Custom Search

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Haplogroup J2-M172 in Iran

A 2008 Paper written by Nasidze et al, Close Genetic Relationship Between Semitic speaking and Indo-European speaking Groups in Iran, works to demonstrate that geography plays a much stronger role than language in determining genetic relatedness. The paper focuses on comparisons between the Bakthiari, an indo-european speaking population of Iran and Iranian Arabs. The Haplotype frequency table quickly demonstrates that the level of M172, Haplogroup J2 is fairly evenly distributed througout Iran's geography and the population groups studied. In fact, it is the most common Haplogroup found in Iran overall and in the above listed study, present in 28% of Iranian Arabs and 25% of the Bakthiari. A full table of the haplogroup frequencies can be viewed here


While there are some differences with respect to Haplogroup G, paragroup F* which includes J1 (M267) and Haplogroup T (M9), the authors go on to state:


The Iranian Arab group shows close affinities with the Bakhtiari and other Iranian Indo-European-speaking groups for both mtDNA and the Y chromosome. In fact, for both mtDNA and theYchromosome, all of the Indo-Europeanspeaking and Semitic-speaking groups from West Asia exhibit generally low levels of differentiation (i.e. Fst values are less than 0.05). The significant correlation between mtDNA and NRY Fst values, as shown by the Mantel test, further indicates that there are no substantial differences between patterns of mtDNA and NRY variation in this region of the world. The lack of significant differentiation between west Asian Semitic-speaking and Indo-European-speaking groups indicates that language has not been a substantial barrier to gene flow in this part of the world.


Iran shows some of the highest levels of Haplogroup M172 in the world. When one factors in the population of Iran, it may be one of the most populous countries of men bearing the mutation defining Haplogroup J2. But did Haplogroup J2 originate in Iran? This topic is far more complicated and most sources simply indicate its origin as the Northern Portion of the Fertile crescent which could include the northern Levant, Anatolia, Syria, Iraq or Iran. Certainly many subclades of Haplogroup J2 have likely developed outside Iran. Reguiero et al typed their DNA samples in Iran for numerous subclades of J2 which were not found to be present including M137, M158, M163, M280, M318, M319, M321, M339 and M340. These subclades more likely developed and spread from another area of the Near East. Thus Iran is likely not the source region for these particular subclades but could still be one of a few geographical regions of origin for some of the earliest M172 bearing men.

16 comments:

Siamak said...

I see a high percentage of haplogroup I in Tehran/Iran (34%). How do you interpret this result?

m172 said...

I've seen that too. I'd like to see more testing from Northern Iran, I feel it has not received the attention it merits as a possible source for the expansion of certain haplogroups.

Unknown said...

Siamak-- I dont know how haplogroup I could be present in Iran but your right somehow it is..im not sure if this has any correlation with myths of "nordic iranians" people always discuss since I is heavy in scandanavia. Does anyone think haplogroup J2 with the Assyrians..or possibly the Hurrians since they seem to have populated that area early on?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting this information. I descend from sephardic hebrews (i live in Portugal next to Spain and North Africa) both on my mother's side and my father's as well. I did my DNA test it revealed i'm a J2-M172, just like many other sephardi jews.

This is not surprising to me as hebrews are said to be original from the Fertile Crescent where J2 prevails. Even in the Bible it is noted that Abraham was original from Ur. So hebrews came from the Mesopotamia to settle in Israel where they intermixed with local cannanites, hence we can detect a significant frequency of haplogroup J1 among "jews".

Hebrews have also been present in North Africa, where they intermixed with local berbers who in turn reveal a very high frequency of haplogroup E1b1, meaning this haplogroup also has a certain frquency among sephardi and mizrahi "jews".

Sephardi "jews" and muslims as well were later exposed to religious intolerance in Iberia (Portugal and Spain) which lead them to quit or hide their religion, change their names, and ultimately,to forget their history and culture. They also began to mix with local iberians, hence it is possible to spot a small frequency of R1b1 haplogroup.


As for the Ashkenazi, i would like to know the frequency of J1, J2, E1b1 and R1a1. It is said among arab sector that Ashkenzi jews are slavs and not real hebrews. But if take into account that R1a1 is present in Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Afghanistan and Northern India, then it's no surprise that R1a1 reveals in certain studies a 40% frequency among ashkenazi.


It is interesting and sad to see how people who descend from the same ancestors (israelis, syrian, lebanese,turks, kurds, and iranians) are in constant conflicts with each other.

Unfortunatley people are still too segregated by religion, which by the way is based on many beliefs without any sort of empirical or scientifical evidence to support them.

Of course religion is not the only reason to cause segregation and violence among humans but it surely exarcebates it.


In the end all we need is Humanism, that is, an ethic code that encompasses the values of peace, equality, justice, fraternity, forgiveness, compassion, humility and honour, added by Scientifical Knowledge and Scientifical Methodology.


I believe that is the way to a better world society.


Shalom



A Humanist, Republican, Social Democrat, Non Religious, Sephardi Hebrew

Anonymous said...

I am an American Jew, whose paternal line traces back to Brest, then in Poland and now in Russia. But, still, Haplogroup J2-M172 - so I have to assume (or guess) that my people came from the fertile crescent and then travelled north to Poland via the the Black Sea through Ukraine or Romania. And then in 1900 across Poland away from the pogroms and across the Atlantic to New York City.

Anonymous said...

r1a1 is also widely found amongst south Indians as well.

The Persian said...

Fascinating! Thank you for that post. My paternal grandfather was born in Massad, Iran and his father Asgabat, Turkmenistan. We are supposed to be of Persian,Armenian and Georgian Ancestry.

I am also J2-M172 I have deep clade results coming in soon and the full 111 Marker Y test as well.

IRANIAN DOOD said...

hello all. i am iranian with mixed backround within the assimilating cultures of iran. its was not known what my grandfather was however my dna came out to being r1b1b2a... this is a line mainly amongst basque and welsh people.. i dont know how i ever ended up with it.

Anonymous said...

I'm a m172 J2 as well, when I found out and found out what it meant It was interesting, my background is English-Canadain.My(paternal) great grandfather immigrated at the turn of the 20th century from Norwich England where the family had been since 1066 since coming across with Wlliam from normandy or so the written history says.

Anonymous said...

When we look at history from the Western perspective, the J2-M172 notion is unexplanable. But if we simply view it differently, where we take the often omitted Sumerian Empire(proto-Turkic), this explains why J2-M172 spread in the areas it has. The Turkic people inhabitat all areas where J2-M172 are found. The Jews in Iberia and Portugal are descended from the Khazar Turks and Tatar groups. The Caucasus was and still is predominantly Turkish. The Etruscans spoke a language most similar to Turkic. The Turks are always tried to be portrayed as horseback central asians, which is only partly true because they migrated east-west-east-west with the polar ice ages(several-Turkic words found in Native American indians/Tuva/Saka/pre-viking scandinavia)Why are so-called scholars so bent on Biblical, Judaic or Greek sources for their explanations??? I am a proud J2-M172 from Turkiye with lineage to Catalhoyuk 10,000yrs ago.

Unknown said...

hi I am persian I gave mtdna test but the result surprised me because I have Haplogroup T that come from europe and mostly my genetic cousins are from ireland , england , Scotland and Germany

Anonymous said...

It is likely J2 evolved over a broad continous region in the north middle east. Iran does show some of the earliest forms. M419 is nearly indigenous to n. iran. The highest diversity of J2a occurs in populations within an arch (not the Fertile Crescent) extending from Palestinians, Syrians, Anatolian Turks, Armenians and into Northwestern Iranians.

Anonymous said...

Reguiro is old and low res. A 2012 study, high res study, shows high diversity of M172* and other J2 haplotypes across Iran

http://vaedhya.blogspot.com/2012/07/interpreting-new-iranian-y-chromosomal.html

Unknown said...

Novice here but loving your blog. Do you have a prevailing theory on the migration of this M172 to England?

Anonymous said...

I wonder if people know that Africans have sub saharan Africans carry J at low levels meaning that most of you come from us. J1a2

Anonymous said...

I wonder if people know that sub saharan Africans carry J at low levels meaning that most of you come from us. J1a2