PART NEANDERTHAL- PART GERMAN

      Recently, I sent a DNA sample to "23 and Me." I went through the same process with Ancestry.com earlier, but the Y Chromosone research that 23andMe does caught my interest.

      When I received my results back from Ancestry,com, they showed more ancestry from Norway and Sweden than I expected, but still, I am predominantly a child of Europe- if one includes Germany, Poland, France, Spain, and Great Britain. History buffs will know that even the Scandinavian effect can be traced to a) Vikings and b) Sweden's presence in 16-17th century Europe. I was glad to get the results, but they showed no trace of the Jewish heritage I thought I might have had.

      Now, from 23andMe, I learn that I am part of the R1b1b2 haplogroup which originally included populations that were Irish, Basques, British and French. It is a group that includes Malcolm Gladwell, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Stephen Colbert. My maternal line is H6a1, which identifies populations that migrated into western Europe over the last few thousand years, and includes areas like the Urals, Arabia, and Europe. Frankly, 

      I don't understand most of this, and I will most likely go back to my Shedenhelm-Simmons- Sylvester-Hunt genealogical tree. However, I did discover that I am 2.7% Neanderthal! No kidding. I am part Neanderthal... which may explain my "heavy eyebrow ridge; long, low, bigger skull; prominent nose with built-in cold-air protection;" and generally feisty attitude. According to 23andMe, it's uncertain if having too much Neanderthal DNA will make one extra brawny, short, or boorish. 

      I can only apologize to my family and encourage them to get the little ones tested before they procreate.