One in 17 Mediterranean men 'related to Phoenicians'
One in 17 Mediterranean men may be related to ancient Phoenicians
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Friday, 31, Oct 2008 07:55
One in 17 men in the Mediterranean may be related to the ancient Phoenicians, research suggests.
In a report published in the American Journal of Human Genetics today scientists looked at the genetic legacy of the first millennium BC civilization and claimed that at least one boy in every school class from Cyprus to Tunis may be a direct male-line descendant.
Using a new analytical method developed by the National Geographic and IBM's Genographic Project scientific consortium, experts looked for genetic signatures in men that were more common in regions with a Phoenician history than in nearby places where the Phoenicians never settled.
The research revealed a handful of genetic lineages that are shared among far-flung populations from around the Mediterranean, all linked by the fact they had been Phoenician colonies.
"When we started, we knew nothing about the genetics of the Phoenicians. All we had to guide us was history: We knew where they had and hadn't settled. But this simple information turned out to be enough, with the help of modern genetics, to trace a vanished people," Chris Tyler-Smith, from The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said.
Pierre Zalloua, Genographic principal investigator for the Middle East and North Africa, added: "This study brings to life a magnificent piece of our population heritage that has been buried or forgotten. This new finding is a key fortification against miscomprehension or misconceptions of our history.
"Only a comprehensive knowledge of our past can help strengthen our modern identity. It is a challenging but a wonderful undertaking to be able to unravel and write your own history."