What s in a name? Applying patrilineal surnames to forensics, population history and genetic epidemiology. (360G-Wellcome-084060_Z_07_Z)

By applying heritable names to themselves, our ancestors created a uniquely human system of cultural labels of coancestry that have the potential to improve the efficiency of the modern tools that dissect biological ancestry the methods of molecular genetics. We will exploit the power of the link between surnames and DNA to address three issues: We will investigate the power and pitfalls of applying surname/Y-haplotype databases to the forensic prediction of surnames from crime-scene D NA samples in no-suspect cases. Key goal: demonstration of confidence of surname prediction in forensically relevant samples. We will evaluate the use of local medieval surname lists to recruit modern donor samples that reveal hidden past population structures from Y chromosome diversity, using Viking ancestry in western Britain as a model. Key goal: estimation of Norse ancestry proportions in 'modern' and 'medieval' (surname-ascertained) samples in Cumbria and North Yorkshire. We will use surnames to ascertain groups of men who share common paternal ancestors, and then assess in these cohorts the increased efficiency of searching for shared autosomal segments, and its applicability in genetic epidemiology. Key goal: demonstration that autosomal coancestry fits genealogical predictions, and that Y haplotype similarity fits autosomal coancestry.