Tuesday, September 30, 2008

My mtDNA is in the K Haplogroup

Like thousands of other genealogists, I swabbed my cheek at a genealogy society meeting several years ago in a project conducted by the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF). At the time, I sent a five generation pedigree chart to SMGF.

In early September, I received the invitation from GeneTree to receive my mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) results from this test. I signed up with GeneTree, paid the $19.95 by credit card, and while I was on their site I uploaded a family tree of 644 individuals who are some of my ancestors. Today, I received my invitation via email to view my mtDNA results.

Hey - I'm a K! I'm not overly surprised of course.



The chart above is the distribution of the K haplogroup for mitochondrial DNA.

The web site says this about the K haplogroup:

"Mitochondrial haplogroup K is a sub-branch of lineage U. Haplogroup K is widely distributed across Europe and is found in about 6% of the population. Notable clusters occur in Ireland, Scandinavia, France, and regions of Northern Italy, where about 10% of the population carries this variation. Outside of Europe, haplogroup K is found in the Near East region (5-7% of the general population), the Northern Caucasus region (5%), Central Asia (4%) and North Africa (2-3%).

"Historically, the first appearance of haplogroup K was about 30-35,000 years ago, likely in the Near East region. Ancestors in this haplogroup expanded into Europe about 25,000 years ago, just before the last Ice Age.

"Haplogroup K splits into two subclades, K1 and K2. K1 represents about 89% of the haplogroup K population; K2 comprises about 11%. There are currently no regional correlations within the subclades; however, the haplogroup as a whole is found at high frequencies among the Ashkenazi Jews (32% of the haplogroup population). In particular, four Ashkenazi founding lineages were recently identified – three of these lineages were within haplogroup K. Only four ancestral women comprise these lineages and account for more than 40% of the current Ashkenazi population (about eight million people). These four lineages underwent major expansions throughout Europe within the past millennium. The most dominant of these lineages is a subvariation of K1 (named K1a1b1a), encompassing 19% of contemporary Ashkenazi Jews, approximately 1.7 million people."

I posted several matrilineal lines (that's the line of mothers) here, but I want to add my specific line below:

a) Betty Virginia Carringer (1919 San Diego CA - 2002 San Diego CA)
b) Emily Kemp Auble (1899 Chicago IL -1977 San Diego CA)
c) Georgianna Kemp (1868 Norfolk County, ON - 1952 San Diego CA)
d) Mary Jane Sovereen (1840 Norfolk Co ON - 1874 Norfolk Co ON)
e) Eliza Putman (1820 Steuben Co NY - 1895 Norfolk Co ON)
f) Sarah Martin (??) (1792 NJ - 1860 Norfolk Co ON)

My earliest known matrilineal ancestor was born in 1792, perhaps in Sussex County, New Jersey, according to the sparse records I (and others) have found. I'm not 100% sure that Martin is her maiden name.

My hope is that other persons have contributed their mtDNA to the SMGF study and that they share my matrilineal line.

I've read all of the educational material on the GeneTree site, and my conclusion is that this mtDNA test WILL NOT match me up with 100% accuracy to other family members. It only matches the Haplogroup, not specific markers the way the Y-chromosome DNA tests do. However, if there are persons with exact matches of the mtDNA, then it is possible that there is an mtDNA match within the last 500 years or so.

Future posts will show some screen shots of the DNA results, the mtDNA matches and the family tree aspect of www.GeneTree.com. GeneTree is a social networking site - you can invite family members to join and view the tree, add information and media, and see the DNA results.

10 comments:

Sheri Fenley said...

I did the same thing and I am a "R" and unlike you, I was very surprised.

Sheri

NickMGombash said...

I just found out the other day that I belong to mtDNA haplogroup K!

Jane Cook said...

I too was rather surprized to discover I was Ashkenazie Jew related to the "Levy" K

Unknown said...

Im a K2 and have no idea where i come from. From my father's side im R1a. Unfortunately my mother's parents died very young so we dont know much about that part of our genealogical tree. Im born in Poland, now living in Norway:)
Cheers, cousins of Oetzi :)

AuntBarb said...

I am also a K2 and my mother's ancestors came from Wales. Also a cousin of Oetzi the Iceman.

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

Another K2. My mother's female ancestry is in America from the late 1600s on and in UK/France before that. Not finding much specific info on K2.

Anonymous said...

Jane, if you are on sometime, I would like to talk to you. I am also a Levy, and just found out that I was adopted (Jan. 20th, 2014) when my brother in NY was cleaning out our father's apartment and found a box with a lock on it. He opened the box and there he found MY ADOPTION PAPERS!. Of course he and I had no idea, but found out all the relatives knew of it.

I have the adoption contract, and my birth mother's name was Jenny Helene LEVY, from Srasbourg, France. Due to my taking a Family Tree DNA test, I found a woman with a very high autosomal score to me-114.57 points as a 2nd to 4th cousin. I wrote to her and she promised to help me locate my family.

She kept that promise and has a friend in Belgium, who speaks French and was able to obtain my birth mother, Jenny Levy's French birth certificate. Her parents names were Samuel Levy from Strasbourg,France and her mother's name was Hedwige Julich (Heddy as she was know) from Koblenz,Germany. Because of the DNA test I took through Family Tree, this lady I wrote to also obtained Jenny's Naturalization document when she came into the U.S. in 1958, just one year after I was born. Two people on that document whose names were John and Ginette Launay sponsored Jenny into the U.S. and they had children. I contacted one of them,and now know so much more about my family-after 50+ years and the secret I found out.

I am Haplogroup-K----K1a1b1a with 73% as Western European and 28% Middle Eastern Jewish.

Unknown said...

I recently had my mtDNA done by Family Tree DNA. I am of 100% French Canadian ancestry and am able to trace my own genealogy back to around the early 1830s, Quebec. I was surprised to find that I have about 46% Ashkenazi Jew, even though my family has been historically Roman Catholic. I was also surprised to find only a very small amount of Native American (1.7%), which is usually much higher in the French Canadian population. I'm wondering if anyone has any history or knowledge about French and French Canadians of Jewish origin migrating to Canada.

Caiden839 said...

Some of the early Native Americans along the Northeast coast of America may have have actually come from N. Europe prior to the voyages of Columbus. These Native Americans may have had a primitive culture, but as they were predominantly white, they soon blended in with the new European settlers after Columbus. Additionally, I believe I've read on the Internet that there were a lot of Jews who came to the New World to mine for gold several hundred years ago.

Moderator said...

Hi Rosemarie
I have been doing ancestral and dna research and knew we were French and First Nations back to the 1600s. I have K2 mtDNA and my matrilineal line goes back to Jewish ancestors of the line of David in Babylon in the 500s, who travelled to North Africa and Iberia, ended up in the Rhine area, then intermarried with the Visigoths, Franks, Vikings and French. The Jews were variably persecuted in Europe between 1200 and 1600s and many were forced to convert to Catholicism under pain of torture or death. Many converted to the St. Denis Catholic group, which was involved with the coronations of the French Kings. In the early 1600s my ancestress Marie Binet/Robinette was sent to North America to marry noblemen loyal to the King, as one of the "daughters of the King." Converted Jews were sometimes called Couchon or Cochon (pigs) because their Catholicism was not considered sincere (having been forced); this was the surname of the man Marie Binet married. My French ancestors took Montagnais wives (Nicholas Marsolet in Quebec City), a Detroit First Nation wife (Pierre Denis de la Ronde), Eau Claire First Nation wife (Dussault) (Trefle Gailloux in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin) and an Ojibway wife Pewadjiwonokwe (Charles Francoise Denis de la Ronde in Penetangushene, ON). In Ojibway legends, it's said our Anishinaabek ancestors originally came from an island beyond the east coast...some say Atlantis. Beyond that...the Lost Book of Enki (YouTube) seems particularly fascinating. Perhaps your ancestors followed similar routes.