Ordered test for genetic marker L448

From: Michael Cooley <michael_at_newsummer.com>
Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:41:45 -0800

Jim turned me on to L448 the other day. It's a SNP (Single Nucleotide
Polymorphism). It's pretty simple idea--a genetic mutation at a specific
location on our DNA. In other words, the chemical Adenine (noted by an
'A') may have changed to Cytosine (noted by a 'C'). In this case, at a
specific location on the Y chromosome, most people have a C. About 1200
years ago, it mutated in an individual to T (Thymine). The mutation was
recently discovered and has been nicknamed the "Young Scandanavian." A
descendant mutation called L176 later occurred. The descendants of
Scottish King Someled possess that.

Now, for those who have followed me to this point, SNPs are different from
the STRs (Short Tandem Repeats) that Jim and I had at FTNA. STRs are
faster mutating and are good for comparing Y chromosomal mutations over
the last 15 generations. (Perfect for Americans!) SNPs are very much
slower in mutating. They're good for *deep* ancestry and are best for
confirming genetic descent. But STRs will often indicate the presence of
certain SNPs. Our Cooley clan's make is a near certainty that we have the
M198 SNP, a mutation that occurred about 6,000 years. In fact, one of our
clan has tested positive for it. He also tested negative for the Somerled
SNP (L176), which our STR pattern suggests we wouldn't have anyway.

Here's the "descent" from M198, which we know we have, to L448:

M198 (6 thousand years ago) aka R1a1a
M417 (4.8 thousand years ago) aka R1a1a1
Z645 (4 thousand years ago)
Z283 (3.5 thousand years ago)
Z282 aka R1a1a1b1a
Z284 (2.5 thousand years ago)
L448 "Young Scandanavian" aka R1a1a1b1a3a

I just found out that my 23andMe results will not include L448, so I've
just ordered it through FTDNA. It will include M417 but, as far as I can
tell, none of the above descendants of it.
Received on Mon Feb 25 2013 - 18:41:46 MST