They Say You Can't Define Europeans As a Race. We Just Did!

Some politically correct scientists claim that you can't define Europeans as a race.  "Your lying eyes," they say, denying everyone what is obvious to their vision and, if you read academic papers, your brain.

Here we define what it means to me European as a race.  Here are the characteristics.

Europeans:

• Generally have a longer nasal bridge, possibly inherited from ~1-5% Neandertal DNA
• Have pale or white skin, as measured by the standard underarm test pre-sun exposure, inherited from Early European Farmer, which they have in 10-50%
• Have the ability to digest milk, inherited likely from western European Bell Beaker folk. 
• Have multiple ancestors with colored eyes, inherited from Western Hunter Gatherer, which they have 10-50%. 
• Have certain ancestors with lighter hair, inherited from Ancient North Eurasians, via Western Steppe Herders, which they have in 5-50%.
• Generally desire alcohol and have the enzymes to process it.

Note this doesn't mean "you must have blue eyes and blond hair" to be European.  Not at all.  It says you must have had multiple ancestors with the same, i.e., the genetic components above: EEF, WSH, ANE, Bell Beaker, etc.

Here is a handy chart, which also includes the evolutionary benefits of these European traits:

I2a1a1 (M26) Haplogroup Found in Paleolithic Mainland Italy!

One of the most interesting papers of the last year was this gem from Owen Alexander Higgins et al, in Nature, entitled "Life history and ancestry of the late Upper Palaeolithic infant from Grotta delle Mura, Italy."

It details exactly what the title indicates, for an infant that died young, in Puglia, Italy (oddly called "Apulia" in the paper!)  This infant lived and died 17,000 years ago, in what laymen would call "15,000 BC."

The baby was male and bore haplogroup I2a1a1, M26 but also L160.  His autosomal DNA was heavily Western Hunter Gatherer or WHG, similar to the Villabruna cluster.  He likely had very dark skin and hair and blue eyes.  

He belonged to the Epigravettian people, who replaced the Magdalenian people (aka Cro Magnons).

Most significantly, it's yet another proof that the haplogroup that people often think came "out of Sardinia" was present on the Italian mainland ~9000 years before Sardinia was populated.  Its presence in Sardinia is almost certainly due to Founder Effect.

As we have stated many times here, there is a need for much more additional research on I2a1a (M26 and its downstream clades), which can help paint the picture of population movements in Italy, France, and Spain, from the Paleolithic to Roman times!