The Genetic Genealogist

One of the steps in analyzing the results of a Y-DNA test is to search through Y-DNA databases to look for potential matches. These matches, depending on how well they match, might be relatives, either close or distant (in recent genealogical terms – we’re all distantly related, of course).

One of those databases is YHRD (Y-STR haplotype reference database). The project has two main goals:

1. The generation of reliable Y-STR haplotype frequency estimates for minimal and extended Y-STR haplotypes to be used in the quantitative assessment of matches in forensic and genealogical casework, and;
2. The assessment of male population stratification among world-wide populations as far as reflected by Y-STR haplotype frequency distributions

According to the YHRD website:

“To this end, a growing number of diagnostic and research laboratories have joined in a collaborative effort to collect population data and to create a sufficiently large reference database. All institutions contributing in this project, participated in an obligate quality control exercise.
“This database is interactive and allows the user the search for Y-STR haplotypes in various formats and within specified metapopulations. Related information i.e. STR characteristics, mutations, population genetic analyses etc. is documented.”

The YHRD database is contantly being updated, and on August 10th, Release 22 was added:

“Release 22 is out with 52,655 haplotypes in 464 populations. 50,867 haplotypes of these are completely typed for 9 (Minimal haplotype) and 23,981 for 11 loci (Extended or SWGDAM haplotype). Twenty populations were added or updated today: two Amerindian tribal populations from the Formosa province in Argentina (Pilaga, Toba), one from Venezuela (Caracas), two from provinces in Colombia (Boyaca, Cundinamarca), three from Siberian nomad populations (Western and Central Evens, Iengra Evenks), one from Belarus (Pinsk), three from Ukraine (Kiev, Lviv, Lugansk), three populations from Capetown in South Africa, three from Ravenna, Rimini and Val Marecchia in Italy, one from Hungary, one from Peru and one from Oran in Algeria. We would like to thank the following colleagues for submissions and updates: Daniel Corach and his group (Buenos Aires, Argentina), Brigitte Pakendorf and her group (Leipzig, Germany), Neal Leat and his group (Capetown, South Africa), Susi Pelotti and her group (Bologna, Italy), Pamzsav Horolma and her group (Budapest, Hungary), Ignacio Briceno Balcazar and his group (Bogota, Colombia), Lisbeth Borjas and Tatiana Pardo (Venezuela), Sergey Kravchenko and his group (Kiev, Ukraine), Gian Carlo Iannacone and his group (Lima, Peru) and Carlo Robino and his group in Torino, Italy. Please refer to the section YHRD contributors to get more information.”

HT: Dienekes’ Anthropology Blog