Haplogroup J (mtDNA)

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Haplogroup J is a human mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup. Haplogroup J derives from the haplogroup JT, which also gave rise to Haplogroup T. In his popular book The Seven Daughters of Eve, Bryan Sykes named the originator of this mtDNA haplogroup Jasmine.

1 Origins
2 Locale
3 Distribution within Europe
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Origins

Around 45,000 years before present, a mutation took place in the DNA of a woman who lived in the Anatolian-Caucasus region. Further mutations took place in the J line which can be identified as J1a1 (27,000 yrs ago), J2a (19,000 yrs ago), J2b2 (16,000 years ago), J2b3 (5,800 yrs ago), etc. Haplogroup J (along with ‘T’) is associated with the spread of farming and herding in Europe during the Neolithic Era (8,000-10,000 yrs ago). All other West Eurasian-origin groups (H, V, U, K, W, I, X) were previously given to hunting and gathering.

[edit] Locale

Average frequency of J Haplogroup as a whole is highest in the Near East (12%), followed by Europe (11%), Caucasus (8%) and North Africa (6%). Of the two main sub-groups, J1 takes up four-fifths of the total and is spread on the continent while J2 is more localised around the Mediterranean, notably in Turkey, Greece, Italy/Sardinia and Spain. A surprising presence of J2 (10%) amongst the Mansi of Ob river valleys indicates a Neolithic Phase expansion towards the Urals. East of the Caucasus, occurrence of J2 has been noted in Northern Iran at 5%, Azerbaijan at 3% and Turkmenistan at 3%. In Pakistan, where West Eurasian lineages occur at frequencies of upto 50% in some ethno-linguistic groups, J1 averages around 5%, while J2 occurrence is very rare. Intriguingly, however, it is found amongst 9% of Kalash, a small ethnic community dwelling in the Hindu Kush mountains of Pakistan.

[edit] Distribution within Europe

Within Europe, >2% frequency distribution of mtDNA J is as follows [1]:

J* = Ireland - 12%, England-Wales - 11%, Scotland - 9%, Orkney - 8%, Germany - 7%, Russia (European) - 7%, Iceland - 7%, Bulgaria-Turkey - 6%, Austria-Switzerland - 5%, Finland-Estonia - 5%, Spain-Portugal - 4%, France-Italy - 3%

J1 = Bulgaria-Turkey - 5%

J1a = Austria-Switzerland - 3%

J1b1 = Scotland - 4%

J2 = Bulgaria-Turkey - 3%, France-Italy - 2%