DNA-R1B1C7-L Archives

Archiver > DNA-R1B1C7 > 2011-05 > 1305138636


From: Bill Howard <>
Subject: Re: [R-M222] Niall of the Nine Hostages
Date: Wed, 11 May 2011 14:30:36 -0400
References: <950660.43390.qm@web44916.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <950660.43390.qm@web44916.mail.sp1.yahoo.com>


Lawrence,
No, there is not a modal for known descendants of Niall. For one thing, the descendants are not really known. For another thing, there is no way to determine a "modal" for a set of descendants because the progenitor's haplotype is unknown and each line of descendancy suffers different mutations through time.
As far as I know, there is no evidence that Niall was any more prolific than others in his time (if he even existed.....). The DNA evidence and plots of population increases (mostly such plots don't exist for that era) show no indication of what may be termed the "Ghengis Khan effect" where one person was responsible for so many children.
Finally, there is a modal for M222 and you can be SNP tested to see if you have it (otherwise it can be inferred by the marker values in your haplotype), but I fail to see that it would prove you are a descendant of Niall because the mutation that caused the M222 did not originate with him, but did so in the BC era sometime. If Niall carried the M222 subclade, it merely passed through him; he was not the progenitor of the SNP.
- Bye from Bill Howard

On May 11, 2011, at 2:07 PM, Lawrence Dill wrote:

> Is there a 37 marker modal of the known descendants of Niall of the Nine
> Hostages? I suspect most of us are descendants of Niall because he was very
> proliferate and founded the longest dynasty in Ireland. He may have also left
> descendants in Scotland if the Ui Neill invaded Scotland during the time of St.
> Patrick. I ask about a modal because I want to know if I am a descendant of
> Niall.
> R1b1c7 Research and Links:
>
> http://clanmaclochlainn.com/R1b1c7/
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