Y chromosome DNA haplogroup
From ISOGG Wiki
A Y chromosome DNA haplogroup is a haplogroup defined by differences in the non-recombining portions of DNA from the Y chromosome (called Y-DNA).
The Y Chromosome Consortium (YCC) has established a system of defining Y-DNA haplogroups by letters A through to T, with further subdivisions using numbers and lower case letters. With the advent of direct-to-consumer full-chromosome testing and the rapid expansion of the haplotree, a short-form nomenclature is sometimes used that expresses the haplogroup as the deepest-known single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) tested.
Y-chromosomal Adam is the name given by researchers to a theoretical male who is the most recent common patrilineal (male-lineage) ancestor of all living humans. Estimations of the date of this common ancestor have varied significantly in different studies.
Further reading
- Why Y? The Y chromosome in the study of human evolution, migration and prehistory by Neil Bradman and Mark Thomas. Science Spectra 1998, Number 14.