Haplogroup Hangouts

Our human Y-chromosome has experienced a number of mutations since the dawn of man.  On the most part, these mutations have been identified and given a standard nomenclature.   Called "haplogroups" , they have been organized by number [DYS #] and alphabetized A - T.  Their chronology has been estimated, with "haplogroup A" starting things off some 60,000 years ago, or so.  Their geographic locations have been identified.  The following figure was drawn some six years ago when trying to put all this DNA stuff together.  I thought it might be of interest in the very broadest sense. 

The haplogroups are shown in a chronological sense top to bottom.  The DYS # associated with each haplogroup is listed.  The general "hangout" for each haplogroup(s) is written underneath each.  The green swipe represents Africa with migration "out of Africa" identified.  Various colors then mark in the broadest terms, the migration patterns thought most likely for each haplogroup.  The JONES surname haplogroup is approximaly 75% R1b, and is shown by the darker blue line.

Give it a go.  If you see any errors or need for more recent information please comment.  Here you have my take on the haplogroup hangouts.

Jones Surname and Haplogroups: A Review

The JONES surname is one of the most common among the Islands. [Wales, England, Ireland, and that big one across the pond the U.S.!] Haplogroups have been identified from those who have submitted their DNA and indicated an interest in the JONES surname. The following is a summary based upon an analysis of these results.

Haplogroup R1b is roughly 76%. [Assumed to be Celtic roots?]
Haplogroup I is roughly 10%. [Assumed to be Viking or Norman?]
Haplogroup E is roughly 6%. [Assumed to be African-American?]
Haplogroup G is rougly 3%. [Assumed to be Asia Minor?]
Haplogroup J is roughly 2%. [Assumed to be Middle Eastern - Jewish?]
Haplogroup R1a is roughly 2%. [Assumed to be Anglo-Saxon?]

Anyone with the JONES surname and a known haplogroup please respond. Would like to identify family trees with the surname JONES!

The Rift Valley

Our human ancestors are believed to have followed the herds of animals up the Rift Valley to the new lands of the Middle East. This was the corridor out of Africa, leading to the migration of the DNA that becomes my haplogroup. The Rift Valley was then believed to be an open plain where long grasses beckoned the animals to feed. In turn, these animals beckoned our ancestors to feed on them. I suspect that it was this migrating food supply that offered some advantage to the survival of my particular DNA. The picture to the right shows this not so fertile plain as it exists today. From the valley floor where I took this picture, the mountains rise fairly quickly to around 5,000 feet. It certainly would have looked different some 50,000 years ago!

My JONES haplogroup is R1b1b2. It would have the following "Gene Tree":

> 60,000 years ago - haplogroup A,

50,000 years ago - haplogroup B - to - haplogroup C at 50,000 years ago,

45,000 years ago - haplogroup F;

40,000 years ago - haplogroup K;

35,000 years ago - haplogroup P;

30,000 years ago - haplogroup R - to - haplogroup R1

25,000 years ago - haplogroup R1b

10,000 years ago - haplogroup R1b1b2 which is my Celtic roots.

Imagine that...I stood where my ancestors stood some 50,000 years ago!

Haplogroups by Geography

Understanding our human origin has been the goal of many. The most recent thoughts have been given in a series of articles widely circulated:

1) "What Darwin Didn't Know", National Geographic, February 2009,

2) "4 Million Year Old Woman", National Geographic, July 2010,

3) "King Tut's DNA, Unlocking Family Secrets", National Geographic, Sept. 2010.

The Middle Awash [Sudan and Ethiopia] is generally believed to be the location of our earliest human existence. [pp. 44-45, National Geographic, July 2010] Haplogroup A is felt to have had its first DNA exposure around this geographic location, and the great Rift Valley the door to much of the first human migration.

The figure to the right is my attempt to give a "big picture" of the recognized haplogroups and their "broad" geographic locations. Starting in the upper left, then moving across the page is listed; Africa, Middle East, Europe, Asia, Pacific, and America. The next line subdivides Africa into Sub-Saharan, and North Africa. Then Asia is subdivided into Central, North, East, and South. The haplogroups are listed in chronological order placed under each geographic area. The haplogroups are then followed by a percent that this haplogroup is found within these geographic areas. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, haplogroup A represents approximately 21% of this geographic area. Haplogroup B represents roughly 18%. However, haplogroup E is reported to be found in roughly 61% of the folks tested from this area.

You can then follow for each geographic area, the haplogroups that have been found in DNA studies, the percentage that each roughly has, and the total number of haplogroups which have been found in these geographic areas. This figure sort of "sneezes" the haplogroups across time as well as their geographic distribution. Pretend that your mouth is located in the upper left corner of the page, and your "sneeze" spreads outward from this location. Hopefully, you will not need a Kleenex. You can enlarge the figure by clicking on the image. Enjoy. More to come.

The Gene Tree, Haplogroups

Haplogroups are defined by their single nucleotide substitution called a SNP (snip). [single nucleotide polymorphism] Those in the know [researchers who have established the system of naming [nomenclature] have assigned an English alphabetical system starting with the letter A. This haplogroup is felt to be the oldest genome surviving since our earliest days. The figure to the right is my attempt at showing a "big picture" of this classification system. The dates generally believed to be starting points for each branch of this gene tree are given along the top ridge for each haplogroup. More than 60,000 years ago the human race is believed to have shared a common genetic message. At around 50,000 years ago the human genome started to branch, giving rise to several new DNA messages. Down through the ages, each branch developed a new haplogroup, passing its single nucleotide polymorphism down to the next generations. As time passed, these branches became the roots of our ethnic and cultural family groups. My JONES DNA is haplogroup R1b, believed to have branched from haplogroup R1 some 25,000 years ago. It was around this time that the earliest human burial has been described on the island that was to become my family's home. [The "Red Lady of Paviland" on the Gower Peninsula.] What a deal!

Causes of Mutation

DNA has to be changed (a mutation) before the individual carrying that DNA is changed. The individual is changed before the population (cultural group) is changed. If a constant rate of mutation is assumed (not sure this can be assumed), then there has been 1 mutation per 25,000 - 50,000 years that has survived to be past down to us today! It is a good thing that most mutations do not seem to affect the functioning of the individual!

The causes of mutations fall into several categories. The most ancient was probably radiation since the nitrogen molecule is the most resistant to radiation. Also the double helix hold the codons (genes) in their matrix that is most resistant to radiation.

The second most likely is the errors that occur during the duplication (replication) of the DNA. You can imagine that each cell replicates hundreds of times, and some probably thousands of times. Somewhere along the line, there is bound to be an error made.

The third cause seems to be viruses. Some viruses have only a protein coat and a single strand of DNA/RNA inside. If this virus gets control of the cell (which it does when it invades the cell), then it can induce changes by its very action.

Chemicals in the environment called "mutagenic chemicals" have been shown to change the DNA pattern. This is especially true if the embryo is exposed at a very early date.

A last category is called "transposions". This describes the changes that happen when one nucleotide is shifted (transposed) with another. It being "moved around" in the codon line so to speak.

When these mutations occur, and they are pasted on to the next generation, and enough of the next generations carry these changes, the changes probably happened in a common ancestor. Bingo...a halogroup.

Today, these changes (mutations) have been identified for the various cultural groups in the land. The changes have been labeled on the Y-DNA (passed down through the males), and mtDNA (mitochrondial DNA) passed down through the female. When enough of a single population group carried a mutation, this become their halogroup marker. Having your DNA done, will provide you with a halogroup marker. This is the first step in using DNA for genealogy research.