Viking graves and DNA.
Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 6:17 pm
BBC documentary on Vikings in the British Isles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkqPEeHx ... re=related
In the third hour of the documentary some researchers tried to use male DNA markers (Y chromosome) to determine how much Viking blood there is in the British Isles. They centered on the Norwegian DNA on the coasts and islands like Shetland, The weird thing is that even in areas the Vikings from Norway controlled, including Dublin, did not show high levels of DNA markers from Norway. The researchers were surprised and later point out that they may be missing a lot of information on DNA markers from Viking settlers.
That being said I remember taking a course in college on English history. The professor dealt with the Vikings and showed a map with ancient graveyard locations. There were graveyards all over England and Scotland so we can be sure the people contributed huge amounts of DNA to the local populations while they were alive.
In the documentary they make it clear that DNA research is incomplete in so many areas even though we have a good idea of what Norway's genetic markers look like. Then again, we cannot be sure which tribal/family units actually came over and settled and in what proportions.
I just wanted to share this as many on this board treat DNA as the great indicator of who came form where and when and who they were related to. This is not the case. I know someone who is adopted and was looking into getting a DNA test to show where his ancestors came from. He was disappointed when he was informed that both the maternal and paternal tests only show lines but can miss almost all your ancestor's ethnic origins unless one has some unique marker like the "Cohen gene" which some, certainly not most, Jews have. And even then you could find Cohen genes in thousands of people in Zimbabwe (Jews built the ancient circular walled cities there) these people today show no trace of Jewish phenotypes. They look like surrounding African tribes that the colonizers intermarried with.
So if we knew what the DNA markers were for all the tribes of ancient Israel we might, just might, have a slight chance of finding a marker for the tribe Lehi came from but we have no clue. And that is just one variable that makes skeptics of the Book of Mormon who use DNA like the ultimate nail-in-the-coffin of Mormonism unconvincing in their arguments.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkqPEeHx ... re=related
In the third hour of the documentary some researchers tried to use male DNA markers (Y chromosome) to determine how much Viking blood there is in the British Isles. They centered on the Norwegian DNA on the coasts and islands like Shetland, The weird thing is that even in areas the Vikings from Norway controlled, including Dublin, did not show high levels of DNA markers from Norway. The researchers were surprised and later point out that they may be missing a lot of information on DNA markers from Viking settlers.
That being said I remember taking a course in college on English history. The professor dealt with the Vikings and showed a map with ancient graveyard locations. There were graveyards all over England and Scotland so we can be sure the people contributed huge amounts of DNA to the local populations while they were alive.
In the documentary they make it clear that DNA research is incomplete in so many areas even though we have a good idea of what Norway's genetic markers look like. Then again, we cannot be sure which tribal/family units actually came over and settled and in what proportions.
I just wanted to share this as many on this board treat DNA as the great indicator of who came form where and when and who they were related to. This is not the case. I know someone who is adopted and was looking into getting a DNA test to show where his ancestors came from. He was disappointed when he was informed that both the maternal and paternal tests only show lines but can miss almost all your ancestor's ethnic origins unless one has some unique marker like the "Cohen gene" which some, certainly not most, Jews have. And even then you could find Cohen genes in thousands of people in Zimbabwe (Jews built the ancient circular walled cities there) these people today show no trace of Jewish phenotypes. They look like surrounding African tribes that the colonizers intermarried with.
So if we knew what the DNA markers were for all the tribes of ancient Israel we might, just might, have a slight chance of finding a marker for the tribe Lehi came from but we have no clue. And that is just one variable that makes skeptics of the Book of Mormon who use DNA like the ultimate nail-in-the-coffin of Mormonism unconvincing in their arguments.