Why do some lineages display less mutations?

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31-03-19, 03:30
BovineBen

Why do some lineages display less mutations?

Hello all
I am new to this forum and the study of genetics, and am finding it fascinating. Excuse my ignorance but I have a basic question that is probably covered many times somewhere in the literature on haplo groups.
My querie is why do some people test as older haplo groups/ subclades and others more recent mutations? I was under the impression that genes mutate at a fairly constant rate.
For example I come up as R1b-U152 and subclade L2, and a family friend registers as
R-M269, a much older R1b group.
Thanks for any assistance.
31-03-19, 19:40
ToBeOrNotToBe

He won’t just be M269, that’s why. You also won’t just be L2. You’re right by the way
05-04-19, 04:33
BovineBen

Thank you for your response, but i am still not following how/why with the living DNA test an (non-blood relative) uncle is reported as R-P312 (no subclade) and i as R-U152 L2. Why is he not at a similar level on the tree? Understand that i am probably missing one of the fundamentals of genetics!
07-04-19, 20:35
RobertColumbia

Quote:

Originally Posted by BovineBen

Thank you for your response, but i am still not following how/why with the living DNA test an (non-blood relative) uncle is reported as R-P312 (no subclade) and i as R-U152 L2. Why is he not at a similar level on the tree? Understand that i am probably missing one of the fundamentals of genetics!

This is because any downstream mutations that you do happen to have are not considered for purposes of a basic haplogroup test. For example, at one point R1b was an "endpoint" in terms of testing. That didn't mean that everyone literally had an unaltered, "original" R1b, it meant that R1b was the most specific set of mutations that had been reliably observed. In time, the mutations that you have may be linked with those of others, resulting in the documentation of a new subclade.
13-04-19, 01:23
BovineBen

Thank you RobertColumbia, that puts it into perspective! I can see how people miss-interpret their DNA results, thinking they belong to a certain haplogroup. For example a neighbour tested with ancestry.com is reported as M269, a very old branch that is the root for many that belong to R1b, me included. So this implies he is no more M269 than me, it is just his set of mutations have not been as closely matched/documented?
cheers