Religions > Atheism > Irish king left a wide genetic trail Scientists say 3 million men are descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages
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Religions > Atheism |
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"stoney" |
| Date: |
18 Jan 2006 05:55:46 PM |
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Irish king left a wide genetic trail Scientists say 3 million men are descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages |
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10892117/
Irish king left a wide genetic trail
Scientists say 3 million men are descended from Niall of the Nine
Hostages
By Siobhan Kennedy
Reuters
Updated: 11:16 a.m. ET Jan. 17, 2006
DUBLIN, Ireland - Scientists in Ireland may have found the country’s
most fertile male, with more than 3 million men worldwide among his
offspring.
The scientists, from Trinity College Dublin, have discovered that as
many as one in 12 Irish men could be descended from Niall of the Nine
Hostages, a 5th-century warlord who was head of the most powerful
dynasty in ancient Ireland.
His genetic legacy is almost as impressive as Genghis Khan, the Mongol
emperor who conquered most of Asia in the 13th century and has nearly 16
million descendants, said Dan Bradley, who supervised the research.
“It’s another link between profligacy and power,” Bradley told Reuters.
“We’re the first generation on the planet where if you’re successful you
don’t (always) have more children.”
The research was carried out by Ph.D. student Laoise Moore, at the
Smurfit Institute of Genetics at Trinity. Moore, testing the Y
chromosome that is passed on from fathers to sons, examined DNA samples
from 800 males across Ireland.
The results — which have been published in the American Journal of Human
Genetics — showed the highest concentration of related males in
northwest Ireland, where one in five males had the same Y chromosome.
The ‘Genghis Khan effect’
Bradley said the results reminded the team of a similar study in central
Asia, where scientists found 8 percent of men with the same Y
chromosome. Subsequent studies found they shared the same chromosome as
the dynasty linked to Genghis Khan.
“It made us wonder if there could be some sort of Genghis Khan effect in
Ireland, and the best candidate for it was Niall,” Bradley said.
His team then consulted with genealogical experts who provided them with
a contemporary list of people with surnames that are genealogically
linked to the last known relative of the “Ui Neill” dynasty, which
literally means descendants of Niall.
The results showed the new group had the same chromosome as those in the
original sample, proving a link between them and the Niall descendents.
“The frequency (of the Y chromosome) was significantly higher in that
genealogical group than any other group we tested,” said Bradley, whose
surname is also linked to the medieval warlord. Other modern surnames
tracing their ancestry to Niall include Gallagher, Boyle, O’Donnell and
O’Doherty.
Checking the molecular clock
For added proof, the scientists used special techniques to age the Y
chromosome, according to how many mutations had occurred in the genetic
material over time. The number of mutations was found to be in
accordance with chromosomes that would date back to the last known
living relative of Niall.
Niall reportedly had 12 sons, many of whom became powerful Irish kings
themselves. But because he lived in the 5th century, there have been
doubts that the king — who is said to have brought the country’s patron
saint, Patrick, to Ireland — even existed.
“Before I would have said that characters like Niall were almost
mythological, like King Arthur, but this actually puts flesh on the
bones,” Bradley said.
When international databases were checked, the chromosome also turned up
in roughly 2 percent of all male New Yorkers.
Copyright 2006 Reuters
--
Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a cornucopia of splinters.
.
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| User: "" |
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| Title: Re: Irish king left a wide genetic trail Scientists say 3 million men are descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages |
18 Jan 2006 11:24:41 PM |
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stoney wrote:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10892117/
Irish king left a wide genetic trail
Scientists say 3 million men are descended from Niall of the Nine
Hostages
By Siobhan Kennedy
Reuters
Updated: 11:16 a.m. ET Jan. 17, 2006
DUBLIN, Ireland - Scientists in Ireland may have found the country's
most fertile male, with more than 3 million men worldwide among his
offspring.
<snip>
His genetic legacy is almost as impressive as Genghis Khan, the Mongol
emperor who conquered most of Asia in the 13th century and has nearly 16
million descendants, said Dan Bradley, who supervised the research.
<snip>
The research was carried out by Ph.D. student Laoise Moore, at the
Smurfit Institute of Genetics at Trinity. Moore, testing the Y
chromosome that is passed on from fathers to sons, examined DNA samples
from 800 males across Ireland.
The results - which have been published in the American Journal of Human
Genetics - showed the highest concentration of related males in
northwest Ireland, where one in five males had the same Y chromosome.
So does this mean we could piece together Niall's or Khan's DNA
and clone them?
Bob Dog
Atheist #153 = 1^3 + 5^3 + 3^3
EAC's chief cook and brainwasher
-----
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it's just a goddamned piece of paper!"
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"I've never seen a pro-choicer bomb any churches. Have you?"
- Aaron Kinney, speaking on Eric Rudolph
"The best thing about the Left Behind books is the way the
non-Christians get their guts pulled out by God."
- 15-year-old fundamentalist fan of the books
.
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| User: "stoney" |
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| Title: Re: Irish king left a wide genetic trail Scientists say 3 million men are descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages |
21 Jan 2006 10:42:27 PM |
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On 18 Jan 2006 21:24:41 -0800, wrote in alt.atheism
stoney wrote:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10892117/
Irish king left a wide genetic trail
Scientists say 3 million men are descended from Niall of the Nine
Hostages
By Siobhan Kennedy
Reuters
Updated: 11:16 a.m. ET Jan. 17, 2006
DUBLIN, Ireland - Scientists in Ireland may have found the country's
most fertile male, with more than 3 million men worldwide among his
offspring.
<snip>
His genetic legacy is almost as impressive as Genghis Khan, the Mongol
emperor who conquered most of Asia in the 13th century and has nearly 16
million descendants, said Dan Bradley, who supervised the research.
<snip>
The research was carried out by Ph.D. student Laoise Moore, at the
Smurfit Institute of Genetics at Trinity. Moore, testing the Y
chromosome that is passed on from fathers to sons, examined DNA samples
from 800 males across Ireland.
The results - which have been published in the American Journal of Human
Genetics - showed the highest concentration of related males in
northwest Ireland, where one in five males had the same Y chromosome.
So does this mean we could piece together Niall's or Khan's DNA
and clone them?
No.
--
Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a cornucopia of splinters.
.
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