Some nice charts and tables in this brief article. Table 3 shows a comparison of surname analysis for Spain to Britain and Ireland. http://www.nature.com/ejhg/journal/v24/n1/pdf/ejhg201575a.pdf European Journal of Human Genetics (2016) 24, 120–128; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2015.75; published online 22 April 2015 Conrado Martinez-Cadenas1,2, Alejandro Blanco-Verea3, Barbara Hernando1, George BJ Busby2,4, Maria Brion3, Angel Carracedo3,5,6, Antonio Salas6 and Cristian Capelli2 1Department of Medicine, Jaume I University of Castellon, Castellon, Spain 2Human Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK 3Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela, Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 4Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK 5Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 6Unidade de Xenética, Departamento de Anatomía Patolóxica e Ciencias Forenses, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain Correspondence: Dr C Capelli, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, The Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK. Tel: +44 1865 271261; Fax: +44 1865 310447; E-mail:cristian.capelli@zoo.ox.ac.uk Received 15 September 2014; Revised 28 February 2015; Accepted 17 March 2015 Advance online publication 22 April 2015 Top ​ ​ of page Abstract In most societies, surnames are passed down from fathers to sons, just like the Y chromosome. It follows that, theoretically, men sharing the same surnames would also be expected to share related Y chromosomes. Previous investigations have explored such relationships, but so far, the only detailed studies that have been conducted are on samples from the British Isles. In order to provide additional insights into the correlation between surnames and Y chromosomes, we focused on the Spanish population by analysing Y chromosomes from 2121 male volunteers representing 37 surnames. The results suggest that the degree of coancestry within Spanish surnames is highly dependent on surname frequency, in overall agreement with British but not Irish surname studies. Furthermore, a reanalysis of comparative data for all three populations showed that Irish surnames have much greater and older surname descent clusters than Spanish and British ones, suggesting that Irish surnames may have considerably earlier origins than Spanish or British ones. Overall, despite closer geographical ties between Ireland and Britain, our analysis points to substantial similarities in surname origin and development between Britain and Spain, while possibly hinting at unique demographic or social events shaping Irish surname foundation and development. -- Steven C. Perkins SCPerkins@gmail.com http://stevencperkins.com/ Indigenous Peoples' Rights http://intelligent-internet.info/law/ipr2.html Indigenous & Ethnic Minority Legal News http://iemlnews.blogspot.com/ Online Journal of Genetics and Genealogy http://jgg-online.blogspot.com/ S.C. Perkins' Genealogy Page http://stevencperkins.com/genealogy.html S.C. Perkins' Genealogy Blog http://scpgen.blogspot.com/

The problem with this study, and with similar previous studies by Bradley and McEvoy pertaining to Ireland, is that they are only looking at 17 markers. In the case of the McEvoy, Simms and Bradley paper of 2008, /"Genetic Investigation of the Patrilineal Kinship Structure of Early Medieval Ireland"/, McEvoy et al, AJPA, 2008, it led the authors to the incorrect conclusion that there was no STR signature defining the Dal Cais (Irish Type III). I refuted their assertion in my paper, "/A Set of Distinctive Marker Values Defines a Y-STR Signature for Gaelic Dalcassian Families/", Wright D.M., JoGG 5(1):1-7, 2009 http://jogg.info/51/files/Wright.pdf In these days of the ready availability of 111 marker haplotypes it is disappointing to see studies reverting to examining only 17 markers. *Dennis Wright* // On 12/12/2015 11:02 AM, steven perkins via wrote: > Some nice charts and tables in this brief article. Table 3 shows a > comparison of surname analysis for Spain to Britain and Ireland. > > http://www.nature.com/ejhg/journal/v24/n1/pdf/ejhg201575a.pdf > > European Journal of Human Genetics (2016) 24, 120–128; > doi:10.1038/ejhg.2015.75; published online 22 April 2015 > > Conrado Martinez-Cadenas1,2, Alejandro Blanco-Verea3, Barbara Hernando1, > George BJ Busby2,4, Maria Brion3, Angel Carracedo3,5,6, Antonio Salas6 and > Cristian Capelli2 > > 1Department of Medicine, Jaume I University of Castellon, Castellon, Spain > 2Human Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Zoology, University of > Oxford, Oxford, UK > 3Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela, Grupo de > Medicina Xenómica, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de > Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain > 4Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, UK > 5Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz > University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia > 6Unidade de Xenética, Departamento de Anatomía Patolóxica e Ciencias > Forenses, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, > Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain > > Correspondence: Dr C Capelli, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, > The Tinbergen Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK. Tel: +44 1865 > 271261; Fax: +44 1865 310447; E-mail:cristian.capelli@zoo.ox.ac.uk > > Received 15 September 2014; Revised 28 February 2015; Accepted 17 March 2015 > Advance online publication 22 April 2015 > > Top > ​ ​ > of page > > Abstract > > In most societies, surnames are passed down from fathers to sons, just like > the Y chromosome. It follows that, theoretically, men sharing the same > surnames would also be expected to share related Y chromosomes. Previous > investigations have explored such relationships, but so far, the only > detailed studies that have been conducted are on samples from the British > Isles. > > In order to provide additional insights into the correlation between > surnames and Y chromosomes, we focused on the Spanish population by > analysing Y chromosomes from 2121 male volunteers representing 37 surnames. > The results suggest that the degree of coancestry within Spanish surnames > is highly dependent on surname frequency, in overall agreement with British > but not Irish surname studies. > > Furthermore, a reanalysis of comparative data for all three populations > showed that Irish surnames have much greater and older surname descent > clusters than Spanish and British ones, suggesting that Irish surnames may > have considerably earlier origins than Spanish or British ones. > > Overall, despite closer geographical ties between Ireland and Britain, our > analysis points to substantial similarities in surname origin and > development between Britain and Spain, while possibly hinting at unique > demographic or social events shaping Irish surname foundation and > development. > >