R-L21 or R1b1a2a1a2c, also known as R-M529 or R-S145, is a

Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup In human genetics, a human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup is a haplogroup defined by specific mutations in the non-Genetic recombination, recombining portions of DNA on the male-specific Y chromosome (Y-DNA). Individuals within a haplogroup share ...

. It is often linked to the

Insular Celts The Insular Celts were speakers of the Insular Celtic languages in the British Isles and Brittany. The term is mostly used for the Celtic peoples of the isles up until the early Middle Ages, covering the British– Irish Iron Age, Roman Britai ...

. One subclade, R-DF13 comprises over 99% of bearers. It is dominant among males in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

, present in high frequencies in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and western

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and present also to a lesser extent in

Iberia The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

and the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

History

This haplogroup first emerges in the Early

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

in Britain and Ireland, where the earliest samples begin to appear. Its introduction was part of a large genetic transformation associated with the

Bell Beaker culture The Bell Beaker culture, also known as the Bell Beaker complex or Bell Beaker phenomenon, is an archaeological culture named after the inverted-bell beaker drinking vessel used at the beginning of the European Bronze Age, arising from around ...

, wherein steppe descended peoples largely replaced Britain's earlier

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

population. The lineage reached a frequency of 90% in early Bronze Age Britain (being nearly absent in contemporary samples from the continent), it gradually declined through the Middle Bronze Age to 70% by the

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

(due to continental migrations which also increased the levels of EEF admixture among Britons).See ''Large-scale migration into Britain during the Middle to Late Bronze Age'' Figure 5 It later fell to its modern levels in Britain after the Anglo-Saxon invasions. However, it still remains the dominant lineage in

and

. Its origin is possibly around south west Britain as

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

is where the highest persistence of R-DF63 descended subclades are found, being the elder sibling of the extremely dominant R-DF13 subclade.See ''Flood'' page 2

Archaeological testing

* The body of a man excavated from Canada Farm,

Sixpenny Handley Sixpenny Handley or Handley is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Sixpenny Handley and Pentridge, in north east Dorset, England, situated on Cranborne Chase north east of Blandford Forum. In the 2011 census the parish ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

dating from 2468 to 2294 BC was found to be R-L21.Sample ID: I5379, Se
Supplementary Tables
Large-scale migration into Britain during the Middle to Late Bronze Age * The body of a manSample ID: KD070 found in Low Hauxley,

Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...

, dating from 2464 to 2209 BC, was classified as R1b1a1a2a1a2c1a1n (R-DF13 > R-Z39589 > R-FGC59881 > R-BY577 > R-BY575). * 'Racton Man' found in

Westbourne, West Sussex Westbourne is a village, civil parish and electoral ward in the Chichester District of West Sussex, England. It is located north east of Emsworth. The parish includes the hamlets of Woodmancote and Aldsworth, and once included the settlements of ...

, England, dating from 2453 to 2146 BC and buried with a bronze dagger was classified as R-L21.Sample ID: I27380, Se
Supplementary Tables
Large-scale migration into Britain during the Middle to Late Bronze Age * The CompanionSample ID: I2565 (dating to 2456‒2146 BC, aged 25–30), buried beside the

Amesbury Archer The Amesbury Archer ( 2340 BC - 2300 BC) is an early Bronze Age (Bell Beaker) man whose grave was discovered during excavations at the site of a new housing development () in Amesbury near Stonehenge. The grave was uncovered in May 2002. ...

Sample ID: I14200 (dating to 2470‒2239 BC, aged 35–45), found near

Stonehenge Stonehenge is a prehistoric Megalith, megalithic structure on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, west of Amesbury. It consists of an outer ring of vertical sarsen standing stones, each around high, wide, and weighing around 25 tons, to ...

, belonged to R-L21. The archer (identified only as R-L151) may have been buried up to 80 years before the companion (although there is overlap in the dates) and was a kinsman (both shared a calcaneonavicular coalition on their feet), with a predicted relatedness coefficient of 0.0405 (95% confidence interval of -0.0161 to 0.0971). The isotopic profiles of the men indicate the archer spent the earliest years of his life in

the Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

, near modern Switzerland, and had higher levels of Neolithic ancestry compared to the companion who had spent his life in Britain but may have spent his early teens in North East Scotland or the Midlands. The archer possessed above average EEF admixture of 45% whereas the companion had around 33%, more in line with other British samples of the Early Bronze Age. Another man,Sample ID: I2417 also buried in Amesbury Down and dating from 2500 to 2100 BC was also R-L21Se
Supplementary Tables
Large-scale migration into Britain during the Middle to Late Bronze Age and is notable of having an EEF admixture of only 22%, the lowest ever found in Britain. * A body of a man dating from around 2349-2135 BC found in Pollnagollum,Study ID: Pollnagollum911 Ireland was classified as R-DF13 > R-FGC11134, a predominantly Irish subclade in modern populations and ancestral to the

Eóganachta The Eóganachta (Modern , ) were an Irish dynasty centred on Rock of Cashel, Cashel which dominated southern Ireland (namely the Kingdom of Munster) from the 6/7th to the 10th centuries, and following that, in a restricted form, the Kingdom of De ...

. Another body found in Treanmacmurtagh,Study ID: Treanmacmurtagh116

County Sligo County Sligo ( , ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Northern and Western Region and is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in ...

, dating from 2015 to 1758 BC was also classified as R-FGC11134. * 'Ditchling Man', dating from 2287 to 2041 BC, found in Ditchling Road,

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

and buried with a pottery beaker, arrowhead & shells. He was classified as R-Z290, the immediate parent of R-L21.Sample ID: I6774, Se
Supplementary Tables
Large-scale migration into Britain during the Middle to Late Bronze Age * Three

Early Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

men from burials on

Rathlin Island Rathlin Island (, ; Local Irish dialect: ''Reachraidh'', ; Scots: ''Racherie'') is an island and civil parish off the coast of County Antrim (of which it is part) in Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's northernmost point. As of the 2021 ...

off the north coast of Ireland were all R1b1a2a1a2c, or R-L21. Rathlin 1 dated from 2026 to 1885 BC and was defined as R-DF21. Rathlin 2 dated from 2024 to 1741 BC and was defined as further defined as R-DF13. Rathlin 3 dated from 1736 to 1534 BC and was defined as R-L21.
Archive
/ref>

Prominent members of R-L21

Below are listed some theorized lineages of prominent families. * The

House of Stuart The House of Stuart, originally spelled Stewart, also known as the Stuart dynasty, was a dynasty, royal house of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and later Kingdom of Great Britain, Great ...

who ruled as

Kings of Scotland The monarch of Scotland was the head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland. According to tradition, Kenneth I MacAlpin () was the founder and first King of the Kingdom of Scotland (although he never held the title historically, being King of the ...

from 1371 and then, additionally, as

Kings of England This list of kings and reigning queens of the Kingdom of England begins with Alfred the Great, who initially ruled Wessex, one of the heptarchy, seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms which later made up modern England. Alfred styled himself king of the ...

and

from 1603 until 1714. According to the Stewart DNA Project they lie under the subclade R1b-L21 > DF13 > Z39589 > DF41/S524 > Z43690 > S775 > L746 > S781. They are ultimately of

Breton Breton most often refers to: *anything associated with Brittany, and generally **Breton people **Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany ** Breton (horse), a breed **Gale ...

origin. * The

Dál gCais The Dalcassians ( ) are a Gaels, Gaelic Irish clan, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became very powerful in Ireland during the 10th century. Their genealogies claimed descent from Tál ...

clan and all subsidiary families including the O'Brien (who were

High Kings of Ireland High King of Ireland ( ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and was later sometimes assigned anachronously or to leg ...

Kings of Munster The kings of Munster () ruled the Kingdom of Munster in Ireland from its establishment during the Irish Iron Age until the High Middle Ages. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the ''Book of Invasions'', the earli ...

Kings of Thomond The kings of Thomond () ruled from the establishment of Thomond during the High Middle Ages, until the Early modern period. Thomond represented the legacy of Brian Bóruma and the High Kings of Ireland of his line who could not hold onto all ...

Earl of Thomond Earl of Thomond was an hereditary title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created twice for the O'Brien dynasty which is an ancient Irish sept native to north Munster. History and background First creation Under the Crown of Ireland Act 1542, K ...

Viscount Clare Viscount Clare was a title in the Peerage of Ireland, created twice. First creation The titles of Viscount Clare and Baron Moyarta were conferred on Daniel O'Brien, a younger son of Connor O'Brien, 3rd Earl of Thomond, on 11 July 1662. These ...

Marquess of Thomond A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or widow) ...

etc.) as well as the

MacNamara MacNamara or McNamara ( Irish: ''Mac Con Mara'') is an Irish surname of a family of County Clare in Ireland. According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the MacNamaras were one of the chiefly families of the Dal gCais or Dalcassians who were a tri ...

Lords of Clancullen, the

O'Kennedy The O'Kennedy family (Irish language, Irish: ''Ó Cinnéide''), sometimes Kennedy, were an Irish royal dynasty, a sept of the Dál gCais, founded in the Middle Ages who were Kings of Ormond. Their founder was the nephew of High King of Ireland ...

Lords of Ormond, the

O'Dea O'Dea ( ; , formerly ), is an Irish surname derived from ', the name of a tenth-century clan chieftain. According to historian C. Thomas Cairney, the O'Deas were one of the chiefly families of the Dal gCais or Dalcassians who were a tribe of ...

Lords of Cineal Fearmaic and others. They descended from the common ancestor of

Tál Cas Cas or Tál Cas was the eponymous ancestor and dynastic founder of the Dál gCais (''Deisi Tuaiscirt'') clan in Gaelic Ireland, from whom all branches of the Dalcassian dynasty claim common descent. Life Tál Cas was the son of Conall Eachlu ...

and are of the lineage: L21>>DF13>ZZ10_1>>Z2534>>>L226>>Z17669.See ''High Resolution Paternal Genetic History of Ireland...'' page 105 * The Eoganacht and their close relatives, the

Uí Fidgenti The Uí Fidgenti, Fidgeinti, Fidgheinte, Fidugeinte, Fidgente, or Fidgeinte ( or ;In the pronunciation, the -d- is silent, and the -g- becomes a glide, producing what might be anglicized ''Feeyenti'' or ''Feeyenta''. "descendants of, or of the ...

, whom they have a corresponding genetic and genealogical relationship to (via their shared descent from

Ailill Flann Bec Ailill Flann Bec, son of Fiachu Muillethan, was an Irish dynast belonging to the Deirgtine, the proto-historical ancestors of the historical Eóganachta dynasties of Munster. He was the father of Luigthech, also known as Lugaid, and thus the g ...

). They possessed the mutation L21>>DF13>FGC11134>>>>>CTS4466>>>>A541. They were

from around 400 AD until they were deposed by their former vassals, the Dál gCais in the 10th century. Septs include the

O'Sullivan O'Sullivan may refer to: People * O'Sullivan family, a gaelic Irish clan * O'Sullivan (surname), a family name * Sullivan (surname), a variation of the O'Sullivan family name Places * O'Sullivan Dam, Washington, United States * O'Sullivan Army He ...

Lords of

Beare Beare G.M. Miller, ''BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names'' (Oxford UP, 1971), p. 12. is a village in the civil parish of Broadclyst in Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South W ...

, the O'Mahony Lords of

Kinalmeaky Kinalmeaky () is a barony in County Cork, Ireland. Etymology Kinalmeaky takes its name from ''Cenél-mBéice'', Irish for "the kindred of Béce," an ancestor of the O'Mahonys. Geography Kinalmeaky is located in south-central County Cork, on t ...

and others. The descendants of

Cellachán Caisil Cellachán mac Buadacháin (died 954), called Cellachán Caisil, was King of Munster. Biography The son of Buadachán mac Lachtnai, he belonged to the Cashel branch of the Eóganachta kindred, the Eóganacht Chaisil. The last of his cognatic ...

, their last great king in Munster before this deposition have however shown to belong to an entirely separate lineage. His descendants included the

O'Callaghan O'Callaghan or simply Callaghan without the prefix (anglicized from two separate surnames and clans, '' Ó Ceallacháin,'' Munster Clan. ''Ó Ceileacháin,'' Oriel Clan'')'' is an Irish surname. Origin and meaning Munster The surname means desc ...

s (Lords of Cineál Aodha) and Mac Carthys (

Kings of Desmond The following is a list of monarchs of the Kingdom of Desmond. Most were of the MacCarthy Mór ("great MacCarthy"), the senior branch of the MacCarthy dynasty. 12th century MacCarthy MacCarthy claimants O'Brien claimants MacCarthy 13th ...

Earl of Clancarty Earl of Clancarty is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland. History The title was created for the first time in 1658 in favour of Donough MacCarty, 2nd Viscount Muskerry, of the MacCarthy of Muskerry dynasty. He had ...

etc.). These belonged to the lineage L21>>DF13>DF21>>>>>Z16534. * The

Connachta The Connachta are a group of medieval Irish dynasty, dynasties who claimed descent from the legendary High King of Ireland, High King Conn of the Hundred Battles, Conn Cétchathach (Conn of the Hundred Battles). The modern western Provinces of ...

, specifically the descendants of the sons of

Eochaid Mugmedon Eochaid Mugmedón () was a legendary Irish king. According to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, Eochaid was a High King of Ireland, best known as the father of Niall of the Nine Hostages and ancestor of the Uí Néill and Connachta ...

, comprising the

Uí Briúin The Uí Briúin were a royal dynasty of Connacht. Their eponymous apical ancestor was Brión, son of Eochaid Mugmedon and Mongfind, and an elder half brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They formed part of the Connachta, along with th ...

Uí Fiachrach The Uí Fiachrach () were a royal dynasty who originated in, and whose descendants later ruled, the ''coicead'' or ''fifth'' of Connacht (a western province of Ireland) at different times from the mid-first millennium onwards. They claimed descen ...

and

Uí Néill The Uí Néill (; meaning "descendants of Niall") are Irish dynasties that claim descent from Niall Noígíallach (Niall of the Nine Hostages), a historical King of Tara who is believed to have died around c. 405. They are generally divided ...

who ruled as

Kings of Connacht The Kings of Connacht were rulers of the ''cóiced'' (variously translated as portion, fifth, province) of Connacht, which lies west of the River Shannon, Ireland. However, the name only became applied to it in the early medieval era, being name ...

Kings of Ulster The King of Ulster (Old Irish: ''Rí Ulad'', Modern Irish: ''Rí Uladh'') also known as the King of Ulaid and King of the Ulaid, was any of the kings of the Irish provincial over-kingdom of Ulaid. The title rí in Chóicid, which means "king of ...

and

Kings of Mide In medieval Ireland, the kings of Mide were of the Clann Cholmáin, a branch of the Uí Néill. Several were High Kings of Ireland. After the collapse of the kingdom in the 12th century its dynasty, the Ua Mael Sechlainn or Ó Melaghlins, wer ...

. They were of the lineage L21>>DF13>Z39589>>>>>>>>M222>>>>DF105. Lineages beneath DF105 (which likely represent Eochaidh's descendants) now represents around 20% of Irish male lines. Examples of septs include the

O'Donnell The O'Donnell dynasty ( or ''Ó Domhnaill,'' ''Ó Doṁnaill'' ''or Ua Domaill;'' meaning "descendant of Dónal") were the dominant Irish clan of the kingdom of Tyrconnell in Ulster in the north of medieval and early modern Ireland. Naming ...

(Kings of Tír Conaill,

Earl of Tyrconnell Earl of Tyrconnell is a title that has been created four times in the Peerage of Ireland. It was first created in 1603, for Rory O'Donnell, 1st Earl of Tyrconnell, formerly king of Tyrconnell, along with the subsidiary title Baron Donegal. The 1 ...

), the

O'Connor O'Connor or O'Conor may refer to: People * O'Connor or O'Conor, an Irish clan * O'Connor Sligo, a royal dynasty ruling the northern part of the Kingdom of Connacht * O'Connor (surname), including a list of people with the surname Places * Burdett ...

and the

Mac Lochlainn The Mac Lochlainn () were a leading branch of the Cenél nEógain and during the early medieval period, the most powerful clan in the Northern Uí Néill. McGettigan (2005). They descended from Domnall Dabaill (died 915), son of Áed Findliath. ...

Kings of Tír Eoghan. However the later "

O'Neill dynasty The O'Neill dynasty ( Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically one of the most prominent family of the N ...

" (who usurped the aforementioned Mac Lochlainns from the kingship of Tír Chonaill), who descended from

Áed in Macáem Tóinlesc Aodh ( , , ; ) is a masculine Irish and Scottish Gaelic given name, which was traditionally anglicized as Hugh. The name means "fire" and was the name of a god in Irish mythology.The modern word meaning 'inflammation' or as a phrase with the I ...

, belonged to an entirely separate lineage R-Z1513, ultimately descending from R-DF27 and not even L21 at all. This family comprises the Clannaboy O’Neills, Tyrone O’Neills, O’Neills of the Fews, and the McShanes. *

Louis Riel Louis Riel (; ; 22 October 1844 – 16 November 1885) was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political leader of the Métis in Canada, Métis people. He led two resistance movements against the Government of ...

(1844-1885), who descends from the subclade L21>>DF13>ZZ10_1>>Z2534>>>L226>>>>>>> DC21, being a descendent of the Dalcassian clan. This was demonstrated through a relative who can be found in the R-L226 project who descends from Louis' ancestor, Jean-Baptiste Riel (1731 - 1788). The Riel family ultimately traced its origins from a Jacobite soldier, Jean Baptiste Riel (abt. 1663 - 1753), who left

Limerick Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

for

in 1696. The name may have been a transmutation of the Irish name O'Reilly. *

Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...

(1928-1967), the Argentine Marxist revolutionary and major figure of the Cuban Revolution, forensic identification of his skeletal remains revealed that he belonged to haplogroup R1b-L21.Forensic identification of skeletal remains from members of Ernesto Che Guevara's guerrillas in Bolivia based on DNA typing, February 2000International Journal of Legal Medicine 113(2):98-101, DOI:10.1007/PL00007716Reference made to the identification in this paper
/ref>

Notes

References

External links