I have recently tested my Y-chromosome and my mtdna with the genographic project/FTDNA, with Ethnoancestry, and with Argus Biosciences. I have also taken the larger deCODEme test. Somewhat surprisingly, it turns out that I belong to Y-chromosome haplogroup L (M168, M89, M9G, M11G), likely to an L1b subgroup (that is, markers M317 and M349), and (may be less surprisingly) to mtdna haplogroup U1a (usually characterized by HVR1 16189C and 16249C). My father is K1a*.
My result is somewhat surprising because my family (traced at least back to the XV century) is from the area of of Massa, in Northern Tuscany, and the majority of Northern and Central Italians belong to haplogroup R1b. But the town is on the coast, and was occupied by many invaders over time, including Byzantines (that is, from the Eastern Mediterranean).
In the literature, there is even less about mtdna haplogroup U1a. While U is the second most common haplogroup in Europe (especially U5), U1a seems instead more common in the Middle East. But I have not been able to find any good paper about it. Interestingly, I have found two other people who originate from Northern Tuscany (Garfagnana and Massa) and who are also U1a. So maybe there is a cluster of U1a's in the region.
I'd like to know more about both haplogroups. Do you belong to haplogroup L or U1a as well? Do you have any information about it? I'd be happy to share. Send me an email to:
cacio 'at' cagetti.com
(type in the address with the @ in your mail program)
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