Y-Haplogroup I2a Project

Project Background

The Y-Haplogroup I2a Project began on February 27, 2006 and will continue as long as members wish.
We may use words or terms the reader is not familiar with, if so, please scroll further down this webpage to "Definitions and Explanations".

DONATIONS TO THE I2A GENERAL FUND
We currently have $671.52 US balance in the I2a general fund. That will pay for testing 17 SNP tests ($29 + $9.50 transfer fee = $38.50 US for each test). We need to test many more since we have 5 "Walk the Y" SNP searches ongoing and expect at least 9 total SNPs to be discovered.
Anybody wishing to donate to the I2a general fund may do so by moving your cursor to the left over the icon: Contribute to the Surname Project General Fund Click onto the icon, when the screen appears, scroll down to the pull tab, click onto it and scroll down to I (the letter i, not number 1), select it. The screen will change, I projects will appear. Select I2a and then complete your donation info. Any amount will be appreciated. Each $38.50 US pays for a SNP test and transfer fee.
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What are Haplogroup Projects?
Surname Projects pertain to recent ancestry, ie, four to twelve (or more) generations back. Haplogroup Projects pertain to a person's deep ancestry, ie, their ancient ethnic origins. Meaning thousands of years ago. So the research emphasis changes from genealogy to a mixture of Anthropology and Archaeology, but yDNA still plays a major role for the time being.
Anthropology is defined as the study of humans everywhere and throughout time. Archaeology is defined as the study of human cultures. yDNA is defined as Y-Chromosome DNA, and pertains to the male DNA which is passed from father to son(s) virtually unchanged over the eons.

Purpose of the Haplogroup I2a Project.
The purpose of this Y-Haplogroup I2a Project is to investigate the history and distribution of our ancient ancestors. When and where they lived as they treked out of Africa into what is now current day Europe and then on throughout the World. We want to trace migration routes. We want to learn what parts of the world our subclades are believed to have originated? What parts of the world are our subclades found today? What major cultural events were going on for our subclades or in the World during those times?
We will be attempting to determine subclades of our current members by the defining, furthest downstream SNP. SNP is defined as a mutation in a person's DNA. A better definition may be found further down on this webpage.

Currently our I2a Haplgroup members are involved in "Walk Through the Y" SNP searches to hopefully discover new SNPs. More hopes, that new SNPs will help us know more about our I2a Haplogroup and its subclades.

Membership
The membership of the Y-Haplogroup I2a Project is limited to only those who have been predicted, or confirmed by SNP tests, for Y-Haplogroup I2a and its subclades which are listed above in Project Surnames. Sponsors for male donors who are I2a are also welcome.

How to Join the I2a Haplogroup Project
First you must have yDNA test results from at least 12 DYS markers at FTDNA. Next, go to your "personal pages" at the FTDNA website. Click onto the icon "Join Projects" in the upper left of the screen.
When the new screen appears,scroll down to Search by Surname and input I2a (the letter i not the number 1) in the search engine opposite "equals". When that new screen appears, click onto I2a Y-Haplogroup When that new screen appears, fill in your info to join.
If you are already a member of FTDNA, there is no extra cost to join the I2a Y-Haplogroup project.

If you have tested thru Relative Genetics, DNA Heritage, Ancestry, Oxford Ancestors or Genebase, here is a link to a Promotional Order Form from FTDNA giving lower prices to join FTDNA. The form is to be filled out and mailed or faxed to FTDNA.
FTDNA Promotional Order Form

The I2a Group Administrator will assist each new member in determining their particular subclade.


Other Haplogroup I projects such as I2a are:
Haplogroup I1
Haplogroup I1c
Haplogroup I and subclades I1a, I1b
Haplogroup I(x) and I2b2
Haplogroup I2b2
M223 Haplogroup I2b1

Here is a good tutorial on Hg I:
Genebase Tutorial Click onto the lighted icon and read about Haplgorup I beginnings.

Here are some definitions and explanations:
Clade comes from the Greek word Klados = branch. A Clade on the Y Chromosome tree is also called a Haplogroup. Subclade is a term to describe the relationship between two clades with the sub-clade being downstream (occurring later in time). A Clade includes all the descendants of a single founder (common ancestor).

Haplogroup is defined as a group of similar Haplotypes that share a common ancestor with a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) mutation. Your Haplogroup tells much about your ancient ethnic origins. Meaning thousands of years ago. In the case of our I2a Haplogroup, we all share the SNP (called Snip) I-P37.2+. The I2a Haplogroup has numerous subgroups or subclades, all determined by various other SNPs which we will discuss later.

Human Y Chromosome DNA (yDNA) Haplogroups are lettered A thru T and are further divided using numbers and lower case letters. Our main Haplogroup happened to be called I (the letter i, not the number 1). The time of origin is between 20,000 and 25,000 years ago. Haplogroup I is divided into I1 and I2. The origin of I2 is about 15,000 years ago. SubHaplogroup I2 is further divided into I2a and I2b.

The Y Chromosome contains two types of ancestral markers. Short Tandem Repeats (STRs) are highly informative for tracing your recent ancestry. They will allow you to find matches in the last four to twelve generations. Meanwhile the Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) help you understand your deep ancestry. SNPs are small "mistakes" that occur in DNA. SNPs are rare. They happen at a rate of approx one mutation every few hundred generations. When a SNP occurs it marks a point in the shared Y chromosome tree. Each mutation event can be linked to a time and place in history. By testing SNPs it is possible to retrace the history of a paternal line.

Because a Haplogroup consists of similar Haplotypes, it is possible to predict a person's Haplogroup from his Haplotype. A SNP test confirms the Haplogroup.

SNP is defined as a change in the DNA which happens when a single nucleotide (A, T, G or C) in the genome sequence is altered. A person has many SNPs that together create a unique DNA pattern for that individual.

Haplotype is defined as one person's set of values for the DYS markers that have been tested. In other words, your yDNA test results. Think of Haplotypes as leaves on a tree, and a Haplogroup as a limb of that tree.

Allele is defined as a DNA sequence that repeats at a certain location (DYS marker) on the Y Chromosome. The Allele value is the number of times the sequence repeats. Pronounced uh-LEEL.

STR is a short DNA motif (pattern) repeated in tandem. A, T, G or C repeated eleven times would give the DYS marker a value or allele of eleven.

DYS is short for DNA/ Y-Chromosome/ Segment. The name of a marker on the Y-Chromosome.

sources of the above:
FTDNA Glossary
FTDNA SNPs-R-Us
ISOGG Glossary


SUBCLADES OF HAPLOGROUP I2A:

I2a is a major subHaplogroup of Y-Haplogroup "I" (the letter i, not number 1). It is defined by the SNP P37.2+. I2a has the following known subgroups/ subclades:

I2a* (includes I-P37.2-France, Western and Western-Isles subclades)
.I2a1 Defined by SNP I-M26 (Includes I-M26 a,b,c & France subclades)
....I2a1a Defined by SNP I-M161
..I2a2 Defined by SNP I-M423(includes Dinaric, Isles and Disles subclades)
....I2a2a Defined by SNP P41.2/M359.2
....I2a2b Defined by SNP L69.2/S163.2 (=T)

source of above info:
ISOGG 2009

GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF I2A SUBCLADES
The Balkan countries likely harbored subclade I2a during the Last Glacial Maximum. Today, this branch is found distributed in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, and extends further east with Slavic-speaking populations; also extends north and west through Europe and into the British Isles.
source: Haplogroup I (Y-DNA) at Wikipedia

From Ken Nordtvedt's "Story of I1b1" comes the following descriptions of the various subclades of I2a:
..."Dinaric. (I2a2, M423+) It is mainly found in eastern Europe with frequency peak in Bosnia and Croatia, near the Dinaric Alps."
..."Western I2a (I2a* P37.2+)is located more to the northwest in Germany, but appreciable amounts of it are found in the British Isles as well."
..."Isles (I2a2, M423+) is almost exclusively found in the British Isles and especially in Ireland."
....Sardinian (I2a1, M26+) accounts for about a third of Sardinia ydna, but it is also found at decent frequencies in regions of Italy and Iberia. It is also scattered up the Atlantic seaboard of Europe and into the British Isles. SNP M26+ defines this subhaplogroup of I2a but its extremely unique YCAIIa,b motif makes an SNP unnecessary for its identification." I add to this that Sardinia is not necessarily the origin of M26 but rather, probably a recipient of M26 from the mainland. SubHaplogroup I2a1 is very common in Sardinia and was likely among the first humans to populate the island about 9000 years ago. It is also found in the western Mediterranean and western Europe at lower frequencies. Unlike I2a, I2a1 is not present east of the Adriatic Sea.

Here's a link to a map showing locations of most of the current SNP's of Haplogroup I throughout Europe
Map of Haplogroup I's SNP locations throughout continental Europe

Below is the link to Ken Nordtvedt's "Story of I2a (P37.2)". Our thanks to Ken for allowing us access and reference to his works.

"The Story of I1b1 P37.2+"

Those wishing to find estimated ages back to Clade MRCAs in I2a subgroups/subclades can access Ken Nordtvedt's website:
Estimated Ages Back to Clade MRCAs (Most Recent Common Ancestor)
note: this website currently not available.

Below is a link to Diana Matthiesen's chart showing defining SNP's of subclades of Hg I thru I2a2b, per Nordtvedt, ISOGG, and FTDNA. Further down the chart is Ken's Modals of each subclade in FTDNA order. Our thanks to Diana for allowing this link.

defining SNPs; and Hg I modals in FTDNA order

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