Understanding our Y-DNA Journey: From Africa to Scotland

As we all know, everyone’s ancestors lived at one time in Africa. What separates us thereafter is based on when the group that we associate with (using ancient skeletons and their DNA discovered across the globe) and the timeline that they departed Africa as well as the route that they took to modern day. 

Using our y-chromosome DNA markers, when our ancestors left Africa, they immediately took a north-westerly route after arriving into present day Saudi Arabia. From Saudi Arabia they went into present day Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Czechia – all within the Paleolithic timeframe (c. 2,500,000–200,000 years ago). 

 

In what appears to be the Stone Age or Mesolithic timeframe (approximately from 10,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE) they continued into Germany and the Netherlands into England around the area of present day London. By this timeframe they were hunters and gathers, so they were probably following the migration of the animal they hunted. 

 

It’s important to note that at about 7,000 BC the first humans cross into Ireland from England using the land bridge that connected Cornwall and southeast Ireland and existed before the rising glacier water cut it off forming the Irish Sea. Before this period, much of Ireland was unoccupied and was covered in ice. Our timeline places our ancestors in Ireland during the Neolithic period, or the latter period of the Stone Age. This would seem to indicate that our ancestors may have been members of the first humans into Ireland. The population in Ireland numbered about 8,000 at that time. They remained in Ireland through the Stone Age and for about 4,000+ years before traveling east sometime before the Bronze Age. 

 

During the Bronze Age (3300 BC to 1200 BC), the climate of Ireland deteriorated and extensive deforestation took place. The population of Ireland at the end of the Bronze Age was probably in excess of 100,000, and may have been as high as 200,000. We find that our ancestors (via y-DNA) had crossed over into Scotland immediately before or around the period of the Bronze Age. Our ancestors remained in Scotland through the Bronze Age and Iron Age up until some period of modern day. This means approximately 6,000+ years before the Roman and Viking invaders came into Ireland, Scotland and Great Britain. 

 

The photo to the left is the journey of our y-chromosome DNA out of Africa up to about 1400 AD. By comparing you or your loved ones y-DNA Haplogroup results who has tested with Family Tree DNA (I-FTA52805, William Gowin b. 1728 kits), you can see where your results place you or your loved one and their match to an ancient ancestor, depending upon the amount of markers tested. For example, those who have not tested beyond 37-markers are probably showing I-M223 as their terminal haplogroup or “SNP”. Looking on the map, this means that the ancient ancestor who is known to all males who descend from I-M223 was residing in present day Czechia during the Paleolithic timeframe. If you tested up to 111 markers, the Family Tree DNA results as I-L126 and the ancestor timeline would place that match within the Bronze Age. Results of I-Y4751 are probably for those who took additional SNP tests and would place that ancestor within Scotland, including those who have tested BigY-700.

The men who are known as “I-M223”, “I-M284”, “I-L126”, “I-Y4751” and others were all well before surnames and were likely very prominent men who bore many offspring. You can see the migration from Germany through the Netherlands into England, Ireland, and Scotland clearer using the photo on the right, which takes us to modern day. Those who have tested BigY-700 are allowing us the ability to learn more about the men who lived within the last 800 years.

 

I hope this all helps you understand the journey of our Y-chromosome DNA and how we left Africa, traveled across Europe, into Ireland, and then 5,000 years ago finally traveled into Scotland! It hopefully helps explain why those who tested at 111-markers and below are indicating different haplogroups or SNPs from one another (based on markers tested).