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Ancestor from Africa to Africa

Dr Rentia Landman Reid [Familia 2020 Vol. 57/1 p38-47]

The question whether her Reid ancestors descended from the ancient Picts of present-day Scotland or Vikings from Scandinavia, prompted the author to use her brother's DNA as the basis for the article on the origins of modern humans.

Homo sapiens (man who is smart) originated in Africa when high rainfall made the Sahara and sub-Sahara highly fertile. The last ice age changed this and prehistoric man inevitably migrated. Her family's male line, Haplo group IJK, later found itself in the Fertile Crescent in the present-day Middle East. Her research shows that the founding ancestor was born on the European side of the Caucasus Mountains about 43 000 years ago. His chromosome variant could fall within the Haplo group I-M170. Carriers of this haplo group again migrated to the present-day Ukraine north of the Black Sea, and could even hunt large game with weaponry made of bone and quartz. They also shaped Venus figures as symbols of fertility. Their way of life is known as the Gravettian culture.

Further climate changes led to constant migration and changes in lifestyle, which has also led to further chromosome variation. The author's research showed that migrants reached Scandinavia about 13 000 years ago. Her family has, according to DNA results, mainly genetic ties with Denmark.

She discusses the origins of agriculture and animal husbandry, as well as language through which different haplo groups once again interacted with each other. She points out that her ancestors' language eventually became part of the large Indo-European language family.

That the ancestor from Denmark ended up in Scotland, she can attribute to Viking raids and also trade. While she could not find an answer to the question of whether he was a Viking looter or simply a Danish fisherman, what she does know is that her family's Scottish roots in South Africa date from 1861.

Extract from panel adjudicators' comments:

Although not an article with many names and dates like most genealogical articles, it is the story of all of our ancestors ... it is well researched with the necessary references and in fluent reading style.

The article, of course, speaks of particular research in a hitherto relatively unknown field.

DNA data is playing an increasing role in genealogy. This article is an excellent example of how raw DNA data can be woven into a genealogical family research and an accurate guess and acceptable theory could be linked to answer historical questions.