African contribution to British gene pool traced to 18th century

0 Comments | AFP, January, 2007

PARIS (AFP) — Genetic sleuths have discovered the earliest known trace of Africa's contribution to the native British gene pool -- from a man who lived in northern England in the late 1700s. Launching an analysis of British genetic diversity, scientists recruited 421 men who described themselves as British and analysed their Y chromosome, which is handed down by the paternal line.

One of the men was found to have an unusual type of chromosome, hgA1, which is normally found in West African males. As the man had an unusual surname, derived from a village in Yorkshire, the team endeavoured to track down other men with the same monicker. Of 18 such men who were traced and volunteered a sample of DNA for testing, seven were found to carry the same HgA1 chromosome haplotype. The...