Genographic Project yields informative new branches for J-M530

The new Genographic Project's Geno 2.0 test contains over 12,000 SNP's on the Y Chromosome.  A good level of participation from J-L24/L25 or M530 as L24 is referred in published papers, has resulted in new branches and twigs for this subclade of J2 which peaks in frequency in Eastern Iran (Yazd, 17%+ J-M530).  Below is a draft tree of J-L25 with the new SNP's and their theorized positions:

New SNP's that reveal new branching include F3133, F761, PF4888, PF5401, PF5366, PF5368, PF5456 along with a large number of SNP's which reinforce existing branches.  Of most interest are the newest branches near the top of L25-PF4888/PF5401 and F3133.  These 2 new branches seem to divide a large section of J-L24, L25 in half and the task in the coming months will be to test these new mutations on various other clusters of J-L24 (M530).

The Genographic project description for L25 with a map view origin in Western Turkey seems different from the research of Grugni 2012 which identified M530 as originating in Iran, peaking in frequency in eastern Iran (Yazd 17%+) and peaking variance in both the south and north of Iran.  Geno 2.0 reports J-L25 frequencies as follows:

Branch: L25 

Age: Bronze Age

Location of Origin: West Asia

With the trade of goods produced in the Bronze Age, members of this lineage moved first into the Mediterranean and then on to Europe, where it is present at low frequencies.
Today, this line is present most often in Tunisia (10 to 11 percent), Azerbaijan (9 percent), Macedonia (5 percent), and Malta (4 to 5 percent). It is about 4 percent of male lineages in Armenia, Kuwait, and Jordan. It is between 3 and 4 percent of the male population in Iran.

Note: This branch is not accompanied by a major movement on the map, and research on this branch is continuing.

Such a high number of new SNP's will assist in determining various migrations for this subclade of J2 which has such a strong connection to the Middle East.

Ancient Migratory Events in the Middle East-Y Chromosome Variation of Iranians

A very comprehensive new study on Y-Chromosomes in Iran is shedding light on Haplogroup J2 and the origins of its subclade, M530, also known as L24 and defined by the SNP rs35248080.  The study looks at various population groups in Iran and the spread of Y-Chromosomes.  From a J2 persective, M410, L26, M530 (L24), M67 and M92 were studied along with M205 and M241 in Haplogroup J2b.  The results showed an ancient background mainly composed of J2a subclades, along with an influx of M92 from Asia Minor into certain groups in Iran.  Overall Haplogroup J comprised 31.4% of all modern Iranians combined; with J2 making up 22.5% of the population, the overwhelming majority of that being M410+ (J2a).  From the paper:

In particular, the recently described J2a-M530 shows high frequencies in the Zoroastrians of Yazd (17.6%) and Tehran (15.4%), and in Persians of Yazd (17%).  J2a-M47 reaches frequencies higher than 5% in Yazd, Mazandaran, Khuzestan and Fars....Among the different J2a haplogroups, M530 is the most informative as for ancient dispersal events from the Iranian region.  This lineage probably originated in Iran where it displays its highest frequency and variance in Yazd and Mazandaran.

Also of interest in the paper, some ancient deep rooted lineages from IJ-M429 were observed in the Iranian Plateau.  This of course, forms a solid foundation for the theory of the spread of humans from Iran over the course of history into both India, other parts of the Middle East and elsewhere in Europe.  M530 however, showed a curious diffusion from a fairly clear origin in Iran.  While it did spread early to Turkey and the Levant where subcaldes Z387 and L70 (distinguished in part by DYS 391=9) likely arose, the authors report an almost complete absence of M530 from Iraq in table S3 (only 1.3% in Baghdad, 0% in Marsh Arabs).  It is also absent from 4 of 11 regions referenced from Turkey/Asia Minor and almost completely absent from many areas of Europe with the exception of Italy where migrations of M530 subclades Z387+ and L70+ from Anatolia likely occurred.  Was this uneven distribution through the near east the result of  climate, topography or other civilizations?  The paper does not address this issue and the age estimates and theorized spread discussed in the paper do not seem to correlate with the uneven results reported.  Nevertheless, the paper provides invaluable data on Iran; it is the second major paper to address J2a-M530 and provides a window into theY-chromosome makeup of modern day Iran with genetic clues to a very ancient presence of Humans in the country.

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1000 Genomes Project yielding informative SNP's for Haplogroup J2

The 1000 genomes project, with data freely available to the scientific community, is providing a multitude of informative markers to the Y-DNA Tree. Within J2 a number of new SNP's have been identified, including Z387 which may split current haplogroup J2a4h (L24, M530). Within this subclade of J2, some key clusters were identifiable by Short Tandem Repeats, especially at DYS 445 where values of 6 and 10 are largely observed whereas most M172 derived haplotypes carry repeats of 12 at this marker. Testing is still in its initial stages but results thus far are showing that DYS445=6 haplotypes are Z387 derived and DYS 445=10 haplotypes are ancestral for this SNP. Previously, a marker, L70, had identified a large subset of the DYS 445=6 haplotypes, with the exception of one cluster. Z387 may turn out to be an informative Y-SNP which identifies most or all J2a4h haplotypes with the apparent deletion at DYS 445=6.

Y Draft Tree graphic courtesy of Thomas Krahn, DNA-Fingerprint. A number of other 1000 genomes SNP's within Haplogroups J1 and other subclades of J2 are being researched by a variety of projects including the Y-Haplogroup J project at Family Tree DNA headed by Bonnie Schrack.

Neolithic Patrilineal Signals on the Armenian Plateau

A recently released study on the Y-Chromosomes of Armenians from four distinct regions, the Ararat Valley, Gardman, Lake Van and Sasun shows a predominence of the J2-M172 haplogroup, combined with R1b, G2 and E1b1c1. The paper indicates settlement and population expansion dating back to the neolithic. This study , undertaken by Herrera, Underhill, Regueiro and others, recorded frequencies, calculated variance and compared these figures with neighbouring populations in an attempt to understand the migrations of the most frequent haplogroups observed within a neolithic context.

Frequencies of J2-M172 were very high, at 30% in the Gardman Region of present day Azerbaijan and 29% in the Lake Van region of eastern Turkey. J2a-M410(xM67) was the most frequent haplogroup subclade observed. A single P279 haplotype (J2a3), an extremely rare sublcade of J2 was also observed. Haplotype diversity, often used to determine the age of a particular haplogroup, was highest in neighbouring Palestine, followed by Crete, Syria, Greece and Lebanon. These figures, the authors suggest, could be indicative of an arrival of J2 chromosomes to the Armenian Plateau from the Levant possibly coinciding with the expansion of Agriculture.

The data observed in the Armenian Plateau, while carrying frequencies of Haplogroup J2 common in other areas of the Middle East, showed a much higher level of R1b, a correlation not observed in neighbouring populations like Iran, Iraq and the Levant. The authors suggest both R1b and J2, combined with other haplogroups E1b1b1-M35 and G2a are all indicative of Neolithic expansions and migrations. Yet R1b stands out from this group as it shows a very different frequency and spread from J, E and G haplogroups, which are much more frequent in the Fertile Crescent.

Genetic Diversity on the Comoros Islands show Seafaring Influence on Settlement

A recent Study in the European Journal of Human Genetics explores the rich and diverse history of the peoples of the Comoros islands. The Comoros islands are situated in the western Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania. Y chromosome and mitochondrial analysis showed a strong male genetic influence from South Asia and the Middle East, the latter attributed by authors to be as a result of settlement of Shirazi Persian Traders on the islands some 1000 years ago.

J2a, M410 was detected at a rate of 7% on the sample set of 381 Y Chromosomes. Interestingly, rare J* (xM172 xM267) was also found among samples from the Comoros.

The J1 and J2 data along with G2a and E1b1b data is attributed by authors to have come directly from a Middle Eastern origin and mostly from Shirazi Traders from the city of Shiraz in present day Iran.

By 1000 YBP, the Shirazi, traders with origins in the Persian city of Shiraz in present day Iran, had established themselves on the island of Kilwa. The Shirazi were responsible for the generalisation of Islam on the Swahili coast by 500 YBP. They had built mosques on Kilwa, Zanzibar and Anjouan by 800 YBP...A possible source of the Northern Y chromosomes is therefore the Shirazi traders from Southern Iran who established trading posts on the Comoros by 800 YBP.
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Haplogroup J2 subclade M340 downstream of P279

Recent testing at Family Tree DNA has confirmed that a very rare subclade of J2, M340 reported in Anatolia in the paper "Excavating Y-Chromosome Haplotype Strata in Anatolia" has been shown to reside downstream of an equally rare subclade P279. Both P279 and M340 reside upstream of L26 and L27, SNP's derived in many but not all M172 haplotypes.

To date only 4 cases of the P279 subclade (formerly referred to as J2a3) have been reported FTDNA as well as 2 cases from published data. King and Underhill reported M340 in a sample from region 8-Western Coastal Anatolia. Other known cases to date are also from Anatolia, Syria, and single samples have been reported with origins in Southern Russia and Southern France.

The coming of the Greeks to Provence and Corsica

A new paper released by King, Underhill, Chiaroni et al tries to unravel the Y chromosome contribution of ancient greek settlements to the Southern French regions of Provence and Corsica. Their conclusions in analyzing the data is that upwards of 17% of the paternal lineages in Provence could be of Ancient Greek origin. The study itself focuses on E1b1b V-13 as the signature greek marker. Their conclusions also suggest that southern France had little contribution from the Neolithic period. However, how they arrived at these conclusions, while they may be valid, could be, in part, erroneous. Southern France, especially around the testing areas along the Rhone was not simply a Roman territory, it was part of "Rome" itself, with senatorial representation. The study tries to negate the contribution of E-V13 from Roman sources by comparing Provence to other Roman conquered areas such as Spain and England. This comparison is apples and oranges as southern France was far more tightly integrated into the Roman Empire than most other areas outside present day Italy. Therefore, some of the E-V13 found in southern france may be indicative of Roman settlement and not just of Greek origin.

The paper also suggests that Haplogroup subclades G2a3a-M406 and J2a4h-M530 are indicative of Neolithic migrations. And therefore the absence of these subclades suggests little or no Neolithic contribution to the present day genetic makeup in Provence. This assumption can lead to false conclusions as G2a3a and J2a4h are likely indicative of multiple origins from the Middle East and based on certain dating methods could be indicative of post-neolithic migrations. So, the authors conceivably could be looking at the right haplogroups but the wrong subclades to estimate Neolithic contributions to the present day genetic makeup of Southern France.

Criticisms aside, the authors provide solid evidence that Greek settlement in southern France is evidenced in today's genetic makeup of men from the region. There are some clear correlations of haplotypes and their study involves a much deeper analysis both of subclades and haplotype STR's allowing for more accurate comparisons. Combined with archaelogical evidence, viticulture and historical knowledge, this region of southern France carries with it, traces of ancient Greek origins in their genes as well.

Looking at J2-M172, the authors found 10% derived M172 haplotypes in their sample study. 8% were derived for M530, J2a4h with 445=6 while 2% were derived for J2a4b, M67. Many J2 subclades were completely absent from the region including J2a4b1-M92, J2a4h with 445=10, J2a*, J2a4* and all subclades of J2b.

Link to Paper

Haplogroup J2 in the Maronites of Lebanon

A recent paper by the genographic consortium, Influences of History, Geography and Religion on Genetic Structure: The Maronites of Lebanon, demonstrates again the ancient and deep link between Haplogroup J2 and Lebanon. M172, Haplogroup J2 was the most frequent haplogroup found in all 3 Lebanese groups-Lebanese Muslims, Orthodox and Maronites. The frequency of Haplogroup J2 in the Lebanese Maronite community was 34.74%, one of the highest frequencies of M172 published to date. The study also showed however that Haplogroup J2 was found in 26.23% of Lebanese Muslims and 25.85% of Lebanese Greek Orthodox also being the most frequent haplogroup in these respective communities. The aim of the study was to describe the genetic structure of Lebanon and the effect of how social history may have contributed to genetic differentiation between these Lebanese religious groups. While the study did show some minor variance between the communities genetic structure, it revealed no significant distinction of major haplogroups. Supplemental data however did show that J2-M172 with DYS 391=9, often a characteristic of the L70 subclade of YCC Haplogroup J2a4h was almost completely limited to the Lebanese Christian population.


The Maronite community in Lebanon dates back to the 5th Century and is among the first Christian communities in the Near East. The liturgical language of the Maronite Church is Aramaic (Syriac). Their initial settlements were in the Mountains of Lebanon where they remained relatively isolated until the time of the Crusades. They are one of the largest Christian sects in Lebanon. The very high presence of Haplogroup J2-M172 among Maronites strongly suggests J2 was among the founding lineages of the community.

New L267 SNP may define distinct cluster of J2a4

Family Tree DNA's Walk Through the Y program has yielded hundreds of new SNP's that are helping to define the Y-Chromosome Tree. One such SNP, named L267 was recently found in a participant in the program whose paternal origin lies in Calabria, Southern Italy. The mutation, an A to G transition at position 2948591 on the Y chromosome is thus far, unique to this participant. The mutation was not found in other participants from other J2a4 subclades, J2-M67 and J2-L25 (rs34534058). Thus, it appears L267 could define a subclade under J2a4.

Similar haplotypes come largely from Eastern Anatolia and Armenia indicative of the possibility of a more recent spread from Anatolia to Italy for this cluster. The cluster can be viewed in the Haplogroup J project's results identified as J2a4 Cluster C. Further testing of this SNP is in progress.

Additional SNP's have also been identified in J2a4h (L25) including L192.2, L229, L230, L231, L243, L254 and L264 which so far look to define clusters within this subclade of J2, M172.

Indian Muslim population shows genetic affinity with non-Muslim Indian Geographic Neighbours

A 2009 study by India's National DNA Analysis Centre shows Indian Muslims display a genetic affinity with their neighbouring Non-Muslim populations along with low levels of Arabian, Central Asian and Iranian admixture. The study sampled 431 Indian Muslims from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The results showed distinctions between the Muslim communities based on geographic origins and a greater affinity to their neighbouring non-muslims than to each other. However, the study also does note a contribution to the genetic structure of Indian Muslims coming from Iranian and Arabian populaitons. The study does show some distinctive Y-DNA haplogroup frequencies especially in Haplogroup J:


Most noteworthy were the J2, J2a and JxJ2 frequencies of the Indian Shia population which were substantially higher than those of Indian Non-Muslims.

The spread of Islam in India was predominantly cultural conversion association with minor but still detectable levels of gene flow from outside, primarily from Iran and Central Asia, rather than directly from the Arabian Peninsula.

Traces of sub-Saharan and Middle Eastern lineages in Indian Muslim populations

Phylogeographic Analysis of Paternal Lineages in NE Portuguese Jewish Communities

ABSTRACT

The establishment of Jewish communities in the territory of contemporary Portugal is archaeologically documented since the 3rd century CE, but their settlement in Tra´s-os-Montes (NE Portugal) has not been proved before the 12th century. The Decree of Expulsion followed by the establishment of the Inquisition, both around the beginning of the 16th century, accounted for a significant exodus, as well as the establishment of crypto-Jewish communities. Previous Y chromosome studies have shown that different Jewish communities share a common origin in the Near East, although they can be quite heterogeneous as a consequence of genetic drift and different levels of admixture with their respective host populations. To characterize the genetic composition of the Portuguese Jewish communities from Tra´s-os-Montes, we have examined 57 unrelated Jewish males, with a high-resolution Y-chromosome typing strategy, comprising 16 STRs and 23 SNPs. A high lineage diversity was found, at both haplotype and haplogroup levels (98.74 and 82.83%, respectively), demonstrating the absence of either strong drift or founder effects. A deeper and more detailed investigation is required to clarify how these communities avoided the expected inbreeding caused by over four centuries of religious repression. Concerning haplogroup lineages, we detected some admixture with the Western European non-Jewish populations (R1b1b2-M269, 28%), along with a strong ancestral component reflecting their origin in the Middle East [J1(xJ1a-M267), 12%; J2-M172, 25%; T-M70, 16%] and in consequence Tra´s-os-Montes Jews were found to be more closely related with other Jewish groups, rather than with the Portuguese non-Jewish population.

The Portuguese NE Jews display a much closer genetic relation to Jewish populations of Europe and the Middle East, especially other Sephardic groups, than to the Portuguese population. However, it should be pointed out that the high frequencies of haplogroup R1b1b2, less frequent in other Jewish populations, indicate a significant level of admixture with non-Jewish Iberian populations.

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Family Tree DNA's Walk the Y yields new SNP's for Haplogroup J2

A program by Family Tree DNA, Walk through the Y, was set up late last year to allow customers to search for new SNP's or branches to their respective Y-DNA haplogroups. Recent testing on a number of Haplogroup J2 participants has yielded 9 new SNP's, many of which will prove to be phylogenetically informative in branching current subclades. Below is a list of SNP's found to date:

• L207.1 A6813448G found in J-L70 and J-L25 participants. May be synonomous with J-L24 or L25.
• L210 A15001591T found in one J-M67 participant.
• L212 T21120853C found in J-M67 and J-L25 participants.
• L218 deletion at 20199329 found in J-M67 participant.
• L227 C6919963T found in J-M67 participant.
• L228 C7831358T found in J-M67 and J-L25 participants.
• L229 C6813447T found in one J-L25 participant, ancestral in another.
• L230 G20327921A found in one J-L25 participant, ancestral in another
• L231 C13524835G found in one J-L25 participant, ancestral in J-M67.

It is likely more SNP's will be found as a more thorough analysis of the results has yet to be done. Also, results from other J2 participants have yet to arrive. SNP's can be used to determine the branchin within the Y-Chromosome tree and it is likely some of these SNP's will determine new terminal branches under J-M67 and J-L25.

Saudi Arabian Y Chromosome Diversity and its Relationship with Nearby Regions

A new provisional study by Dr. Khalad Abu-Amero et al takes a detailed look at the genetic makeup of Saudi Arabians and provides a comparison with its geographical neighbours. Saudi Arabia has long been unsurveyed from a Y Chromosome Perspective and while many areas of the Middle East have been well studied, this new paper does shed light on the distribution of haplogroups in the Arabian Peninsula. Haplogroup J1, M267 was most frequent overall, representing 40% of the Y Chromosome samples. The authors are quick to note however, that Saudi Arabia is distinguished from its neighbours by higher levels of M172, Haplogroup J2. Haplogroup J2 was the second most frequent haplogroup found in the Study sample, representing 15.92% of the total. These J2 lineages were also tested for subclades M410, M47, M67, M92, M158, M339, M340, M12 and M241. The most frequent subclade of J2 was J2a, M410+ with the deletion at DYS 413 (rs34126399), which represented about 72% of all J2 in the study. M47 was also detected at 2.55% of the total or 16% of the J2 total. The higher levels of J2 found in Saudi Arabia were explained by the study's authors as being a result of Saudi Arabia's geographical proximity to the Fertile Crescent and northern boundary with the Levant. With respect to Haplogroup J1, the authors estimate, using a 0.00069 mutation rate, divergence ages for M267 at 11.2kya for Saudi Arabia and 11.3kya for Yemen, also noting these ages as significantly older than estimates for UAE, Qatar and Oman. This suggested a terrestrial colonization and spread of Haplogroup J1 in Saudi Arabia.

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Y chomosome Genetic Landscape of the Levant

A new study of Y chromosome haplogroup distribution in the Levant, appearing in the Annals of Human Genetics, establishes a complex pattern of haplogroup distribution, especially with haplogroups J1 and J2, and theorizes on a coastal-inland contrast differentiating J1 and J2 in the Levant. The study included the DNA of 5874 men from the Levant and neighbouring regions, and the results established a coastal-inland, east-west pattern of diversity and frequency distribution within the Levant. The study again shows the most frequent haplogroup in Lebanon is Haplogroup J2, with a frequency of 29.4%. In the South of Syria, in the cities of Damascus and Diraa, J2 was present at frequencies of 24% and 83.3% respectively. In Lebanon, J2 was found in its highest frequencies at Zahle (37.5%) in the Bekaa Valley and at Byblos (36.4%).

Haplogroup J1 was revealed to show a larger frequency but lower diversity in inland regions of the Levant. The authors note most of the interior, where higher frequencies of J1 were found, were arid with semi-desert conditions which support a lower population diversity. Consistent with previous analyses, coastal Levantine regions showed a high frequency of Haplogroup J2.

"The diversified J2 reduced-median network and high coastal frequency suggest a sustained and non-interrupted presence of this haplogroup along the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean"

Geographical Structure of the Y-Chromosomal Genetic Landscape of the Levant: A coastal-inland contrast

Jewish priesthood founded on limited paternal lineages

A new study of the Jewish priesthood (Cohanim) suggests the majority of contemporary Jewish priests descend from a limited number of paternal lineages, the 2 largest being in J1e (P58) and J2a (M410). Over 60% of Cohanim descend from one of these 2 paternal lines. Unfortunately the paper did not test for newly discovered SNP's L24 and L25 (rs35248080 and rs34534058), known to be found in a large set of J2 Ashkenazi Cohanim. These haplotypes were simply defined as J2a, M410 in this paper. The study identifies 2 principal founding lineages for Jewish priests, one in J1e (P58) dating back to a common ancestor who lived approximately 3190 years ago and another lineage in J2a (M410) dating back to a common ancestor who lived 4200 years ago. It is also interesting to see a 3rd lineage of Jewish priests from the island of Jerba defined by SNP M318 which also lies downstream of SNP's L24 and L25, also known as J2a4h.

The study was a long overdue followup to a 1997 study which identified a 6 marker Cohen Modal Haplotype. This new paper identifies an expanded 12 marker haplotype in J1 found in a large portion of Cohanim who carry the Y-Chromosome M267 (J1) SNP. The study also showed the likelihood of both the J1e and J2a genetic signatures dating back to before the Jewish diaspora since both signatures were found in Jewish communites from the Near East, Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean, communities which have been, for the most part, separated since roman times.

Neolithic Migrations in the Near East and Aegean

Dr. Roy King has contributed a very interesting chapter to a 2009 book, Ancient Human Migrations, where he provides some insight into the earliest migrations of Haplogroups J1 and J2. He applies linguistic and archeaological research to the current spread, diversity and frequency of Y-Chromosome haplogroups J1 and J2 to theorize on their deepest origins. Among some of the noted general observations was the trade in Obsidian dating from 9000BC originating from sources near Lake Van in Eastern Anatolia and found in the southern Levant.


His observations on Haplogroup J2 are especially interesting, noting its highest variance which is one component of a possible origin, being found in South Eastern Anatolia, Northwestern Iraq, the Mediterranean and among Palestinians living in coastal Israel. He notes these variances are higher than in other areas such as Iran and the Caucasus where high levels of J2 are also found. Using STR mutation rates of .0007 per generation (rates theorized by Zhivotovsky et al), he theorizes an expansion of J2 between 19,000 and 25,000 BCE presumably placing J2 during the Last Glacial Period at refugia areas in the middle Euphrates and southern Levant. From there, he theorizes, J2 was well positioned to participate in the Neolithic Expansion to areas like Southeastern Europe, the Caucasus, Iran and India.

Dr. King also notes an interesting correlation with a subclade of Haplogroup J2, M67, and place names in the Aegean, Balkans and Italy while citing a deeper origin for subclade M67 in Northern Syria or southern Anatolia. The age and spread of M67 seems associated with proto-greek substratum in the Aegean.

Some of the most interesting theories put forth in the chapter deal with linguistics. While noting that multiple haplogroups are likely involved in the spread of languages through the middle east, Dr. King noted a correlation between very old Middle Eastern languages of uncertain origin and Haplogroup J2 while at the same time theorizing that Haplogroup J1 may have been involved in spreading Semitic languages through the region. These old languages possibly linked to J2 are known to have existed in Mesopotamia and the Northern Levant and this substratum is sometimes referred to as "Banana" languages due to their syllabic duplication.

Underlying both these migrations, there may have been a population dating to the LGM characterized by J2 Y lineages whose set of languages is unknown but may have included syllabic reduplication in their morphology... Immediately after the LGM, southeast Anatolia, northern Syria and coastal Palestine may have provided refugia to populations marked by J2 lineages of uncertain linguistic character.

Haplogroup J2, M172 in Antalya, Turkish Republic

Timur Serdar and Demircin Sema authored a recent study on the Y chromosomes of Antalya, which is located on the southern coast of Anatolia. Haplogroup J2 was most frequent in this study of 75 unrelated males found at a frequency of 26.6%. The J2 data was consistent with an earlier study by Cinnioglu et al which found 24% J2 in southern Anatolia. Haplogroup T (K* in the study) was next most frequent at 13.3% and this data differed from Cinnioglu's data which found only 3.3% Haplogroup K in southern Anatolia.

The first record of Antalya was as Attalia, a greek city founded approximately 150BC by Attalos II, King of Pergamon.

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Oldest Village in the Middle East uncovered in Iran

Iran's Press TV is reporting that Iranian and English archeologists have uncovered what they believe to be the oldest village in the Middle East in Kermanshah Province, Western Iran. Carbon dating on discovered objects in the village date to 9800BC and evidence suggests the site was inhabited until 7400BC according to Hassan Fazeli, director of Iran's Archeology Research Center. According to Fazeli, such evidence strenthens the theory that Iran was one of the main Neolithic centres of the Middle East.

Some of the highest frequencies of Y chromosome Haplogroup J2, also associated with the Neolithic are found in Iran.

CNN features genetic work of the Genographic Project's research in Lebanon

Genographic Project Principal Investigator Pierre Zalloua was recently featured on CNN's "Inside the Middle East" program. Pierre discusses the discoveries made by the Genographic team about the Phoenicians, the mysterious ancient maritime culture from the first millennium BCE.

FTDNA releases updated Haplogroup J2 tree

Family Tree DNA has updated their nomenclature for the various subclades of Haplogroup J2a. They have incorporated the new L24 and L25 SNP's which refer to rs35248080 and rs34534058 respectively. They have also updated the position of P279 above the deletion at DYS 413, which is represented by L26 (rs34126399). This update thus recognizes L24/L25, a sizeable branch of haplogroup J2 which previously was only identified by FTDNA as J2a (M410). However, they'll need to revise yet again, as research from Thomas Krahn seems to show some haplotypes are L24 positive or derived but L25 negative or ancestral. He has also identified a further SNP in these haplotypes which is being called L84. DNA fingerprint seems to show one of the more up to date Haplogroup J trees here . The DNA fingerprint tree is also more legible in part, since it references the SNP 's by name and not by a constantly evolving numbering system.