BRITAIN:Scientists have discovered an African lineage in seven men with an unusual surname living in northern England who had no idea of their black ancestry.
The men share a common ancestor in the 18th century and carry an unusual genetic signature, a certain type of male Y chromosome, previously found only in people from west Africa.
The findings, published in the European Journal of Human Genetics, show that people of African origin have lived in Britain for centuries.
"Human migration history is clearly very complex, particularly for an island nation such as ours, and this study further debunks the idea that there are simple and distinct populations or races," said Prof Mark Jobling of the University of Leicester.
He and his team were studying the link between surnames and the male Y chromosome when they discovered the rare genetic signature in a Caucasian man who had no knowledge of his African background.
When the scientists studied 18 other men with the same Yorkshire surname, they found six others had the same genetic signature.
