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Lost Secrets - an adventure during Neolithic times

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Most British men are descended from ancient farmers

Submitted by coldrum on Sunday, 24 January 2010  Page Views: 1396

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The first farmers to arrive in Britain outbred the native hunter-gatherer men and have left their mark in modern males' Y chromosome. Most men in Britain are descended from the first farmers to migrate across Europe from the Near East 10,000 years ago, scientists say.

Ancient farmers left their genetic mark on modern males by breeding more successfully than indigenous hunter-gatherer men as they made their way west, a study has found.

As a result, more than 60% of British men, and nearly all of those in Ireland, can trace their Y chromosome back to the agricultural revolution, or more precisely the sexual success of the men behind it.

The farmers' Y chromosome becomes more common in the west of England and reaches a national peak of 78% in Cornwall, scientists found.

"These farmers expanded into territories with small and sparse hunter-gather populations and moved on as time passed. The Y chromosome got caught up in that and it surfed the wave of expansion," said Mark Jobling, a geneticist at Leicester University and an author of the study.

Genetic tests on women showed that most are descendants of hunter-gatherer females. "To us, this suggests a reproductive advantage for farming males over indigenous hunter-gatherer males during the switch from hunting and gathering to farming," said Patricia Balaresque, a co-author of the study.

"Maybe back then, it was just sexier to be a farmer."


For more, see www.guardian.co.uk.

Note: Sexy Farmers attracted Hunter-Gather Gals. "Hey, sweetheart, come up and see my granary."
Contributor Bio for coldrum: Based in Milkyway, contributing since 2002. Favourite site: Avebury.

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"Most British men are descended from ancient farmers" | Login/Create an Account | 3 News and Comments
  
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Re: Most British men are descended from ancient farmers by Anonymous on Saturday, 06 February 2010
Maybe farming was sexier than hunting, but there's a more practical possibility--farmers are home every night, whereas hunters have to follow the herds and may be gone for weeks. Think about it.
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Re: Most British men are descended from ancient farmers by Anonymous on Saturday, 30 January 2010
..it could be that the whole population had this "farmers" y chromosone, and it's now being replaced by the city dwelling "chav" gene..
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Re: Most British men are descended from ancient farmers by bbmw on Thursday, 28 January 2010
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I think that with the hunter men out on long hunting trips the farmer men had more opportunities for seduction or rape of the hunter women.(When they were camped near the farmers)
Also the farmer men would be easy for a hunter woman to find (possibly beause the farmer had food ?).
On the opposite side of the issue the farmer women would be equaly available.
More opportunities means that the farmer men would have more children over all.
Then after the farmers became to numerous the hunters would not come through the area anymore, then random mixing would do the rest.(Even if some purebred hunters setteled nearby.)
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