Population Genomics of the Viking World

[zackdaugherty]

So there has been discussion on this recent publication that examine 442 sequenced remains: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2688-8

Haplogroup designations for the samples are contained in long format per ISOGG haplotree format HERE. These long format destinations are a bit unwieldy; however, 3 of the samples are S658+ just downstream of M222 and one of the three is DF109+ (VK545).

What is interesting is that in a Facebook group post HERE Göran Runström who works for Family Tree DNA says they are incorporating the all samples from the study into their Haplotree today. In fact, they have so far had cases where samples have created new sub-branches and are even matching private variants of some men tested today.

Here are some of his posts:

FTDNA is downloading and processing these results right now so we should start seeing the first ancient/modern pair branches on the haplotree in a few days.

First ancient-modern pairing that will form a new branch on the haplotree under T-Y22559:
VK17 - Russia_Ladoga_5680-17 - Ladoga, Ladoga, Russia - Viking 10-12th centuries CE (Margaryan 2020)
Modern match is from Chechen Republic.
https://www.familytreedna.com/public/y-dna-haplotree/T;name=T-Y22559

Nice branch assignment in R1a-BY202785 with a high coverage ancient sample from Faroe Islands:
VK46 - Faroe_19 - Church2, Faroes, Faroes - Early modern 16-17th centuries CE (Margaryan 2020)
He fits perfectly on this ca 1000 year old branch with one man with origins from Scotland and another man with unspecified origins.
https://www.familytreedna.com/public/y-dna-haplotree/R;name=R-BY202785

here are some R1b connections:
VK40 - Sweden_Skara 106 - Varnhem, Skara, Sweden - Viking 10-12th centuries CE (Margaryan 2020)
Forms a new branch under R-BY1701 (down in U152) with an American customer with unknown paternal origins. They share a good number of private SNPs.
VK25 - Faroe_1 - Church2, Faroes, Faroes - Early modern 16-17th centuries CE (Margaryan 2020)
Splits R-BY11762, a ca 1,500 year old branch in R-L151.

Because we have a much more refined tree than ISOGG when it comes to modern branches and can also compare against the private SNPs of some ~49,000 Big Y results plus thousands of academic samples, we can often assign a much more specific haplogroup than in the papers, even with lower coverage ancient samples.

Additionally,

• James Kane who operates the Y-DNA Data Warehouse plans to do his own analysis on the RAW data

• People have request Yfull to incorporate the samples which they have a track record doing

• Some people have made Alex Williamson aware of this and he is likely looking into processing them so hopefully they will appear in the Big Tree

[zackdaugherty]

A blog by Roberta Estes on this. FTDNA is passing along to her updates as they process all the samples. As of this morning they've only worked through 1/3 of them. Near the bottom of the blog she is filling them in as they pass them along to her.

https://dna-explained.com/2020/09/18/44 ... ates-here/

[Webmaster]

Zack,

Thanks for sharing this good news!

But I cannot refrain from adding a comment about FTDNA's hypocrisy in downloading data from a public source and adding it to their database, which is exactly the same thing I was doing with public FTDNA data for the DCG Cladogram. However, in my case, I was told by FTDNA to cease and desist or close my account. I, of course, chose to close my account with FTDNA to continue to provide as complete a Cladogram for the R1b-DF104 clade as possible. A case of, “Do as I say, not as I do...”

[zackdaugherty]

From this study the "closest" most downstream sample, VK545, is tentatively placed at Yfull but still remains to be finalized at FTDNA.

Here is the position on Yfull's Tree at M222 > Z46375 > DF106 > DF104 > DF105 > ZZ87 > A223 > BY3339 > A225 / Y3646 if using Big Trees SNP Path.

[AlMcCord]

I'm beginning to get goose bumps regarding VK545!

[Webmaster]

Zack,

Do you know if FTDNA is adding these ancient remains samples to any project(s) and/or giving them FTDNA kit numbers? I would like to get VK545 on the DCG Cladogram somehow.

[zackdaugherty]

Zack,

Do you know if FTDNA is adding these ancient remains samples to any project(s) and/or giving them FTDNA kit numbers? I would like to get VK545 on the DCG Cladogram somehow.

David,

I'm sure they'd have to have some sort of kit number but I doubt they are adding them to any projects. The only thing I asked Goran from FTDNA who was mentioning all the updates is on whether or not closer matches to these samples can see them such as in the Block Tree. He implied that they couldn't since SNP matching isn't ideal for the low read depth of these samples is very very low. He did say he has plans.

Here was my question to him,

A follow-up question, if one of these samples matches a tester and they are under the 30 non-matching variant threshold do they show up in the block tree for this tester? If so, is there something to designate them as being ancient remains?

Goran's response,

Z

ack, ancient DNA is most often not of good enough quality for "SNP matching", so I would not expect them to show up in that match list, but I have some better ways in mind!

He didn't elaborate further so I have no idea. I do know that FTDNA only took that VK545 sample and left it at DF104.

I also know that people are pointing out to Yfull on other samples from this study that they imported that there are mistakes.

In the M222 Facebook group Iain Kennedy actually downloaded and analyzed the VK545 BAM and had this to say from his interpretations:

I just downloaded the BAM file for the Dublin Viking sample VK545 and did some manual SNP checking, YFull have put it on their tree at A225. I found the following: M343+ 5 reads, L21+ 1 read, DF23+ 1 read, M222+ 1 read, S659+ 2 reads, S660+ 1 read, S588- 2 reads, A225+ 1 read but a derived read at next base too?, A224- 1 read and A223 had no reads. I haven't run a SNP caller on it as I'm busy with other stuff right now. You can download it here or search by VK sample number for others. https://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/browser/view/SAMEA6800268

If this is really A225 that's a big find as this is the parent SNP for a branch that has hitherto been regarded as heavily from SW Scotland. The sample was dated at 665-865 CE.

[Mark Monroe]

Here is a mapping tool to look at the 442 Viking Samples.

https://mapalist.com/map/79314fae-b08a- ... 7a07d87ba4

[Webmaster]

I have added VK545 to the DCG Cladogram as:

R1b-DF105+ (Based on Iain Kennedy's BAM file analysis: S660+ 1 read (DF109), A225+ 1 read but a derived read at next base too?)
Margaryan, et al
VK545
OTH-IESSG12
665 - 865 Ship Street Great, Dublin, Co. Dublin, Ireland

The dating would indicate that R1b-A225 is very possible for the terminal clade or at least upstream of the terminal clade, but the ambiguity of the read makes it questionable to me. Certainly the dating indicates that the man lived well after the formation of R1b-DF105 and its direct subclades.

[AlMcCord]

Attached is a recent snapshot of my block tree report under the 225 clade. I don't know if it has the info you are seeking or not, but I do notice some changes.


Best,