NEWS FROM THE CLAN DONNACHAIDH DNA PROJECT

 

2006 – No 1

 

Introduction

The Clan Donnachaidh DNA project was set up in December 2002. It now has 172 participants representing the most numerous clan surnames – Robertson, Reid and Duncan – with some associated surnames.

 

Most participants have been recruited through the Clan Donnachaidh Society but the results from a group taking part in the National Geographic Survey were incorporated in 2005 and some people have joined separately.

 

So far participation has been on the basis of personal interest and there has been no targeting of specific groups or locations. Perhaps because of this, it has taken some time for patterns to emerge.

 

Assessing the results by name and place

Individual results provide a certain amount of information but they can be put into context by comparing them with other results – particularly those of people with the same surname – and in considering their historical location.

 

Many participants have been delighted to achieve genetic matches that establish links across the centuries. Some general patterns are beginning to emerge. There are some close matches between various groups of Duncans and some much looser matches between various Robertsons and Reids.

 

The reason for this may become apparent as more results come in. One possibility is that in 1881, according to the census index, there were approximately 40,900 Robertsons, 23,700 Reids and 18,800 Duncans living in Scotland, not to mention people who had emigrated. It may simply be a question of finding related families to test.

 

This is a complex subject, where new discoveries are being made all the time. If you want more technical background, an easy website to follow is that of DNA Heritage, a testing company based in Rochester, New York, and Weymouth, Dorset: http://www.dnaheritage.com/ There are some useful explanations under the headings in the menu on the left of the home page.

 

Results

Participants receive a list of 12, 25 or 37 values for their genetic markers (their haplotype) and in many cases an indication of their haplogroup and the names of genetic matches. In links on each home page, Family Tree DNA explains its stringent standards for accepting genetic matches, pointing out that these are based on averages and probabilities and that the estimated number of generations to the most recent common ancestor has to be increased in the case of people who have different surnames.

 

Haplogroups

The first thing to consider when analysing results is each participant’s haplogroup. People who belong to different haplogroups cannot be related in the male line within thousands of years.

 

Haplogroups may be described as the branches of the tree. They are identified by the letters from A to R, with some subdivisions, and reveal mankind’s path round the world, since the first exodus from Africa. They split from each other thousands of years ago, hence the fact that people in different haplogroups cannot be closely related. For definitive results a different set of slow-moving markers should be tested but in many cases it is possible to make a reliable assessment on the basis of the haplotype (individual combination of marker values).

 

Most of the Clan Donnachaidh samples are assessed as Haplogroup R1b1 and 14 come into Haplogroup I. Two participants (Reids) come into Haplogroup R1 (the ancestral haplogroup of R1a and R1b). Haplogroup R1 is found only at very low frequencies in Europe, Central Asia, and South Asia. These two participants have a good match with each other and good matches with three other men called Reid or Reed who are recorded in the Reed project. The undifferentiated R1 lineage is quite rare. Some participants have requested specific tests but most of our haplogroup results are based on assessment of the haplotype. There are some that cannot be identified by the haplotype alone, thus specific testing is required.

 

Haplogroup R1b is the most common haplogroup in European populations. It is common on the west Atlantic coast up to Scotland and Ireland. It is believed to have expanded throughout western Europe as humans recolonized after the last Ice Age.

 

Haplogroup I is found across central Europe and up into Scandinavia; it is particularly common in north-west Europe.

 

The other major European haplogroup, R1a, is common in eastern Europe and has also spread across into central Asia and as far as India and Pakistan. Its arrival in Britain is associated with Viking Norse incomers. So far no Clan Donnachaidh participants come into this haplogroup.

 

These haplogroups are associated with population groups that were separated from each other during the last Ice Age, when thick glacial ice covered most of northern Europe. Sea levels were about 125 metres lower than today and Britain and Ireland were connected to continental Europe by land bridges. Isolated population groups took refuge in separate areas: the Iberian peninsula, the Balkans and Ukraine.

 

Ice age Europe (18,000 years ago)

(Reproduced by permission of DNA Heritage)

 

The map shows the location of European populations during the last Ice Age, 18 000 years ago.

 

As the ice began to retreat and the land became more supportive to life, the populations began to move north again, following the migration of game north.

 

The last great Ice Age covered the period from around 70,000 to 12,000 years ago. There were times during this period when the climate improved sufficiently for hunting bands to follow mammoth, rhino, reindeer and wild horses into the southern part of England and Wales. But continuous colonization began only with the deglaciation.

 

These first resourceful Mesolithic settlers lived by hunting and fishing. Farming arrived in Britain by about 5000 BC. The theory is that it was introduced in Europe about 8000 years ago when Neolithic peoples from the Middle East (representing some other haplogroups) began moving into Europe. They tended to spread along the Mediterranean but, interestingly, agriculture spread much further than the races who developed it, probably by means of the formation of new farms every generation. There is some indication that the first farming communities in Britain, even if they were influenced by continental neighbours, were formed by the resident hunter-gatherer communities who adapted farming techniques to their existing life styles.

 

 

Spread of Haplogroups R1b, I and R1a (12,000 years ago)

(Reproduced by permission of DNA Heritage)

 

 

The main Clan Donnachaidh haplogroup is R1b. This was first brought into Britain by the hunting bands that moved from Spain through western Europe and across the Channel (still a land bridge) into Britain and on to Ireland, which was also connected to Britain by a land bridge.

 

The Anglo-Saxons and Danes also brought in descendants of the R1b haplogroup who had moved north through the eastern parts of Europe. Certain variants of the R1b haplotype are beginning to be associated with these later immigrants – it is not possible at present to distinguish genetically between Angles and Danes.

 

One indication of continental R1b ancestry may be values of 23 and 11 for DYS 390 and DYS 391 markers. These results are particularly frequent along the coastal areas of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, but very infrequent within the remoter Celtic areas of Britain and Ireland. (It should be noted that all assessments of results are based on averages and probabilities and it cannot be established from individual results which markers have mutated over a long period.)

 

There are some participants with this 23/11 result but it is not common among Clan Donnachaidh participants. It is not possible even to guess at present whether it represents ancestors who arrived in a longboat or an unusual native variant.

 

Haplogroup I, which moved up through central Europe, came into Britain with the Anglo-Saxons and Danes (though there is a possibility that a particular subgroup came earlier in Palaeolithic times). The home land of the Angles was very close to Denmark and once again it is not yet possible to distinguish between them genetically.

 

It seems most likely that the ancestors of the Haplogroup I participants arrived by sea, as invaders who stayed to farm. There is, however, a possibility that a particular I haplotype that is found in populations that have experienced little or no continental input may also represent an early population.

 

It is not possible to say at present how the R1 group arrived. Known ancestors lived in Northern Ireland.

 

The general picture will become clearer as more results become available for analysis.

 

Haplotypes

Haplotypes are the individual combination of 12, 25 or 37 markers as set out in the test results.

 

Mutations in these markers occur but they are not common. Some markers are known to have a tendency to mutate more quickly than others. However, any marker can mutate at any time and there is no way of predicting this. Consequently, to provide an indication of the likely haplotype of a common ancestor, a picture of several branches of the same family has to be built up. A mutation in a particular branch (it is possible for two brothers to have a slightly different result) will identify the haplotype of that particular line as it will be perpetuated among the man’s descendants.

 

Comparison of haplotypes with paper genealogy can confirm whether a family tree has been constructed correctly.

 

A match on 12 or 25 markers means the participants concerned share a common ancestor. If they have the surname the ancestor may be relatively recent. If they do not, the ancestor may be much more distant.

 

Some participants have requested to see results from all matches and may have received a list of a number of different surnames. This can be helpful in revealing how the haplotype is shared and where it can be found but it also shows that the link with the people concerned predates your family’s surname. With certain 12- or even 25-marker R1b haplotypes, it may be an indication that your haplotype is fairly common.

 

One difficulty is that Haplogroup R1b is the commonest haplogroup in western Europe. One group of six markers known as the Atlantic Modal Haplotype, because it is particularly common along the Atlantic side of Europe, is found in a significant percentage of the west European population, including a number of Clan Donnachaidh participants.

 

Atlantic Modal Haplotype

DYS 393

DYS 390

DYS 19

DYS 391

DYS 388

DYS 392

13

24

14

11

12

13

 

The similar haplotype below and all its one-step neighbours account for about 18% of the European population, and nearly 33% in Portugal (source: DNA Heritage).

 

DYS393

DYS390

DYS19

DYS391

DYS389i

DYS389ii

DYS392

13

24

14

11

13

29

13

 

(Note that these markers do not represent the first six or seven markers tested by Family Tree DNA. You will have to select the relevant markers if you want to compare your results with them.)

 

Perhaps Scottish families should not worry too much about comparisons with men in Portugal. Nevertheless the Atlantic Modal Haplotype is the commonest haplotype in wide areas of Britain where later settlers made less impact. Thus many people with different surnames may share a high proportion of the same 25 markers. If you are interested in using DNA results for family research, you may need to increase the number of markers to 37 and you should approach families that you think are likely to be related. The very large number of Robertsons, Reids and Duncans in the world means that you may have to be selective within your surname.

 

All this having been said, there are several groups of good Duncan 37-marker matches and Duncan researchers have been using these results in conjunction with traditional research methods.

 

Genealogy

DNA testing is not a substitute for genealogical research. It has to be used in combination with traditional research methods, to prove or disprove links, determine relationships and provide clues for further research.

 

Some very good matches among various Duncan participants have enabled researchers to identify related lines. In one case the common ancestor of two participants has been found, with the assessment that the group’s common ancestor must have lived earlier and before a particular date.

 

In another instance, a theory that two Duncan families might be related was not borne out by testing, so the researchers had to think again.

 

It is not yet clear why there are so many closely matching Duncan results when other results are not so close. However, this should become clearer as more information comes in. We hope that information on participants’ ancestral place of origin will provide background that will help identify families who might be related within a reasonable historical timeframe.

 

There has already been an encouraging 12-marker match (one half of the match was tested for only 12 markers) between two Robertson families who came from Aberdeenshire settlements that are not very far apart.

 

The general pattern of results

There are some groups emerging that are not close enough to be a good genealogical match but which one day may perhaps be identified as significant groupings in a particular area. It is hoped that more information will emerge and we will be able to report on this.

 

So far there are very few close matches among the Robertsons and Reids. More comparisons of specifically chosen results are required.

 

The general trend so far is that there is no significant majority group of related participants within Clan Donnachaidh or within any individual surname. Whether this would change if we obtained results from more people with origins in specific locations remains to be seen. We also still have to discover what this signifies in the formation of clan surnames.

 

However, a very interesting discovery about one particular group of participants emerged only recently.

 

DNA in the news: a very successful Irishman

You may remember reading that genetic research has revealed that 16 million men in Central Asia appear to be descended from Genghis Khan.

 

Researchers at Trinity College, Dublin, have now identified an Irishman who has enjoyed similar dynastic success. A particular Y chromosome pattern was found among 8% of the general population with a strong cluster in the north west, where 21% of the population carried it. They calculated that the most recent common ancestor was likely to have lived about 1700 years ago. This, combined with the cluster in the north west, pointed to the Uí Néill dynasty. They checked the results against participants’ surnames and found a high proportion were also traditionally linked to the Uí Néill clan.

 

They calculated that the common ancestor was likely to be the founder of the Uí Néill dynasty: Niall of the Nine Hostages, High King at Tara from 379 to 405. He was a successful warlord who led raids into Britain and France (capturing St Patrick on one such visit) and his sons also became powerful kings. His family retained power for many generations. It will come as no surprise to learn that rich and powerful men have no difficulty in attracting girls. One descendant, Lord Turlough O’Donnell (d. 1423), had 18 sons with 10 different women and 59 grandsons.

 

The researchers checked their results against international databases. Here they had to use a truncated result for purposes of comparison. They found a match among about 2% of European-American New Yorkers, which could be easily explained by large-scale emigration from Ireland. They used another truncated result to compare matches in Britain. They found this pattern was virtually absent from much of Britain but that it reached frequencies of up to 7.3% (16.7% including likely one-step variations) in western and central Scotland. They concluded that this could be explained by Scotland’s substantial historical and pre-historical links with the northern part of Ireland.

 

They estimated that worldwide there could be perhaps two to three million males descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages.

 

This becomes of interest because some Clan Donnachaidh participants have a similar haplotype. In the 19th century, the Historiographer Royal, W.F. Skene, suggested that the Clan Donnachaidh chiefs might be descended from Crinan, Abbot of Dunkeld, presumed to be of the kindred of St Columba. St Columba was the great-grandson of King Niall, and the abbots of the abbeys founded by Columba were traditionally chosen from founder’s kin. The Celtic Church allowed marriage of the clergy so the line of descent was able to continue.

 

So far we have only two results from people with an established line of descent from the chiefs of Clan Donnachaidh. These results support a descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages, which would also support Skene’s theory. However, given the lack of information about the earls of Atholl in the 12th and 13th centuries and the very large number of King Niall’s descendants, other possibilities should not be ruled out. In the last Clan Donnachaidh annual James Irvine Robertson argued for a return to traditional clan histories, which recalled a link with the Macdonalds, a link that was also recorded by the Macdonalds. A different explanation will have to found for any Macdonald connection – genetic testing has revealed that the Macdonald chiefs descended from Somerled are Norse in origin (R1a) and thus not even in the same haplogroup as King Niall (R1b). However, there may still be some link with the Macdonalds, combined with a later male-line descent from Niall than the descent from Crinan. Descent from Crinan is undoubtedly part of the chiefly-line genealogy, but this could also have passed through the female line.

 

There are other Clan Donnachaidh participants whose results match the Uí Néill haplotype. It should be made clear that the haplotype identified in the survey comprises 17 markers, only 11 of which are covered by Family Tree DNA tests. If you have a match on these 11 markers, it would appear quite probable that you are descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages through Niall’s descendants who came to Scotland.

 

At present it is not possible to assume this also means descent from any of the chiefs of Clan Donnachaidh unless you already know that you are descended from one of the chiefs. We have confirmed results from only two chiefly line descendants who are closely related and a much wider range of results is needed to identify the ancestral haplotype. Although many of the senior lines of the chiefly cadet houses have died out, there are still some descendants of younger sons. All those that have been noted to date bore the surname Robertson. The one exception is the Reids of Straloch, but they too eventually resumed the surname Robertson. It seems none of these younger sons and their descendants settled in Perthshire; they pursued careers in the army and the Church, and as merchants in places like Aberdeen and Edinburgh.

 

Also, given that Niall of the Nine Hostages has an estimated two to three million descendants, there are probably a number of descendants who have closely matching marker values by coincidence. If you match the Uí Néill haplotype but do not know your distant ancestry, you are probably descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages but at present it is not possible to say through which of the very numerous lines of descent.

 

There are 12 participants (with different surnames) who match on the 11 markers used in the original survey (though some of these do not have results that cover all 11). There are at least 19 (also with different surnames) who have a one-step variation. Matching participants tested in Ireland also have a wide range of surnames, which developed over the 1700 years separating them from Niall of the Nine Hostages.

 

The haplotype that indicates probable descent from Niall of the Nine Hostages as published in the original study

 

DYS19

DYS388

DYS390

DYS391

DYS392

DYS393

DYS434

14

12

25

11

14

13

9

 

DYS435

DYS436

DYS437

DYS438

DYS439

DYS389i

DYS389b

11

12

15

12

12

13

16

 

DYS460

DYS461

DYS462

11

10

11

 

N.B.

  • DYS389b has been calculated by subtracting DYS389i from DYS389ii. This subtraction has not been carried out in the Family Tree DNA data. You will have to do the subtraction to make a direct comparison. In Family Tree DNA’s presentation, these results will appear as something like 13-29.

 

  • The markers are not arranged in the order used by Family Tree DNA. If you want to compare results you will have to make up a separate table, selecting your results in the order shown in the haplotype above.

 

  • Family Tree DNA does not test for the markers highlighted in grey so you will have to omit them.

 

  • DYS390=25, DYS391=11, DYS392=14 should probably be considered defining values of certain distinctively Irish haplotypes. It is not possible to guess where a mutation might have occurred but if your results show DYS390=24 it is perhaps unlikely that you belong to this grouping.

 

Family Tree DNA has now produced a 12-marker version on their website (http://www.familytreedna.com/matchnialltest.html), using their marker values in the order in which they are tested. These have probably been compiled by comparing the Uí Néill results with results from customers with certain Irish surnames in the Family Tree DNA database. For more information about these results see the link above.

 

 

They have used these 12 markers to award Niall of the Nine Hostages badges to certain participants. The badge only appears on exact 12/12 matches. One of the team at Family Tree DNA has said: There are a few markers that characterize this haplotype and as long as you are not differing on these markers you can probably still consider a very near match as relevant. It is characterized by 11,13 at DYS 385a/b and 14 at DYS 392. Within our second panel of markers the most distinctive difference from the R1b Modal is the 15,16,16,17 at DYS 464.

 

As long as your participants match on the characteristic markers and are within one step of the modal haplotype I think you can consider them a ‘match’.

 

This is Family Tree DNA’s 25-marker version.

 

 

This site also provides a link to a 37-marker result proposed in the Ysearch database (follow the link on the site above). This was probably calculated by a similar assessment of results from certain surnames.

 

3
9
3

3
9
0

1
9

3
9
1

3
8
5
a

3
8
5
b

4
2
6

3
8
8

4
3
9

3
8
9
|
1

3
9
2

3
8
9
|
2

4
5
8

4
5
9
a

4
5
9
b

4
5
5

4
5
4

4
4
7

4
3
7

4
4
8

4
4
9

4
6
4
a

4
6
4
b

4
6
4
c

4
6
4
d

13

25

14

11

11

13

12

12

12

13

14

29

17

9

10

11

11

25

15

18

30

15

16

16

17

 

4
6
0

H
4

Y
C
A
I
I
a

Y
C
A
I
I
b

4
5
6

6
0
7

5
7
6

5
7
0

C
D
Y
a

C
D
Y
b

4
4
2

4
3
8

4
2
5

4
6
1

4
6
2

A
1
0

C
4

1
B
0
7

4
4
1

4
4
4

4
4
5

4
4
6

4
5
2

4
6
3

 

11

11

19

23

17

16

18

17

37

39

12

12

12

12

11

13

23

10

13

12

12

13

11

22

 

 

Over 1700 years there must have been some variations in descendants’ results. Eventually it may be possible to identify haplotypes for particular branches and to get a clearer idea of which variations are most likely to indicate descent from King Niall.

 

You can read a press report on the Trinity College research on http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-1986072,00.html

 

Clan Donnachaidh results – what next?

The Trinity College research indicates that new discoveries are made all the time. It may be possible to identify other groups in future.

 

There will be news shortly about the genealogy program, where participants can record their line of ancestry in more detail, to assist genealogical research.

 

Bill Robertson has been updating a DNA page on the Clan Donnachaidh International website. The site obtains lots of other information about Clan Donnachaidh background and activities and further information will be added in due course. You can access the site on http://www.donnachaidhinternational.com/ There is a link on the DNA page to the results.

 

To help in assessing relationship patterns, we are in the process of collecting information from participants on the earliest known place of origin of their paternal-line ancestors and the name and (approximate) dates of the ancestor in question.

-o0o-

 

The Clan Donnachaidh DNA project is registered with Family Tree DNA, 1919 North Loop West, Suite 110 Houston, Texas 77008