Angoliga
08-14-2017, 07:53 AM
I've been scratching my head on this one for a while - from a preliminary 12-STR comparison (http://www.anthrogenica.com/showthread.php?10115-A-M13-%96-GD-Comparison-using-the-Y-DNA-Comparison-Utility-(*53-kits-20-Countries)&p=222676&viewfull=1#post222676) of 53 kits from 20 countries, my closest match was a Sicilian (#N61746) from FTDNA's A Haplogroup Project (https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Haplogroup_A/default.aspx?section=yresults):
http://i.imgur.com/YJoQg5x.png
Here's a more recent (http://www.anthrogenica.com/showthread.php?7881-Distribution-map-of-Y-DNA-A&p=267376&viewfull=1#post267376)distribution map - Courtesy of Passa
After a higher 37-STR comparison (http://www.anthrogenica.com/showthread.php?10115-A-M13-%96-GD-Comparison-using-the-Y-DNA-Comparison-Utility-(*53-kits-20-Countries)&p=227780&viewfull=1#post227780), the Sicilian still remained the closest match - this factors in genetic distance as well as steps on specific markers with different rates of mutation.
Interestingly, the owner of the kit is an elderly man that happens to live less than 1.5 hours away in Buffalo, NY. We've corresponded a few times and he's accepted my offer for a BigY test; the order was batched last month on July 26th.
Despite being my closest Y-DNA match, the relation is still very distant. Using Mcgee's TMRCA calculator (http://www.mymcgee.com/tools/yutility.html?mode=ftdna_mode) at 33 years per generation, our TMRCA is 1947 ybp. If there's any merit to this prelimnary estimate, it surprisingly happens to be eerily close to Rome's first penetration into Upper-Nubia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman%E2%80%93Nubian_relations).
The BigY results and subsequent Yfull analysis will of course be the one-all in validating a reliable range for MRCA. For all we know, the relation could date much further back in antiquity.
For many on the forum, it must be extremely tiresome reading an amateur's contrived explanation to link historical events to a common ancestor but I just can't help myself here - I'm not satisfied without at least an array of different plausible scenarios for this particular A-M13
If the afmd TMRCA stays within the same time-period after Yfull's TMRCA analysis, I'd propose the following culminating event as a plausible explanation. In short, this hypothesis relies on Augustus supposedly directly receiving 1,000 Nubian prisoners whilst on a long sojourn in Sicily *(22-21BC). To me, this better explains why the Sicilian ironically appears strikingly closer related in terms of genetic distance and steps to someone of deeper/upper-nilotic heritage than other A-M13s found in more proximate regions (Algeria (1), Tunisia (1), Egypt (3), Crete (1) and Turkey(2).
Chronology of Events Leading to Proposed MRCA:
30 BC - Octavian defeats Mark Anthony, disposes Cleopatra and annexes the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt to the Roman Empire -- the Roman Province Aegyptus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt_(Roman_province)) is born.
27 BC - In an effort to further expand Rome's borders, Augustus orders Aelius Gallus, second Prefect of Egypt, to prepare a military expedition in Arabia Felix (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabia_Felix) (the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula).
26-25 BC - The expedition is a failure. News of a considerable withdrawal of forces from Upper-Egypt spreads panic throughout southern Egypt. Revolts among inhabitants of Southern-Egypt spark with an aim to put an end the client status and obligation of the Pay Poll Tax to Rome (Török, 2008 (https://books.google.ca/books?id=irbP2hHqDAwC&pg=PA441&lpg=PA441&dq=client+status+and+obligation+of+the+Pay+Poll+Ta x+to+Rome.&source=bl&ots=ARQxsAJTUl&sig=l034-Xx04bZeQDUo8iFJpZ044SU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjV3eitltbVAhUB7yYKHb3PCgoQ6AEIKjAB#v=on epage&q=client%20status%20and%20obligation%20of%20the%20 Pay%20Poll%20Tax%20to%20Rome.&f=false)).
25-24 BC - Amanirenas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanirenas), queen of the Meroitic Kingdom of Kush, takes advantage of the revolts and in the absence of Aelius Gallus on campaign in Arabia her armies plunder towns throughout the region.
According to ancient Greek Historian Strabo, she easily defeats the depleted Roman forces in Lower Nubia and briefly occupies Syene, Philae and Elephantine (Fluehr-Lobban, 1998 (http://africanhistory.yolasite.com/resources/Nubian%20Queens.pdf)). Inhabitants are carried off, the towns are looted and statues of Augustus are pulled down.
The iconic Meroë Head (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mero%C3%AB_Head), a well preserved beheaded statue of Augustus found purposely buried under the steps of a victory altar in a Meroitic Temple:
http://i.imgur.com/uqEsWe8.jpg
23 BC - In retaliation, the Roman governor of Egypt, Publius Petronius (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Petronius), invades Nubia to end Meroitic raids in southern Egypt.
Map (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Petronius#/media/File:Ancient_Egypt_map-la.png) showing the areas of Egypt and Nubia (including Napata) where Petronius fought:
http://i.imgur.com/dLNTYKl.png
22 BC - Petronius sacks Napata (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napata) razing it to the ground; 1,000 of it's inhabitants are enslaved and sent to Augustus (presumably for the games).
Remains of the Amun Temple (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Amun,_Jebel_Barkal) at Jebel Barkal destroyed by the Romans in 22BC:
http://i.imgur.com/Qt9oHx9.jpg
*22-21 BC - Augustus is visiting Sicily, carrying out reforms (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilia_(Roman_province)#Augustan_reorganisation) and establishing coloniae in six Sicilian cities: Syracuse, Tauromenium, Panormus, Catania, Tyndaris, and Thermae Himerenses (4/6 are in Eastern Sicily).
Distribution Map of the A-M13 "Branciforte" surname in Sicily:
http://i.imgur.com/iRmt5Dw.png
Distribution in the rest of Italy:
http://i.imgur.com/nxxtpJy.png
Courtesy of cognomix.it (http://www.cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani)
If this is the winning scenario, it's hard to fathom that this lineage primarily remained in Sicily for nearly two thousand years.
• Alternatively, there's a theory that lends itself to a more vague interaction between "Aethiopians (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aethiopia)" (mostly tropical-Africans from the upper-nile region) and the Greek world in Southern-Italy (Magna Graecia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Graecia)); apparently there was a sizable "black" population throughout this period. This included artisans, slaves, actors and athletes among other occupations (Africans in Ancient Greek Art - Hemingway, 2008 (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/afrg/hd_afrg.htm)).
• There's another idea for a TMRCA in slightly more recent times (1st-3rd century AD), it comes from a source I never considered until recently - will post later
A-M13 in Ancient Sudan: although derived from a small sample set, the abstract from this paper speaks to a wider presence of A-M13 in earlier periods of northern Sudan (Hassan, 2009 (http://khartoumspace.uofk.edu/handle/123456789/6376))
Abstract:
Accordingly, through limited on number of aDNA samples, there is enough data to
suggest and to tally with the historical evidence of the dominance by Nilotic elements
during the early state formation in the Nile Valley, and as the states thrived there was a
dominance by other elements particularly Nuba/Nubians. In Y-chromosome terms this
mean in simplest terms introgression of the YAP insertion (haplogroups E and D), and
Eurasian Haplogroups which are defined by F-M89 against a background of haplogroup
A-M13. The data analysis of the extant Y-chromosomes suggests that the bulk of genetic
diversity appears to be a consequence of recent migrations and demographic events
mainly from Asia and Europe, evident in a higher migration rate for speakers of Afro-
Asiatic as compared to the Nilo-Saharan family of languages, and a generally higher
effective population size for the former.
http://i.imgur.com/YJoQg5x.png
Here's a more recent (http://www.anthrogenica.com/showthread.php?7881-Distribution-map-of-Y-DNA-A&p=267376&viewfull=1#post267376)distribution map - Courtesy of Passa
After a higher 37-STR comparison (http://www.anthrogenica.com/showthread.php?10115-A-M13-%96-GD-Comparison-using-the-Y-DNA-Comparison-Utility-(*53-kits-20-Countries)&p=227780&viewfull=1#post227780), the Sicilian still remained the closest match - this factors in genetic distance as well as steps on specific markers with different rates of mutation.
Interestingly, the owner of the kit is an elderly man that happens to live less than 1.5 hours away in Buffalo, NY. We've corresponded a few times and he's accepted my offer for a BigY test; the order was batched last month on July 26th.
Despite being my closest Y-DNA match, the relation is still very distant. Using Mcgee's TMRCA calculator (http://www.mymcgee.com/tools/yutility.html?mode=ftdna_mode) at 33 years per generation, our TMRCA is 1947 ybp. If there's any merit to this prelimnary estimate, it surprisingly happens to be eerily close to Rome's first penetration into Upper-Nubia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman%E2%80%93Nubian_relations).
The BigY results and subsequent Yfull analysis will of course be the one-all in validating a reliable range for MRCA. For all we know, the relation could date much further back in antiquity.
For many on the forum, it must be extremely tiresome reading an amateur's contrived explanation to link historical events to a common ancestor but I just can't help myself here - I'm not satisfied without at least an array of different plausible scenarios for this particular A-M13
If the afmd TMRCA stays within the same time-period after Yfull's TMRCA analysis, I'd propose the following culminating event as a plausible explanation. In short, this hypothesis relies on Augustus supposedly directly receiving 1,000 Nubian prisoners whilst on a long sojourn in Sicily *(22-21BC). To me, this better explains why the Sicilian ironically appears strikingly closer related in terms of genetic distance and steps to someone of deeper/upper-nilotic heritage than other A-M13s found in more proximate regions (Algeria (1), Tunisia (1), Egypt (3), Crete (1) and Turkey(2).
Chronology of Events Leading to Proposed MRCA:
30 BC - Octavian defeats Mark Anthony, disposes Cleopatra and annexes the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt to the Roman Empire -- the Roman Province Aegyptus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt_(Roman_province)) is born.
27 BC - In an effort to further expand Rome's borders, Augustus orders Aelius Gallus, second Prefect of Egypt, to prepare a military expedition in Arabia Felix (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabia_Felix) (the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula).
26-25 BC - The expedition is a failure. News of a considerable withdrawal of forces from Upper-Egypt spreads panic throughout southern Egypt. Revolts among inhabitants of Southern-Egypt spark with an aim to put an end the client status and obligation of the Pay Poll Tax to Rome (Török, 2008 (https://books.google.ca/books?id=irbP2hHqDAwC&pg=PA441&lpg=PA441&dq=client+status+and+obligation+of+the+Pay+Poll+Ta x+to+Rome.&source=bl&ots=ARQxsAJTUl&sig=l034-Xx04bZeQDUo8iFJpZ044SU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjV3eitltbVAhUB7yYKHb3PCgoQ6AEIKjAB#v=on epage&q=client%20status%20and%20obligation%20of%20the%20 Pay%20Poll%20Tax%20to%20Rome.&f=false)).
25-24 BC - Amanirenas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanirenas), queen of the Meroitic Kingdom of Kush, takes advantage of the revolts and in the absence of Aelius Gallus on campaign in Arabia her armies plunder towns throughout the region.
According to ancient Greek Historian Strabo, she easily defeats the depleted Roman forces in Lower Nubia and briefly occupies Syene, Philae and Elephantine (Fluehr-Lobban, 1998 (http://africanhistory.yolasite.com/resources/Nubian%20Queens.pdf)). Inhabitants are carried off, the towns are looted and statues of Augustus are pulled down.
The iconic Meroë Head (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mero%C3%AB_Head), a well preserved beheaded statue of Augustus found purposely buried under the steps of a victory altar in a Meroitic Temple:
http://i.imgur.com/uqEsWe8.jpg
23 BC - In retaliation, the Roman governor of Egypt, Publius Petronius (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Petronius), invades Nubia to end Meroitic raids in southern Egypt.
Map (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Petronius#/media/File:Ancient_Egypt_map-la.png) showing the areas of Egypt and Nubia (including Napata) where Petronius fought:
http://i.imgur.com/dLNTYKl.png
22 BC - Petronius sacks Napata (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napata) razing it to the ground; 1,000 of it's inhabitants are enslaved and sent to Augustus (presumably for the games).
Remains of the Amun Temple (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Amun,_Jebel_Barkal) at Jebel Barkal destroyed by the Romans in 22BC:
http://i.imgur.com/Qt9oHx9.jpg
*22-21 BC - Augustus is visiting Sicily, carrying out reforms (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicilia_(Roman_province)#Augustan_reorganisation) and establishing coloniae in six Sicilian cities: Syracuse, Tauromenium, Panormus, Catania, Tyndaris, and Thermae Himerenses (4/6 are in Eastern Sicily).
Distribution Map of the A-M13 "Branciforte" surname in Sicily:
http://i.imgur.com/iRmt5Dw.png
Distribution in the rest of Italy:
http://i.imgur.com/nxxtpJy.png
Courtesy of cognomix.it (http://www.cognomix.it/mappe-dei-cognomi-italiani)
If this is the winning scenario, it's hard to fathom that this lineage primarily remained in Sicily for nearly two thousand years.
• Alternatively, there's a theory that lends itself to a more vague interaction between "Aethiopians (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aethiopia)" (mostly tropical-Africans from the upper-nile region) and the Greek world in Southern-Italy (Magna Graecia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Graecia)); apparently there was a sizable "black" population throughout this period. This included artisans, slaves, actors and athletes among other occupations (Africans in Ancient Greek Art - Hemingway, 2008 (http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/afrg/hd_afrg.htm)).
• There's another idea for a TMRCA in slightly more recent times (1st-3rd century AD), it comes from a source I never considered until recently - will post later
A-M13 in Ancient Sudan: although derived from a small sample set, the abstract from this paper speaks to a wider presence of A-M13 in earlier periods of northern Sudan (Hassan, 2009 (http://khartoumspace.uofk.edu/handle/123456789/6376))
Abstract:
Accordingly, through limited on number of aDNA samples, there is enough data to
suggest and to tally with the historical evidence of the dominance by Nilotic elements
during the early state formation in the Nile Valley, and as the states thrived there was a
dominance by other elements particularly Nuba/Nubians. In Y-chromosome terms this
mean in simplest terms introgression of the YAP insertion (haplogroups E and D), and
Eurasian Haplogroups which are defined by F-M89 against a background of haplogroup
A-M13. The data analysis of the extant Y-chromosomes suggests that the bulk of genetic
diversity appears to be a consequence of recent migrations and demographic events
mainly from Asia and Europe, evident in a higher migration rate for speakers of Afro-
Asiatic as compared to the Nilo-Saharan family of languages, and a generally higher
effective population size for the former.