null439 DNA Project
Group Administrator: Leo Little lwlittle@yahoo.com



Project Background:

Welcome to the null439 project. You are visitor
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since 1 Aug 2006.
null439 is a term used when FTDNA is unable to find a value for marker DYS439. In these cases, FTDNA indicates a null439 with a blue 12 on FTDNA public pages and Group Administrator Pages or a blue asterisk beside 439 on myFTDNA Y-DNA pages with a note that "your sample produced no result for DYS 439" (see below).

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Note: Genographic project members with a null439 will not show a blue 12 or blue asterisk even if they join an FTDNA project.

The apparent missing value is due to a mutation called a "SNP" near DYS439 which interferes with the test process and prevents a value from being detected. See an FTDNA null439 presentation that shows details about the SNP.

SNPs are passed down from father to son, and all males with a null439 SNP descend from a common ancestor who lived within the last 5000 years. Most null439 males with known origins have roots in England or Germany (see the News tab).

The null439 SNP is also called "L1" or "S26". L1/S26 is carried by about a half of one percent of R1b males. All males with L1/S26 also have the SNP "S21" (also known as "U106") which defines the R1b1c9 subgroup. R1b1c9 is found in about 25% of R1b males.

The L1/S26/null439 SNP has previously defined the R1b1c9a subgroup. Under the latest YCC definitions, the subgroup should be designated R1b1b2g3. Bennett Greenspan has written that "The L1 SNP under some Pxxx make from Hammer's lab will be on a forthcoming version of the tree…probably later this year."

If the FTDNA lab fails to detect a value at DYS439, they will test the sample two more times before declaring it to have a null value. This means very few results are mis-identified as a null439 when they are not.

Only FTDNA can "detect" null439s, though we list some results from other labs who have a very close match with known null439 results, even though their null439 status is not confirmed with a blue 12.

If your Family Tree DNA report shows you have an asterisk beside DYS439, then we welcome you to join the null439 project. Click the JOIN icon at the left of your MyFTDNA page and select the null439 project.

Go to the Results tab to see a listing of known null439 results. Go to the Y-Results tab to see results of Project members, but be aware this list includes interested parties who do not have the null439 SNP (as evinced by a blue 12).

Go to the News tab for a discussion of possible null439 connections and origins. Please contact Leo Little at lwlittle@yahoo.com for further information.


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