Angela
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Another real problem with analyzing actual Sephardic ancestry from Spain and Portugal is that I don't think there are all that many unmixed Sephardic Jews left. After the expulsions, some went to North Africa and admixed there to some extent. Others went to the Balkans and there was some Romaniote admixture. Others still were in Turkey and Syria and mixed with Near Eastern Jews.
For example, we recently discussed Turkish Jews, and how they don't descend from ancient Jewish groups of the first millennium BC or the Roman Era.
They are a mix of Romaniote Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, and a large number of Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Turkey
I used to think that the Belmonte Jews might be a good reference for the Sephardim, but who knows how much they admixed in the intervening years spent in hiding. They may have a lot more "European" than their ancestors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Belmonte
This plot shows they don't cluster with Spaniards, but neither do they cluster with Ashkenazim, and they're even further from the "Sephardim", who may actually be mixed with other groups.
For example, we recently discussed Turkish Jews, and how they don't descend from ancient Jewish groups of the first millennium BC or the Roman Era.
They are a mix of Romaniote Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, and a large number of Sephardic Jews from Spain and Portugal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Turkey
I used to think that the Belmonte Jews might be a good reference for the Sephardim, but who knows how much they admixed in the intervening years spent in hiding. They may have a lot more "European" than their ancestors.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Belmonte
This plot shows they don't cluster with Spaniards, but neither do they cluster with Ashkenazim, and they're even further from the "Sephardim", who may actually be mixed with other groups.