Genes reveal Briton's hidden African ancestry
A team of researchers has uncovered the first evidence of an African contribution to the 'indigenous' British gene pool dating back at least 250 years. The study, which was funded by the Wellcome Trust and the EU-funded EUROCORES project 'The Origin of Man, Language and Languages', is published online by the European Journal of Human Genetics. Around 8% of the current UK population belongs to ethnic minorities, with over one million people classing themselves as 'Black or Black British' in the last census. Most of these people can date their family's arrival in the UK to the mid-20th century, when many people arrived in the country from Africa and the Caribbean. However, the researchers note that in fact Africans have been coming to the UK for centuries; some of the soldiers who came to Britain with the Romans 1,800 years ago were African, and there are suggestions that the Vikings may have brought captured Africans to Britain in the 9th Century. In the 16th century the slave trade meant that African servants, musicians, entertainers and slaves became common. Now for the first time, researchers have found that somewhere along the line, an African Y chromosome made it into the 'indigenous' British population. The discovery came about during a study of the link between surnames and Y chromosomes, both of which are passed down from father to son. One man, dubbed 'Mr X' by the researchers, was found to have a rare version of the Y chromosome which until now has only been found in a small number of people of West African origin. Mr X himself is European in appearance and apparently has no knowledge of any African family links. To find out when the chromosome came to Britain, the researchers contacted 18 men with the same surname as Mr X. According to the researchers, the surname is relatively rare and most people with the name have links to the east Yorkshire region. Six of the men tested turned out to share the rare African chromosome, and family tree research suggests that the chromosome entered their lineage at least 250 years ago. However, as the researchers point out, they still do not know if the chromosome arrived in a first generation African immigrant or a European man who was carrying the chromosome. 'This study shows that what it means to be British is complicated and always has been,' said Professor Mark Jobling of the University of Leicester, one of the authors of the study. 'Human migration history is clearly very complex, particularly for an island nation such as ours, and this study further debunks the idea that there are simple and distinct populations or races.' The findings also have implications for forensic researchers, who often use DNA profiling in criminal investigations. 'Forensic scientists use DNA analysis to predict a person's ethnic origins, for example from hair or blood samples found at a crime scene,' explained Professor Jobling. 'Whilst they are very likely to predict the correct ethnicity by using wider analysis of DNA other than the Y chromosome, finding this remarkable African chromosome would certainly have them scratching their heads for a while.'
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