Uncle Ötzi

Eve was not the first female born. She was just one of many but she lucked out in the Russian roulette game of survival. Because of her, all women alive today are sisters.

We are all descended from Mitochondrial Eve, who was born in East Africa some 180,000 years ago. It is estimated that at that time there may have been less than 2,000 homo sapiens and for a line to continue female children needed to be born and survive.

 

I sometimes wonder what she looked like but know she was short, strong and cunning. She had to be in order for her female line to survive when others alive in her time did not. Sometime around 70,000 years ago her descendants migrated out of Africa and the rest is history.

 

In April 2005 National Geographic launched their fascinating study of man and how he populated the earth called the Genographic Project. By using voluntary DNA sampling they have been able to use genetic markers to demonstrate where and when ancient humans moved around the world.

 

Being captivated by this I ordered a kit a few years ago when I couldn’t think of a Christmas present for my husband. Then decided to look into my background as well. Now his information was interesting but mine was amazing. Imagine the delight my then nine year old grandson Evan experienced when he found out that our ancestral group was part of haplogroup K. Haplogroup K? Oh right, sorry, an explanation is missing…

 

Haplogroup K spawned from a group of individuals who descend from a woman in the R branch of the human family tree. Because of the great genetic diversity found in haplogroup K, it is likely that she lived around 31,000 years ago.

 

The Neolithic-era man whose body was discovered in the Italian Alps in the 1990s, Ötzi the Iceman, also belongs to this line and we are directly related.

 

Ötzi the Iceman, the Similaun Man, the man from Hauslabjoch, Homo tyrolensis and the Hauslabjoch mummy was discovered in September 1991 in the Ötzal Alpsnear the Similaun mountain and Hauslabjoch on the border between Austria and Italy.  He is the oldest European mummy, dated at 3,300 BCE Before the Common/Current/Christian Era, BCE is used as a politically correct version of BC. His body and belongings have given an unprecedented view of Chalcolithis, Copper Age peoples.

 

The most recent re-creation shows Ötzi  as a much aged forty-odd year old denizen of the Alps from the Stone Age. He was a man of medium height, slender yet wiry, with narrow, sharp features, an unruly graying beard and tanned leathery skin, ravished by the elements.

 

Forensic investigation and testing of stomach contents, flora and fauna and even pollen has identified precisely where Ötzi lived. Interestingly it is also the area where most likely the largest groupings of Neanderthals and Denisovans also resided.

 

Up until a few short years ago scientists believed that the Neanderthals died out with the coming of the Homo Sapiens out of Africa. It was felt that they were somehow inferior and not as advanced at tool making or social structure. Recent discoveries have laid those theories to rest. Now we see them as advanced tool makers with burial ceremonies and advantages those leaving Africa into the hostile environment of ice age Europe would not have. The DNA sequence that they have left us for example is an area that provides immune system and health benefits.

 

As more research is undertaken researchers will find out more. The second part of the National Geographic Genographic study (Geno 2.0) will trace our roots by identifying a subset of markers that scientists have recently determined to be from our hominin cousins. Neanderthals and the newly discovered Denisovans, split from our lineage tree some 500,000 years ago.

 

As we, modern humans, were first migrating out of Africa more than 60,000 years ago, Neanderthals and Denisovans were still alive and well in Eurasia and our ancestors interbred leaving a small genetic trace of these ancient relatives in our DNA.

 

With Geno 2.0, we are now going to learn if we, Evan and I,  have any Neanderthal or Denisovan DNA in our genome. He is delighted and I am awed.

Author's Note

They have now discovered a "new", 340,000 year old Adam to go with our Mitochondrial Eve... Stay tuned...

Reviews

[Ahmad Cox]

This is truly amazing you were able to find this out and its making me wonder if I have some ancient ties as well.

[CecilA]

FASCINATING! I thought I was content to have traced my roots to England, France and Ireland. But what you've presented here just makes me want to jump into it with all four feet.

Thanks for this interesting data. I love it.

[Gray Witch]

"National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Robert Ballard, best known for his discovery of the R.M.S. Titanic, thought he knew everything about his ancestry, with a genealogy that traces back to the British Isles and Holland. While most of his DNA agrees with this story, he learned something unexpected from his Geno 2.0 results—his genome is about 2% Oceanian, connecting him to the first seafarers who settled the islands off the coast of southeast Asia around 50,000 years ago, probably via the Dutch side of his family."

[Vamphrie Maximillian Wh..]

This is a delightful read. I just wish I could trace myself.

[Gray Witch]

You can .... your ancestry anyway... You can trace both your matrilinear and patrilinear lines by purchasing the kit from national Geographic. Women can only trace the female. I would need a brother or cousin to take the test to trace the male line of my ancestors. What you discover might very well surprise you...

[Ahmad Cox]

How much is the kit. I would love to find out for myself.

[Gray Witch]

It appears that they might not be offering the old kit any more since this one tests for so much more... I think it was almost $200.00...Look up:

http://dna-explained.com/2012/07/25/national-geographic-geno-2-0-announcement-the-human-story/

for more info

[Samuel Dickens]

This is verrry interesting. Archeology and the study of human origins is a favorite subject, although you cleary know way more than I about it. I had a dna test performed a few years ago, but don't remember anything about a "haplogroup". All I do remember is 96% european, 3% American Indian, and 1% sub saharan african. The latter I suspected since testing positive for sickling trait about 30 years ago.

[Gray Witch]

Do you remember who did the testing Sam? Through the Genographic project I get updates when people of my group are identified ...It is fascinating...

Of particular interest was: "Around half of all Ashkenazi Jews trace their mitochondrial lineage back to one of four women, and your haplogroup K represents a lineage that gave rise to three of them. "

[Samuel Dickens]

All I remember is that it was a lab in Oregon and it cost $250.00. I need to find the report they sent. There were a ton of numbers in it that I didn't understand.

[Gray Witch]

I don't understand the numbers either ...lol....but there is a world wide project that is accepting all voluntary DNA info and sharing it for research too... I think the geno kit originally was $100 or so ... can't remember what i paid for this second lot though....

[Gray Witch]

Apparently from what I've read medical DNA testing tests certain chromosomes but the study for ancestral markers tests an altogether different one...

[Samuel Dickens]

I might need to get a new one done.