DNA testing for genealogical research has fast become a very important and new tool  in the field of family history and research. While the convergence of genetics and genealogy into a new science called 'genetic genealogy' is some way off, DNA testing by one-name groups are revealing valuable results (Pomery, 2001).

Two basic DNA tests are available to family historians: the Y chromosome test and the mitochondrial test. We Wilsons are interested in the Y chromosome in the nuclear DNA. It is found in every living man and resembles that of his father, his paternal grandfather, and is also carried by male cousins that share the same paternal lineage. A genetic test will reveal the individual's haplogroup, one of around 40 groups of related Y chromosome lineages shared by all humans on the planet. Tests for other markers on the Y chromosome that changes more rapidly, reveals the individual's haplotype, the specific sequence of DNA of the individual's Y chromosome. Combined together, the two tests distinguish one lineage from another and reveal a 'DNA signature' for each individual man. The Y chromosome test can only be taken by men. Wilson is a common surname which certainly arose from multiple founders, resulting in more than one genetic common ancestor.

If any Wilsons share the same Y chromosome type at say 12 markers, it would not prove much, as a reasonable percentage of the population will also bear it. We Wilsons would need to genotype many more markers than this to be sure of a relationship within the time frame of surnames, but in the future it would be possible. For each Wilson lineage there will exist a single nucleotide polymorphism that uniquely identifies it. The problem being there are 35,000.000 nucleotides on the Y chromosome and finding the right one takes a lot of time at present (Jim Wilson, 2001).

At present, two individual Wilsons can test to see if they share a common ancestor at some period in time. They may also discover they share this ancestor with other descendants of a different surname. It would depend when the individuals shared the ancestor - before of after adopting the surname Wilson. Of the various Wilsons tested to date, by far the largest group belong to the R1b group. The Wilsons of Kilwinnet are a branch of the R1b1c sub-group.

Chris Pomery says: 'The Y-chromosome test can indicate:

• Whether specific individual men share a common male ancestor.
• If a set of men with the same or similar surname are directly related through a common ancestor.
• How many different common male ancestors any given group collectively shares.
• To which broad haplogroup each individual male belongs to (for example, over half of all Europeans belong to one or two major haplogroups of 40 known worldwide {author} ). We present day Europeans are descended from a small subset of the global diversity of haplogroups.

An analysis of the mutations in our Y chromosome, can also be used to estimate the degree of separation between individual males, in terms of the number of generations since the separation occurred. That man is often referred to as a most recent common ancestor or MRCA (there is currently a debate over the 'natural' rate of mutation of individual DNA markers over time).

I joined a group of fellow Wilsons (The Wilson Surname Project) who are running a project on Wilson genetics, and I am looking forward to finding new cousins.

My friends in the scientific world tell me that 80% of today's Europeans are descendants of the Paleolithic peoples, who were the first modern humans to migrate to Europe. The conclusions of a genetic study supports evidence from European archaeology, linguistics, and other genetic work. My Paleolithic ancestors, hundreds of generations ago arrived in Europe, from Central Asia or the Middle East in two migrations about 40,000 years ago. My small Palaeolithic clan lived in the forest, hunting, collecting nuts and berries for over 20,000 years. When the last ice age started to set in on their European homelands, the clans were forced to retreat from the expanding ice sheet to three areas: today's Spain, Balkans and Ukraine. My branch clan of Palaeolithic ancestors having to take refuge for many generations in their new Spanish homeland (Semino et al, 2000).

John Wilson of Kilwinnet's Y chromosome heritage (his haplogroup) stems from the genetic mutation called R-L21,  recently confirmed in 2009 for him by test company FamilytreeDNA of Texas. This mutation has older genetic origins in the Paleolothic peoples who arrived in Europe around 40,000 years ago. With them, came the new Aurignacian culture.

Their life was eventually shattered as new peoples arrived from the Middle East, bringing the Neolithic farming culture with them (see my archaeology page). 

In genetics, my apparent Paleolithic descent stems from haplogroup R1b (part of haplogroup one in a former nomenclature), common in Britain and Ireland today - and from the Atlantic Cluster or Atlantic Modal Haplotype (AMH) (Jim Wilson, 2003), which is a subject of this haplogroup, found frequently on the Atlantic coast of Europe today and identified by sharing alleles at five or six markers.

Within haplogroups, are haplotypes, who descend from a man who passed on a mutation (a genetic error) to his sons. My haplogroup is R1b because I have a value of '12' at DYS-426 and DON'T have a value of '11' at DYS-392, (Internet, 14/2/03).

When my 12 marker results came through from FamilytreeDNA in 2003, they were matched to three other individuals in their database. The  ethnic origin for the three were: England, Northern Ireland, and one unknown. The four of us have what is called a one step mutation (FamilytreeDNA, 2003).

In a twelve marker range, mutations occur at an average rate of about one every thousand years (Hacyondays, 2003).

A number of British surnames belong to R1b, this is a result of it being the most common group in Western Europe. Genetic projects among the Basques of Spain, the Welsh and Irish, reflect descent from the Haplogroup R1b and the Atlantic Model Haplogroup. I am led to believe that the O blood type is common in Western Europe, especially in the Celtic populations, and most native Americans - I am also O! This certainly fits with the distribution of haplogroup R1b in Spain, later emigrating to Britain, Siberia, and down into America.

Irish genetic research discovered that 98.3% men with Gaelic surnames in western Ireland near Connaught, belong to my haplogroup R1b. Today, haplogroup 1 is highest in Ireland and gradually decreases as you move to the Far East (Semino, 2000) where the Neolithic people originated from and were responsible for the third great imigration to Europe.

The Clan Gregor Society also have an ongoing DNA project, they too, appear to be haplogroup R1b, as do the Lindsays, Nortons and a few other one-name groups.

I hope to build on my understanding of this new area in genetics. I will be pleased to here from anyone who matches my first 12 markers, and will be happy to compare notes. My 12 marker result is: DYS# 393 13, 390 25, 19 14, 391 10, 385a 15, 385b 15, 426 12, 388 12, 439 11, 389-1 14, 392 13, 389-2 30.

I have endeavored to give proper explanation and references to my above researches. If anybody feels I have misunderstood the sciences, or I haven't given them due acknowledgement, please let me know and I can correct it.

References.

-------------. (2003) Allele Information. Internet. 14 February 2003. http://www.halcyondays.com/dna/dnainfo.htm FamilytreeDNA. (2003) http://www.familytreedna.com/

McGregor, R. (2003) Clan Gregor Society, MacGregor DNA Project. Internet. 14 February 2003. http://www.clangregor.org/macgregor/dna.html

Senino et al. (2003) The Genetic Legacy of Paleolothic Homo sapiens sapiens in Extant Europeans: A Y Chromosome Perspective. Science. Volume 290, 10 November 200. www.science.org

Pomery, C. (2001) Internet: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~allpoms/genetics.html 23 November 2001.

Wilson Surname Project (2003) Internet: http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_det.asp?group=Wilson

Wilson, Jim. (2002-3) e-mails to author. Department of Biology, University College, London.