Scientists used DNA samples from over 2,000 people in the United Kingdom to create the first fine-scale genetic map of any country in the world.
The findings revealed genetic variations across the region as well as clusters of genetically-similar individuals, the Wellcome Trust reported. The data was compared with DNA samples from 6,000 Europeans, allowing the researchers to pinpoint historical population movements into the U.K over the past 10,000 years.
The map suggested that there is not a single "Celtic" genetic group, and people in Celtic parts of the U.K such as Scotland and Wales are some of the most genetically diverse. The majority of eastern, central and southern England proved to be composed of a "relatively homogeneous" genetic group, suggesting ancient Anglo-Saxons tended to intermarry.
The population in Orkney proved to be the most genetically distinct, with 25 percent of DNA coming from Norwegian ancestry. This suggests the Norse Viking invasion did not completely replace the local population. The analysis showed evidence of a migration across the channel after the original post-ice-age settlers, but before the time of the Romans.
To discover these extremely specific and subtle genetic differences among the U.K. population, the researchers used newly-developed statistical techniques that measured DNA differences at over 500,000 positions within the genome. They then sorted the samples into genetically-similar groups without knowing where in the U.K. the material came from; the material was then used to create a revealing genetic map.
"These researchers have been able to use modern genetic techniques to provide answers to the centuries' old question - where we come from. Beyond the fascinating insights into our history, this information could prove very useful from a health perspective, as building a picture of population genetics at this scale may in future help us to design better genetic studies to investigate disease," said Michael Dunn, Head of Genetics & Molecular Sciences at the Wellcome Trust.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Nature.
