This blog is a continuation of Haplogroups Part I.  Click here to view Part I. 

In Part II, we will go over how to use the Haplogroup feature at Genebase.  For the purpose of this demonstration, we will trace the Y-DNA Haplogroup of a hypothetical individual who belongs to Haplogroup R1b:

 1.  After logging in to the Genebase Control Panel, click “DNA Ancestry”:

2.  Next, click “Haplogroups” to go to the haplogroup tool:

3.  Select the Y-DNA haplogroup (paternal), or the mtDNA haplogroup (maternal), then click “Begin Analysis” to proceed:

4.  A list of all people in your family who have been tested will appear.  Find the line in your family that you would like to trace from the list and click “Proceed”:

5.  The Haplogroup Predictor tool will predict the haplogroup and generate a migration map.  The migration map shows the path of migration for ancestors in this haplogroup as they journeyed out of Africa and indicates where they travelled.  All people living today can be traced to one of 18 main Y-DNA haplogroups and one of 26 main mtDNA haplogroups:

In this hypothetical example, the predictor indicates that the individual specifically belongs to Haplogroup R1b.  R1b happens to be one of the largest family groups in Europe.  Many individuals of European descent are descendents of this ancient family group.  More specifically, the predictor is stating that this individual belongs to haplogroup “R”, subclade “R1″, and further subclade “R1b”. 

The prediction can be confirmed through haplogroup backbone testing.  To proceed with backbone testing, click “Confirm this haplogroup prediction”.  The backbone test will confirm whether the individual is indeed a member of the R Haplogroup. 

The R Haplogroup and even the R1b sub-clade have many further sub-branches.  The R1b family group can be further classified into over 18 known subclades.  14 of the R1b sub-clades can be confirmed through sub-clade testing. 

The 14 subclades of R1b which can be determined through sub-clade testing are as follows:

• R1b1a
• R1b1b
• R1b1c
• R1b1c1
• R1b1c2
• R1b1c3
• R1b1c4
• R1b1c5
• R1b1c6
• R1b1c7
• R1b1c9
• R1b1c9a
• R1b1c9b
• R1b1d

Users who are confirmed members of the R, R1a, or R1b haplogroups may consider R sub-clade testing to further investigate the R branch, in particular, the R1b branch of the haplogroup family tree.  The R sub-clade test panel will be launched in the control panel in the upcoming month.  An update will be posted here once the launch date for the R sub-clade test panel is confirmed. 

Let’s take a peek at what’s in development in our research facilities.  A lot of the upcoming developments in the lab are sub-clade refinement panels.  Users can expect to see sub-clade panels for the following haplogroups in the next few months:

Y-DNA sub-clade tests will become available for the following haplogroups:

• R
• Q
• I
• O
• J
• L
• E
• G

mtDNA sub-clade tests will become available for the following haplogroups:

• R
• M
• H

Watch for release dates of each sub-clade test in upcoming blogs. 

6.  To view the human phylogenetic tree and see how you fit into it, click “Haplogroup Tree of R1b”. 

The phylogenetic tree feature shows how haplogroup R1b is connected to all other haplogroups.  Click on the individual haplogroups in the phylogenetic tree to navigate the tree and view other branches.  The phylogenetic tree will illustrate how you are linked to all of the people living in the world today and shows how we have all descended from a common ancestor. 

7.  To read more about haplogroup R1b, click “About R1b”.  From here, you can read the latest information about R1b.

You can also trace the haplogroup of other lines in your family tree by selecting a family member from the list on the left column.  All family members who have been tested will be listed here so you can work together with other family members to trace the deep ancestry of multiple lines in your family tree.