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Validation Study for OmniPop
Toward a Genetic Profile of Melungeons in Tennessee
Paper accepted for publication in Appalachian Journal, October 2009
Donald N. Yates
DNA Testing Systems
26438 N. 42nd Way, Phoenix, AZ 85050
Elizabeth C. Hirschman
Department of Marketing
School of Business
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ 08903
ABSTRACT:
The only previous attempt to validate the probabilistic prediction of
ethnicity by OmniPop found a margin of error as large as 20% in
identifying whether random samples were to be classified as "White" or
"African American."
The authors took a more comprehensive
approach based on case studies within a single mixed population. Using
a convenience sample of 40 self-identifying Melungeons (a tri-racial
isolate population in the southern Appalachian Mountains), the authors
analyzed and compared their OmniPop and ENFSI results. Several test
subjects were part of an extended family, so it was possible to judge
the consistency of results both latitudinally and longitudinally.
Among
the findings: "One is left with a pattern of predominantly northeastern
Scottish ancestry supplemented with Mediterranean elements and only
minor contributions from adjacent northwestern European populations
(England/Wales, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium, Denmark)."
In
conclusion: "Although based on a limited sample, our results suggest
that the Melungeons were not primarily drawn from ancestries in
northwestern Europe, but rather represent an amalgam of Mediterranean,
Middle Eastern, North African, Sub-Saharan African and Native American
ethnicities. It is possible that some founders carried South Asian
and/or Gypsy/Roma ancestry, as well."
Discussed also are some of
the little-understood aspects of population structure convergence --
for instance, that of Finns and individuals of predominantly
northwestern European ancestry admixed with Native American.