To All R-U106/S21+ Research Group Participants

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On behalf of the R-U106 Group Administrators, I am pleased to provide you this update on the group status. 2009 was a very successful year for R-U106 research. We surpassed 800 group participants and continue to grow at a steady pace. As more and more information becomes available we are seeing the geographic concentration of R-U106 group participant paternal ancestry increasingly centred on north western Europe, and the Netherlands and Belgium in particular; the region historically known as Frisia. Whether or not this represents the origin of the R-U106 founder himself or the most recent common ancestor of the majority of group participants who migrated to Frisia from elsewhere some time in the last few thousand years remains to be determined. Detailed analysis of group participant results is posted on the group website 'Results' tab for your interest, allowing you to see where you fit into the R-U106 picture. The analysis tables are updated approximately once a month.

More significantly to furthering our understanding of the origins of our R-U106 ancestors, several new branches descending from R-U106 ("subclades") were discovered. These new subclades are much younger, in the range of a couple thousand years old, and open up the possibility of connecting them to the historically known tribes of northern Europe. The updated genetic tree for R-U106 looks as follows fashioned as a family tree with R-U106 at the top of the tree (new clades marked with †).

• R-U106
• R-U106*
• R-U198
• R-L1 (Null 439)
• †R-L48                                    (267 of 455 = 59% L48+)
• †R-L48*
• †R-L148                        (3 of 19 = 16% L148+)
• †R-L47                          (21 of 87 = 24% L47+)
• †R-L47*
• †R-L44                (6 of 59 = 10% L44+)
• †R-L44*
• †R-L46      (4 of 56 = 7% L46+)

The search for further subclades continues with promise through the FamilyTreeDNA "Walk on the Y" R-U106* and R-L48 Projects.

To date a small number of project participants have tested for the new sub-clades, enough to show that they indeed were founded before surnames were used, making them useful for deep ancestry research, but not much more. To further our understanding of the age, origins of these new subclades and their distribution across Europe, we need more R-U106 participants to test for them. FamilyTreeDNA offers a number of test options to their customers who have already been confirmed as belonging to haplogroup R-U106. Those of you tested for U106/S21 with other companies are encouraged to test for the equivalent subclades or retest with FamilyTreeDNA. The following are the R-U106 subclade test options offered by FamilyTreeDNA:

1. The 'Deep Clade Upgrade' test available through the Y-DNA Haplotree tab of your personal results tab. Which upgrade is available to you and the cost will depend on which previous tests you've done. The 'Deep Clade Extended C' test checks for R-L1 and R-L48 for $39US. Any participants who completed the Deep Clade R YSNP test after 12 Mar 2009, will automatically have been tested for R-L48 and no upgrade will presently be available through the Haplotree tab. FamilyTreeDNA presently has no plans to add the new subclades to their Deep Clade Upgrade menu of which we are aware.
2. For those of you that have already been tested and shown to belong to the R-L48 subclade (L48+), the subclades R-L148, R-L47, R-L44 and R-L46 are available through the 'Order Tests & Upgrades' tab, 'Advanced Orders' link, 'SNP' check box for $29US each under the R-L48 and R-U106 heading. You will see other YSNPs listed here than these. However, these are thus far found only in individual test results. We do not recommend these 'private' YSNPs for general testing. Instead, they are for those of you with the means and desire to participant in the hunt for new subclades. Also, it is recommended that you test only for the subclades one generation down. For example, if you know you belong to R-L48 then test for R-L148 and R-L47. Wait to see if you belong to either of these subclades before testing further. It may take longer but it will save you spending money testing for subclades that you can't belong to. If you are found to belong to R-L47 then you should test for R-L44, and in turn R-L46 if appropriate.
3. If you have been found to belong to the R-U106* subclade (L1-, U198-, L48-) then there is no further known subclade testing to be done at this time, unless you have the means and desire to participate in the hunt for new subclades. FamilyTreeDNA's Houston Lab Director, Thomas Krahn, has posted a working YDNA tree showing potential new subclades under R-M269 (forefather of R-U106) here.

The potential new clades not discussed in this post, and others are available through the 'Advanced Orders' tab under the R-U106 and R-L48 heading. I refer you to the Yahoogroups R-U106 discussion list and the "Walk on the Y" R-U106* and R-L48 project pages for more info on these. Again they are not recommended for general testing due the high probability they are private YSNPs, unique to the close family of the individual they are found in.

If you have questions about your R-U106 results, the analysis posted on the group website, or general questions on R-U106 research please let me know. I can be reached at (westons@ns.sympatico.ca). Group administrative questions can be directed to the Group Administrator, Dan Draghici (dan_draggon@hotmail.com).

Thank your participation and continued support of the R-U106 group.

David Weston

Group Co-Administrator
R1b-U106/S21+ Research Group
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/U106