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Wackes Y-DNA
Wackes Y-DNA is G-P303 or G2a3b
Adam passed on to his sons a specific chromosomal Y-DNA. At different points since that time, men unknowingly experienced modifications, or mutations, to their Y-chromosomal DNA. These were then passed on to and perpetuated by their male descendants. These mutations, such as P287 and, for our family, P15 and P303, are called SNPs and persist in the Y-chromosome DNA of a male descendant line. The Y-DNA mutation is only able to be passed on from male to male. Females do not contribute a Y chromosome to their children. The absence of the Y chromosome is what constitutes being female.
From Adam’s original Y-DNA, 20 known groups of Y-DNA, called haplogroups, have developed. All Wackes males descending from Johann Heinrich Wackes belong to the G Haplogroup. The Y-DNA shows “who you daddy is” and “who you daddy ain’t.” Anyone in this family line who tests out differently is either of another parentage than he thought (“who you daddy ain’t!”) or has been adopted.
The “G” haplogroup is the smallest of the twenty major Y-DNA groups, represented in less than 3% of the tested population in Europe. It is even more rare in Germany, where less than 2% of the tested population is type G.
Research at this point indicates a possible Syrian origin for G-P303 and a movement northward into Europe during the Iron Age. Other movements into Europe occurred during the Hellenistic period of 300-400 B.C. and as men of this group traveled to outposts in Europe representing the Empire as Roman soldiers.
Wherever Roman outposts were established, the G Y-DNA was left behind, probably through intermarriage. Suhl is on the border of the ancient division between the Roman Empire and the unconquered Germanic tribes and where Roman soldiers would have settled.
How Did It Start?
The first male to possess the M201 mutation, which distinguishes the G Haplogroup, is thought to possibly have lived along the edge of the Middle East. One thing distinguishes him and this particular mutation: he had relatively very few descendants.
Concerning where his descendants live today, the greatest concentrations of G members are found in the Republic of Georgia (about 30% of the population), the island of Sardinia (14%), northern Italy (10%), northern Spain (8%), and Turkey (7%). In northwest Europe, including Germany, the G group only occurs at a rate of about 1-3%. [1]
Rarer still is the sub-group G2a3b. The Wackes men have the P15 and P16 mutations, which classifies them as G2a, and the P303 mutation, which classifies them as G2a3b or G-P303.
How did the G2a3b men (Wackes) arrive in Europe, and for our discussion, into Germany?
An interesting hypothesis comes from Ted Kendall, who formerly maintained at Yahoo a Haplogroup G discussion group. In addressing an email from a participant about the G2a3b DYS388=13 marker [which Wackes males possess:
Adam passed on to his sons a specific chromosomal Y-DNA. At different points since that time, men unknowingly experienced modifications, or mutations, to their Y-chromosomal DNA. These were then passed on to and perpetuated by their male descendants. These mutations, such as P287 and, for our family, P15 and P303, are called SNPs and persist in the Y-chromosome DNA of a male descendant line. The Y-DNA mutation is only able to be passed on from male to male. Females do not contribute a Y chromosome to their children. The absence of the Y chromosome is what constitutes being female.
From Adam’s original Y-DNA, 20 known groups of Y-DNA, called haplogroups, have developed. All Wackes males descending from Johann Heinrich Wackes belong to the G Haplogroup. The Y-DNA shows “who you daddy is” and “who you daddy ain’t.” Anyone in this family line who tests out differently is either of another parentage than he thought (“who you daddy ain’t!”) or has been adopted.
The “G” haplogroup is the smallest of the twenty major Y-DNA groups, represented in less than 3% of the tested population in Europe. It is even more rare in Germany, where less than 2% of the tested population is type G.
Research at this point indicates a possible Syrian origin for G-P303 and a movement northward into Europe during the Iron Age. Other movements into Europe occurred during the Hellenistic period of 300-400 B.C. and as men of this group traveled to outposts in Europe representing the Empire as Roman soldiers.
Wherever Roman outposts were established, the G Y-DNA was left behind, probably through intermarriage. Suhl is on the border of the ancient division between the Roman Empire and the unconquered Germanic tribes and where Roman soldiers would have settled.
How Did It Start?
The first male to possess the M201 mutation, which distinguishes the G Haplogroup, is thought to possibly have lived along the edge of the Middle East. One thing distinguishes him and this particular mutation: he had relatively very few descendants.
Concerning where his descendants live today, the greatest concentrations of G members are found in the Republic of Georgia (about 30% of the population), the island of Sardinia (14%), northern Italy (10%), northern Spain (8%), and Turkey (7%). In northwest Europe, including Germany, the G group only occurs at a rate of about 1-3%. [1]
Rarer still is the sub-group G2a3b. The Wackes men have the P15 and P16 mutations, which classifies them as G2a, and the P303 mutation, which classifies them as G2a3b or G-P303.
How did the G2a3b men (Wackes) arrive in Europe, and for our discussion, into Germany?
An interesting hypothesis comes from Ted Kendall, who formerly maintained at Yahoo a Haplogroup G discussion group. In addressing an email from a participant about the G2a3b DYS388=13 marker [which Wackes males possess:
“Randall, notice that your exact G2a3b DYS388=13 matches are distributed exactly along the Roman frontier. The area between Berne, Switzerland and Baden, Germany has several towns and cities founded as Roman colonies and there were all sorts of military outposts there as well. We see the same pattern in the other regions you mentioned, going from Belgium and the Netherlands through Austria, Hungary, and Romania.
“Why the concentration along the Roman frontier and pretty much nowhere else? (For example, nothing in the Central Balkans.)
“The Alans were indeed settled as tribal auxiliaries right along the Roman Frontier. . . .
“On the other hand, a group of Roman military colonists would have the same initial settlement pattern along the frontier. . . I think we should be able to distinguish between nomadic tribesmen who were settled along the frontier and who later moved onward, and a more settled and organized military and civilian colonization of outsiders sponsored by the Roman Empire, but which ceased after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire's frontier in 406 [AD].
“We have a very wide variety of geographic origins in this highly similar G2a3b DYS388=13 group. Many are from Germany, but we have some from places like Italy and quite a few from the British Isles. The interesting thing is that we have a few Welsh in this group. This would indicate that this clade was already in place in Britain before 410 A.D. The distribution here would indicate that people in this closely-related group arrived in Britain before the fall of the Roman Empire, but clearly after the Roman conquest of Britain. This gives us a time frame of 44-410 A.D.” [2]
“Why the concentration along the Roman frontier and pretty much nowhere else? (For example, nothing in the Central Balkans.)
“The Alans were indeed settled as tribal auxiliaries right along the Roman Frontier. . . .
“On the other hand, a group of Roman military colonists would have the same initial settlement pattern along the frontier. . . I think we should be able to distinguish between nomadic tribesmen who were settled along the frontier and who later moved onward, and a more settled and organized military and civilian colonization of outsiders sponsored by the Roman Empire, but which ceased after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire's frontier in 406 [AD].
“We have a very wide variety of geographic origins in this highly similar G2a3b DYS388=13 group. Many are from Germany, but we have some from places like Italy and quite a few from the British Isles. The interesting thing is that we have a few Welsh in this group. This would indicate that this clade was already in place in Britain before 410 A.D. The distribution here would indicate that people in this closely-related group arrived in Britain before the fall of the Roman Empire, but clearly after the Roman conquest of Britain. This gives us a time frame of 44-410 A.D.” [2]
Modification of J.D. Mcdonald's map. By: Julio León Peixoto Schwab at http://www.julepe.org/GenographicProject/Europe_map_haplogroups2.htm
The percentage for the sub group G2a3b of which the Wackes men are members is much smaller than that shown for the entirety of G in the map above. However, according to Ray Banks, G2a3b seems to be the largest group of G males in Europe today.
As seen below, the Wackes line has gone through at least four major mutations to bring us to the present G2a3b -- the first distinguishing us from all other haplogroups (M201), the second placing us within the G2 group (P15), the third placing us within the G2a group (P16) and a new finding, the P303 which classifies us as G2a3b or G-P303.
Below is the confirmation of the Wackes Y-DNA as G-P303. [3]
As seen below, the Wackes line has gone through at least four major mutations to bring us to the present G2a3b -- the first distinguishing us from all other haplogroups (M201), the second placing us within the G2 group (P15), the third placing us within the G2a group (P16) and a new finding, the P303 which classifies us as G2a3b or G-P303.
Below is the confirmation of the Wackes Y-DNA as G-P303. [3]
From Wikipedia article, "Haplogroup G-P303":
"The G2a3b1 definable subgroups are heavily concentrated throughout Europe west of the Black Sea and Russia where G2a3b1 is often in the majority among G persons. Small percentages of G2a3b1 are found primarily in the area encompassed by Turkey, the Caucasus countries, Iran and the Middle East where the G2a3b1 SNP may have originated. G2a3b1 is also found in India." [4]
From Eupedia's article "Haplogroup G2a" we also find the following hypothesis: [5]
"The G2a3b1 definable subgroups are heavily concentrated throughout Europe west of the Black Sea and Russia where G2a3b1 is often in the majority among G persons. Small percentages of G2a3b1 are found primarily in the area encompassed by Turkey, the Caucasus countries, Iran and the Middle East where the G2a3b1 SNP may have originated. G2a3b1 is also found in India." [4]
From Eupedia's article "Haplogroup G2a" we also find the following hypothesis: [5]
- G2a and G2a3b people were the first to bring agriculture and herding to Europe, migrating to Europe from the Middle East. The major crop was wheat. They domesticated cattle and horses. (It has been suggested that "Wackes" is derived from "Waggis," Latin for "herder."
- They were perhaps the first to experience a mutation resulting in fairer skin.
- G2a3b1 people were part of an Indo-European invasion of India where today many in the upper casts are G2a3b1.
- Linguistically they were the source of the Latin, Germanic, and Nordic languages.
- While the G2a people preferred the mountainous areas of Europe for protection, the G2a3b1 people preferred the plains and steppes for their agriculture and herding, and became the more dominant.
Sources
- This information is taken from the book, The Journey of Man, by Spencer Wells in which he describes the history of the male Y-chromosome. An excerpted article, “History of Haplogroup G,” can be found at http://home.comcast.net/~whitathey/historyg.htm
- This email response by Ted Kendall is found at http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/th/read/Y-DNA-HAPLOGROUP-G/2009-05/1242759182
- https://www.familytreedna.com/my/y-dna-haplotree
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_G-M201
- http://www.eupedia.com/europe/Haplogroup_G2a_Y-DNA.shtml