How to read a genetic map

Yup, as is Australia, N.W. Europe, and such. 

Originally posted by Cywr Yup, as is Australia, N.W. Europe, and such.

Actually SW Europe is more of a dead end. Everything points out to the fact that the strait of Gibraltar has acted as an effective barrier and input from North Africa has been minimal. Input from Continental Europe has also been rather small and there the connection is rather a common "South French" or "proto-Basque" origin for most of Western European population.

Another think that must be take into account is random drift, specially when the population has been very small in some periods (something we can imagine for almost anywhere): let's say some people had 5 Y-chr lineages 30,000 years ago but, accidentally, 3 of them happen to be cut by whole reproducing generations of females. Now we would only see 2 lineages but much more were present initially and all them have given their diploid (and X-chr) genetic apportation to the population anyhow. Y-chr and MtDNA lineages can be tricky.

Finally, random migration patterns must be taken in account too. Two diferent lineages may have happened to go to place A (maybe they were best friends but had diferent genetic backgrounds) and only one of them to place B.

This is particularly shocking when we look at Australia, New Guinea and SE Asia. In comprehensive non-haploid genetic studies (i.e. Cavalli-Sforza) they all fall in the same major branch (though the Australian and New Guinean branches are very very long and distinct), yet when we look at Y-chromosome lineages a completely diferent pattern emerges.

That's why I say that we must be cautious with the latter.

So, who are the ubermensch?

Originally posted by Exarchus So, who are the ubermensch?

Toulousaines.

Originally posted by Degredado What do these maps say about the Portuguese?

The greatest info is in the Y-chromosome lineage (dad-son only, first map and also some of the latter trees, which try to explain things in depth and clear out confussion) and it is very simmilar to that of Spain, maybe a little more Mediterranean, but just a little.

In general Iberia fits fully in Western Europe, with some more Mediterranean blood, specially in the south. The Western European majority (Hg1+Hg22 ~ R1a, green and light green) seems to be of Paleolithic origin.

Hg2 (blue) is confuse and could belong to Central European or Balcanic lineages that came also in the Paleolithic (I) or to Mediterranean ones (G, F).

The rest (brown and black slices: Hg9 = J and Hg21 ~ E) is clearly Mediterranean and could have come in the following episodes:

• Neolithic difussion (most likely the greatest apportation): this can have two origins:
• Greece/Adriatic (Cardium Pottery)
  
• North Africa (Andalusian Neolithic) ?
  
• Phoenician domain (small)
• Internal migrations in the Roman Empire (small)
  
• Muslim domain (can't be too large but it's dificult to say, some Berber blood surely came in this period).
  

In the first map, there's no diferent data for southern or SE Spain, which must have some stronger Mediterranean apportation but there is diferent data for north and south Portugal and southern Portugal clearly has more Mediterranean lineages than the north (that's no surprise), specially those that could be linked to North Africa (Hg21).

Yet, if we stop in Iberian prehistory, we see that Portuguese Neolithic is very influenced by Andalusian one, which may have its origins in North Africa (this is obscure though), so such an small extra piece of North African blood in southern portugal (and probably also in Andalusia) is logical.

In brief, Iberia as whole is mostly Western European with some Mediterranean stuff that is clearly smaller in other parts of Western Europe (France, Britain, Belgium, Ireland). Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands are also close but more influenced by Central European Hg2 and other stuff (some Mediterranenans in the Netherlands, a lot of Eastern European Hg3 lineages in Germany). Italy also falls in the Western European area with a much stronger mixure with Mediterranean lineages.

Another good map on haploid migrations:

It's sometimes confusing. But I guess it's normal, it's a very young science.

I found some very good maps on World distribution (by macro-regions) of MtDNA and Y chromosome haplogroups:

• Y chromosome (male lineages)
  
• Mithocondrial DNA (female lineages)

Take a look because I think they are very interesting, though too large to post directly.