When I entered this study I attempted to save folks some time and money by
setting a base line with a 37-marker test and a tested Haplogroup for
comparison.
Well
that may or may not have worked. Having said that, it brings up an
opportunity to discuss a bit of confusing terminology some folks have asked
me about. Please remember, Im NOT an expert.
Lets talk about Haplotypes and Haplogroups for a moment, as I understand
them. Clearly, as the words suggest, a Haplogroup is a group of Haplotypes.
Beyond that however, a Haplogroup represents a type of racial grouping
within the context of genetic studies. You must take great care with the
word race or racial in this context though, for several reasons, it has a
very different meaning than the common meaning of the words in todays
language.
Because of that difference, geneticists tend to use the term clan rather
than race. A race is/was a classification first determined mostly based upon
physical appearance though Science attempted to add more scientific basis
to the system of classifications as they went. The traditional concept of
races and what is developing via genetic research really dont match up
well. One of several reasons they dont for example is that; in the case of
a male, you are what your father was. Likewise in the case of a female, you
are what your mother was both regardless of your physical appearance.
Additionally, there are several Haplogroups, which would fit within the old
racial classification of Caucasian, and likewise all the other
classifications.
So, what is a Haplotype? A Haplotype is the grouping of values per locus
(marker) that represents the test results for a given person. For example:
if the locus DSY19 has a value of 13 that is the value per locus. List all
the values per locus, and you have a Haplotype.
Example:
DSY393= 13
DSY390= 23
DSY19 = 14
DSY391= 12
DSY385a=11
DSY385b=14
DSY426= 12
DSY388= 12
DSY439=11
DSY389i=13
DSY392=13
DSY389ii=29
The above is a Haplotype for a 12-marker test. It is not however, enough
information to place you in a Haplogroup reliably. A Haplogroup is a broad
collection of Haplotypes, which are (at a given point in time of genetic
research) considered similar. One finds his or herself in a specific
Haplogroup because they fit better there than in a different group and not
because of a black and white type of equation like if DYS393 = 13 then you
re an R1b. Some folks will fit more closely than others to a given
Haplogroup. That membership may well change, as the Science of genetics is
refined with time. For example: My Haplotype is only a fair fit to the R1b
classification. I carry values, which would suggest some connection to E3,
L1, J2, R1a, and G. But, because I carry more values, which would suggest
R1b, thats where I fall.
https://home.comcast.net/~whitathey/predictorinstr.htm
The above link is a good source of info for determining the more common
Haplogroups and their membership.
And why the Well
previously? Because if you dont match to my line, you
may or may not be in a different Haplogroup and may want to have your
Haplogroup confirmed.
Itll be interesting to see.
Bruce