent years , people of the Yamna culture migrated into Bell-Beaker culture which was dominant in western Europe at this time.
R-L21: is likely a haplogroup belonging to the Insular Celts (among others), who migrated to Western Europe during the Bronze Age around 4,500 bp populating vast regions of what is now Ireland, Great Britain, Northern Spain, and Northern France. The Celtic language spoken by the people of Cornwall and southern Ireland would probably have been Q Celtic. This may have taken over from a Basque like language which may have prevailed prior to 4,500 bp.
R-DF13: Characteristic subclade of majority of living males in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. Probably originated around 4300 years ago.
R-Z253: This mutation is estimated to have occurred 4,200 years ago during the height of the early Bronze Age occupation of the British Isles. Early branches of this subclade are found in southern Ireland, southwest England and Spain suggesting a maritime trading connection between the three locations. In Scotland , men registering as R-L21 constitute 48.8 % of the male population and of the male R-L21 population 5.3 % register as R-Z253.
The next step is to somehow connect Ian Paterson’s great- great- great grandfather William Paterson, born c. 1761 in Aberdeenshire with his 125th grandfather born 4000 years ago most likely in southern Ireland or Cornwall. To gain understanding of this period of history will require two developments. Firstly, Ian will need to delve deeper into his DNA perhaps by obtaining Y DNA 700 and secondly there has to be an increase in results from men whose families are rooted in Aberdeenshire over the generations. The more information we obtain , the greater the clarification of our somewhat obscure origins - -let us grow our haplotree and become enlightened about our past!
IAP/July, 2021