JOIN ONLY IF YOUR DYS455 OR DYS454 IS EQUAL TO 8 OR LESS. Members of R, who DYS455 or DYS454 = 8 or less which is a deletion event of three repeats, whatever their surnames, are the focus of this study. This is a haplogroup project, rather than one based on a surname. If you are in haplogroup R and have DYS455 or DYS454 value of 8 or less copies, or if you match at least 23/25 or 33/37 at FTDNA or on Y-search with another R who has one of the deletions on copy, you can help us determine its significance. DYS454 and DYS455 have the same repeat sequence (AAAT) and mutation rates of about one in 6250 passes from father to son. DYS455 of 8 is find mainly in two haplogroups, I1and J2b. DYS454 of 8 is find mainly in J2b. Removing those with 8s from both markers, 94% of markers have the values of 11 with the rest either 10 or 12. The two J2b groups most recent common ancestor lived less than 3300 years ago and seem the 3 repeats moved from one of the markers to the other. Our goal is to learn about persons with this value. The administrator is doing research on an unique type of mutation. He think he had discovered a new type of mutation. Both of the above markers have the same repeat values, and he think a number of repeats moved from one of the two markers to the other. So far he find it happened in haplogroup J2b. If you were originally tested at FTDNA, you can join by using the join button on your personal page. If you tested with another firm, send your Y-search surname and reference number to the administrator to be added manually. If not in Y-search, send your STRs value to be added manually.