M223 in Iraq

[John Golin]

A while back, a single M223 Iraqi made a minor stir. The Family Tree DNA website's Iraqi group now lists about 12 cases (about 0.5% of the total) of I-haplogroup Iraqis (in addition to the original). There are 4 or 5 new examples of M223 haplotypes with some in the L702 to P78 region mostly based only on STRs (one subject was snp tested and falls in between L702 and P78). There was an ancient burial in Pakistan of an L702 individual. Given that the I12a haplotype is obviously European, I wonder if a small segment also worked its way southward into Turkey/Iraq (in addition to westward into central and southern Europe).

 

[DrWh033]

Well we do know that Europeans did travel all the way to india during alexander the great campaign. In fact there are people in afghanistan claiming they are descendants of greek soldiers ( doubtful that it is true but nonetheless). We do know that soldiers in his army did marry with local people and stayed as rulers of those regions ( proven by coins, artifacts, buildings) so it would not be so weird for someone from middle east ( babylon-persian empire) to have a I2a ( I am greek and M223 I2a2- cts 1977)