Comments on: The Genographic Project: on to the autosome! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/07/the-genographic-project-onto-the-autosome/ Sat, 25 May 2013 17:37:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: G Coldham http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/07/the-genographic-project-onto-the-autosome/#comment-44569 G Coldham Sat, 28 Jul 2012 13:36:13 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/?p=17526#comment-44569 I hope this Geno 2.0 will cause a "gene-quake" for all those who want to enter into genetic genealogy. Probably nobody knows what is going to tumble out of this ---but no doubt some extraordinary stuff !!! I hope this Geno 2.0 will cause a “gene-quake” for all those who want to enter into genetic genealogy.
Probably nobody knows what is going to tumble out of this —but no doubt some extraordinary stuff !!!

]]> By: Justin Giancola http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/07/the-genographic-project-onto-the-autosome/#comment-44568 Justin Giancola Thu, 26 Jul 2012 02:09:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/?p=17526#comment-44568 I'm sure I'm not the first to say this, but what seems likely is that the Aryans just injected themselves into the top of the castes, or, maybe they superpositioned themselves on top of an indigenous kingly class, creating brahmans. The other three are sort of basic to all the East Asian caste systems to my knowledge; I'm not sure if the others have the equivalence of brahmans? I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, but what seems likely is that the Aryans just injected themselves into the top of the castes, or, maybe they superpositioned themselves on top of an indigenous kingly class, creating brahmans. The other three are sort of basic to all the East Asian caste systems to my knowledge; I’m not sure if the others have the equivalence of brahmans?

]]> By: RKM http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/07/the-genographic-project-onto-the-autosome/#comment-44567 RKM Wed, 25 Jul 2012 22:33:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/?p=17526#comment-44567 I am not surprised about the caste system in India predating the Indo-Aryans. It is most likely the legacy of the spread of early agriculturalists (Metspalu component k5) into the subcontinent and the consequent genetic and cultural exchanges with hunter-gatherer groups (Metspalu component k6). This was likely the basis of the jati system that predominates the subcontinent and is the equivalent to the caste system. The Indo-Aryan varna system (brahman, kshatriya, vaishya, shudra) was an adstratum placed on the pre-existing jati system. Moreover, the genetic legacy of the Indo-Aryans (Metspalu component k4) is pretty much restricted to the northwest and in brahmin communities outside the northwest. Metspalu, M et al The American Journal of Human Genetics 89, 731-744, December 9, 2011 I am not surprised about the caste system in India predating the Indo-Aryans. It is most likely the legacy of the spread of early agriculturalists (Metspalu component k5) into the subcontinent and the consequent genetic and cultural exchanges with hunter-gatherer groups (Metspalu component k6). This was likely the basis of the jati system that predominates the subcontinent and is the equivalent to the caste system. The Indo-Aryan varna system (brahman, kshatriya, vaishya, shudra) was an adstratum placed on the pre-existing jati system. Moreover, the genetic legacy of the Indo-Aryans (Metspalu component k4) is pretty much restricted to the northwest and in brahmin communities outside the northwest.

Metspalu, M et al The American Journal of Human Genetics 89, 731-744, December 9, 2011

]]> By: wijjy http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2012/07/the-genographic-project-onto-the-autosome/#comment-44566 wijjy Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:02:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/?p=17526#comment-44566 I don't think you can ever get rid of ascertainment bias, you can just introduce different sorts, with SNPs likely to be informative for your particular question. Still if these can be mapped back onto the 1000 genomes data it is certainly going to be an improvment on the current SNP sets. However you choose SNPs, some sort of bias will be introduced. The most important thing is that the process by which SNPs were chosen is transparent and any fudging documented. In this way the ascertainment process can be modelled. I don’t think you can ever get rid of ascertainment bias, you can just introduce different sorts, with SNPs likely to be informative for your particular question. Still if these can be mapped back onto the 1000 genomes data it is certainly going to be an improvment on the current SNP sets.

However you choose SNPs, some sort of bias will be introduced. The most important thing is that the process by which SNPs were chosen is transparent and any fudging documented. In this way the ascertainment process can be modelled.

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