Bloodlines of the British by Walter Bodmer

The white cells of the blood are a source of DNA , whose analysis reveals our genetic makeup. Blood samples from different human population groups can therefore give us valuable information about genetic variation within and between different human populations, and so about the population interrelationships. A detailed analysis of the DNA variation observed in a carefully sourced collection of blood samples from all over the UK has enabled the creation of a “genetic map” of the UK that helps to tell us where the British people came from. We can even detect differences within the UK between people from Devon and Cornwall. By extending the study to Irish populations we can build up a picture of the origins of the populations of the UK and Ireland as they have developed since the end of the last ice age. Recent studies of DNA from ancient burial ground skeletons have, however, suggested intriguing differences from the modern populations. These may be explained by the burial sources of these ancient DNAs not being typical of the overall population that existed in Great Britain and Ireland at that time.
Walter Bodmer is a human geneticist and cancer researcher. Formerly professor of genetics at Stanford and Oxford Universities and then Director of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now CRUK), he now leads the Cancer and Immunogenetics Laboratory at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford University, where he is an Emeritus Professor. His major current research interests are in the fundamental genetics and biology of colorectal cancer and their potential clinical applications, and in the characterization, analysis, and population distribution of genetic diversity in human populations.

[@noelbecker7002]

It's interesting that a small sliver from S France/ Spain is pretty evenly distributed across the isle, suggesting to me that that may be the most ancient substrate, having occurred during the earliest times, when there was still a direct land connection from Spain to the west of the British isle.

[@MALANDRINON]

A comment on the Iberian connection in Wales. Tacitus described how the Silures, a tribe in South Wales, looked like Iberians; the area they occupied, SE Wales, is now largely industrialised but there might be some villages with original populations worth chasing up.

[@janekinnane5884]

What about the steppe beaker people 2400bc who contribute greatly to modern people and probably brought proto celtic languages.

[@tedtimmis8135]

I wondered the same. The lecturer basically rejected the recent paper showing a 90% replacement of the pre-existing middle-east farmers with Bell Beaker…Just when I thought I understood this.

[@rgb8263]

Scythians fkn rule!

[@FatEnjoi]

Too controversial for modern academics. Anything associated with 1930's Germany is seen as pseudoscience and rejected

[@musiqueetmontagne]

Thank you so much, a fascinating lecture indeed.

[@noelbecker7002]

This is a very interesting lecture. It could be improved by keeping the camera on the maps as he talks. We don't get any extra information from his face after a point. When you switch back and forth from the map to his face as he continues to talk, it is more difficult to follow, and information is lost when we are looking at his face rather than the map to which he is referring.

[@ansfridaeyowulfsdottir8095]

Yes, I have heard of a more Welsh name than David Hughes. Llewellyn ap Gruffydd. {:-:-:}

[@Silly.Old.Sisyphus]

well now, David is an Israeli name, and Hugh is an Anglo-Norman name. So you could hardly find a less Welsh name than David Hughes....

[@RonJohn63]

29:34 This tells me that people from Peterhead and Aberdeen settled in the Plantation of Ulster (but I'm an American who doesn't know the details of who went to Ireland). 41:27 Lots and lots of "France".

[@raulepure9840]

Most of it is old like celtic type

[@tedtimmis8135]

No major contribution from Yamnaya or Bell Beaker people? I guess that’s still an open question.

[@raulepure9840]

It is an older study so they there is no comparation with data from recent papers, comparation is with other modern populations so it is not the best to understand the fine structure of influx population troughout times, just give you some hints not a clear picture. You need a new comparation with old dna that was published in recent studies.

[@billmclaurin6959]

He did mention it, but was dismissive about it. It appeared as if he couldn't believe that so many people could be displaced.

[@tedtimmis8135]

@@billmclaurin6959 Recent DNA studies show a massive replacement of the male population of neolithic farmers although interestingly not with the female lines of Neolithic farmers.

[@billmclaurin6959]

@@tedtimmis8135 That will expalin why R1b is so common within western and central Europe. This pattern seems to have its highest level among the Basques who are almost 100% R1b, while the female line is almost 100% Neolithic. It is this high Neolithic female line which is responsible form them using a non Indio-European language.