A farmer who was alive about 5200 years ago. In recent team of geneticists from Trinity College Dublin and archaeologists
from Queen's University Belfast has differed the first genomes from
ancient Irish humans, and the information buried within is
answering questions about the origins of Ireland's people and
their culture
The team found the genome of an early farmer woman, lived near Belfast about 5,200 years ago, and three men from a later period, around 4,000 years ago in Bronze Age, after the introduction of metal working. Their landmark results are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA..
Professor of Population Genetics in Trinti College, Dan Bradley said, "There was a great wave of genome change that swept into Europe from above the Black Sea into Bronze Age Europe and we now know it washed all the way to the shores of its most westerly island,"
Dr Eileen Murphy, Lecturer in Osteoarchaeology at Queen's University Belfast said "It is clear that this project has demonstrated what a powerful tool
ancient DNA analysis can provide in answering questions which have long
perplexed academics regarding the origins of the Irish,"
Whereas the early farmer had black hair, brown eyes and more rsigned southern Europeans, the genetic variants circulating in the three Bronze Age men from Rathlin Island had the most common Irish Y chromosome type, blue eye alleles and the most important variant for the genetic disease, haemochromatosis.
The latter C282Y mutation is so frequent in people of Irish descent that it is sometimes referred to as a Celtic disease. This discovery therefore marks the first identification of an important disease variant in prehistory.
"Genetic affinity is strongest between the Bronze Age genomes and modern Irish, Scottish and Welsh, suggesting establishment of central attributes of the insular Celtic genome some 4,000 years ago," said PhD Researcher in Genetics at Trinity, Lara Cassidy.
Source:- https://www.tcd.ie/
 |
| Belfast in 1855, she had lain in a Neolithic tomb chamber for 5,000 years; |
The team found the genome of an early farmer woman, lived near Belfast about 5,200 years ago, and three men from a later period, around 4,000 years ago in Bronze Age, after the introduction of metal working. Their landmark results are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA..
Professor of Population Genetics in Trinti College, Dan Bradley said, "There was a great wave of genome change that swept into Europe from above the Black Sea into Bronze Age Europe and we now know it washed all the way to the shores of its most westerly island,"
 |
| Reconstruction of Ballynahatty Neolithic skull by Elizabeth Black. Her genes tell us she had black hair and brown eyes. Image credit: Barrie Hartwell. |
Whereas the early farmer had black hair, brown eyes and more rsigned southern Europeans, the genetic variants circulating in the three Bronze Age men from Rathlin Island had the most common Irish Y chromosome type, blue eye alleles and the most important variant for the genetic disease, haemochromatosis.
The latter C282Y mutation is so frequent in people of Irish descent that it is sometimes referred to as a Celtic disease. This discovery therefore marks the first identification of an important disease variant in prehistory.
"Genetic affinity is strongest between the Bronze Age genomes and modern Irish, Scottish and Welsh, suggesting establishment of central attributes of the insular Celtic genome some 4,000 years ago," said PhD Researcher in Genetics at Trinity, Lara Cassidy.
Source:- https://www.tcd.ie/
