At the Seventh International Family Tree DNA Conference for Group Administrators,
Peter Hrechdakian presented a talk entitled “The Armenian DNA Project”.
Peter Hrechdakian
SOURCE: Peter Hrechdakian (Houston, Harris County, Texas); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 05 November 2011.
The Armenian DNA Project is a large project with 570 members. Historically, Armenia covered a much larger area than it does today and includes several languages.
Armenian DNA exhibits extreme diversity. There are 14 y-DNA haplogroups and 80 distinct clades. Major Y-DNA haplogroups include R1b, J2, G, and J1. Armenians in the R1b haplogroup belong to the older root of R1b, not the Western European root. Armenians come from diverse but ancient origins tied by common language, religion (Christian), and customs.
Armenian mtDNA includes 13 major haplogroups and 70 distinct clades.
Armenians and Assyrians fall into the same Y-DNA and mtDNA haplogroups and Kurdish Jews have similar Y-DNA haplogroups as Armenian. Iraqi Kurds have a slightly greater East Asian component than other groups in the area.
Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko
