Azorian Mix of Northern European Caucasian, Semitic Jewish and Black African Bloodlines

ט׳ באדר תשע"ב
Keowulf 11
Ash 14

On top of my mtDNA motherline preliminary results and autosomal STR results (each result from a separate independent lab from different countries) both showing top matches to Hungarian Ashkenazic Jewry, my autosomal STR genetic analysis results also showed a top match (#2) in my High Resolution Global Population scores to the Azores (specifically, Azores Archipelago) with a high Tribe Score of 0.97.

On the genetic mix of the Azores, this article - Azorians are a mixed people (Iberians + Black africans + semitic Jewish) provides information as to the genetic mix of the Azorians. Relevant point highlights to my own genetic research:

• To improve the genetic characterization of the Azorean population, and to clarify some aspects related to the history of settlement, a study of mtDNA was conducted in the population of the archipelago.
• The archipelago is formed by nine islands of volcanic origin that define three geographical groups: Eastern (S. Miguel and Sta. Maria), Central (Terceira, Faial, Pico, Graciosa and S. Jorge) and Western (Flores and Corvo).
• All the analyses performed support the idea that, in the whole group of islands, the majority of mtDNA lineages originated from the Iberian Peninsula, mainly from Portugal (mainland).
• However contributions from other European populations, especially from Northern Europe, cannot be disregarded. The values obtained for the various diversity parameters in the Azores archipelago indicate that the Azorean population, as a whole, does not exhibit the typical characteristics of an isolated population.
• African haplogroups were found in all the groups of islands. Therefore the presence of Moorish and African slaves on the islands, as reported in historical sources, is supported by the mtDNA genetic data, especially in the Eastern group.
• The presence of Jews in the Central group is also supported by the mtDNA data.

So, my Northern Europe and Semitic Jewish genetic links are both represented together here in the Azores as well as in Europe. Another interesting piece of data to come out of this for me relates to the genetic evidence for an admixture of both Northern European and Jewish genetic material with Black African genetic material. This is interesting to me because, in my STR results (comprehensively analyzing genetic markers inherited by me through both parents), though not high enough to rank among the top five, in my High Resolution World Match Regions, my scores for both North Africa and the Horn of Africa were not zero either. My highest world region Tribe Score (Northwestern Europe) at 0.94 compares to North Africa with a Tribe Score of 0.61, and to the Horn of Africa with a Tribe Score of 0.04. So, while the genetic contribution of the African regions are not relatively high for me overall, there is significance evidence of African ancestry for me subsequent to the initial migration of my ancestors out of Africa. While this does not prove that my ancestors were slave-owners or slave-traders, it does further highlight the diverse admixture of DNA from Northwestern European Caucasian, Semitic Jewish and Black African ethnicities in my own ancestry.

It also looks to me that the Northern European, Semitic Jewish, and African haplotypes (all three also belonging to me) found in the Azores are secondary contributions to the "Iberian majority of haplotypes which originated on the islands."

Another point of note, the Azores score high on my comprehensive STR results which analyze the genetic markers I inherited from both parents. Although I have yet to receive the final result of my motherline mtDNA analysis, the preliminary results don't mention the Azores at all, and the islands aren't marked as one of my top 16 matches on my mtDNA map. So, it looks to me that, while the islands score significantly in my comprehensive STR genetic analyses, they don't seem to significantly impact the genetic history of my motherline. So, taking all the Azorian data together suggest that I may also have Jewish contributions (as I clearly do with Northwestern European) to my genetic profile through many ancestors distinct from those comprising my motherline.