The Genealogy of Mexico


     
          
          
     
          
        							



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      December 27, 2009
UPDATE July 22, 2010 added Ashkenazi and Ancestry Matching DNA graphics
UPDATE April 30, 2011 added references to the book "New World Jewry 1493-1825: Requiem for the Forgotten" 
by Liebman
UPDATE September 17, 2011 added "The Sephardic Puzzle"






Jewish DNA in the Genome of Mexican-Americans

Evidence of Substantial Sephardic Origin in those with Mexican Ancestry
 
By Gary Felix



For the past six years I have been studying DNA as it relates to ancestry and 
specifically to those with ancestors from Mexico, like myself.  One of the 
goals of the Genealogy of Mexico DNA Project at inception was to determine 
the role of Jews in the conquest and subsequent settlement of Mexico.  
"It is widely believed that a large percentage of the earliest settlers of 
Mexico may have origins in the Middle East and were a result of the expulsion 
of non-Catholics out of Spain, just before the conquest of Mexico.  Did the 
early Iberian settlers of Mexico have proportionately different origins 
than modern day Spaniards?"  The theory being the expulsion and subsequent 
inquisition would have driven much of the Jewish population out of Spain 
and at least some to the Americas in the earliest stages of colonization. 
I now believe we are on verge of an answer. 

Previously autosomal DNA has provided some evidence of a Mexican-American 
and Jewish connection in this paper:
BRCA1:185delAG found in the San Luis Valley probably originated in a Jewish founder 
by Makriyianni et. al

With new advances in DNA testing we are now able to test our DNA for all 
our family lines rather than just the Y-DNA (Fathers, Father's Father's 
or Surname line going back thousands of years) line or MtDNA (Mother's, 
Mother's Mother's line going back thousands of years) line. 

Testing autosomal DNA involves testing the most variable portion of our 
Genome, which is relatively small, since we are all basically alike. 
Long stretches of our DNA are essentially broken up and inherited in our 
offspring.  These segments of DNA are Identical By Descent (IBD), if long 
enough. With this type of testing we are comparing long stretches of DNA 
to determine familial relationships.  A child may inherit typically from 
47 to 53 percent of one parent's DNA.  Cousins share less DNA and distant 
cousin's share a much smaller amount of DNA. 
See this link for more information: 
What's the average % DNA Shared for different types of cousins? 

This type of testing is new and is just now being offered at Family Tree DNA 
and has been out a few months at 23andme.com. Both are part of their new 
"Family Finder" and "Relative Finder" respectively. Initially with 23andme's Relative 
Finder you opt in, to participate and you are given a list of relatives. They 
currently have a database of over 30,000 results to compare with. At first 
these results appear as anonymous with only the MTDNA and Y-DNA (if male), 
a predicted relationship (parent, 2nd cousin, 3rd cousin...distant cousin 
etc.) and in some cases an indication of regional ancestral origin. In 
addition the amount of common stretches of DNA along with the number of 
segments are provided. 
  
Thus far, Mexico DNA Project members Al Aburto and his Aunt (Puebla in 
Southern Mexico or Chihuahua in Northern Mexico), Joe Alvarez and his 
Mother (Northeastern Mexico lines) and myself and Mother (Zacatecas, 
North Central Mexico lines) have results from this testing.  We all are 
showing Jewish distant cousins. In some cases these Jewish distant cousins 
are showing up as more closely related than our cousins in Mexico. 

Note that 23andme is categorizing cousins differently for people with 
Ashkenazi ancestry. They are making relationship predictions that take 
into account the higher than average DNA sharing found in people with 
Ashkenazi ancestry. In many of these cases, this results in a "distant" 
cousin prediction. Source: 
Are you categorizing cousins differently for people with Ashkenazi ancestry?

This is shown below in family members matches to Jews showing up as distant 
cousins even though they have the amount of matching DNA that would 
otherwise be a 5th cousin. 

While our anonymous and known 23andme closer relatives (out to 10th cousins) 
appear to be from Latin America (MtDNA is Native American in most cases) 
our "Distant Cousins" appear to be Jewish. Since all of us had a Parent or 
in Al's case an Aunt tested; this phenomenon was even more telling in their 
results. 

The next step was to try and make contact with those that have opted in to 
share their profiles.  Those cousins that we had contacted confirmed 
Jewish and/or Eastern European ancestry and surnames of Jewish origin.  

23andme appeared to recognize this as Al Aburto noticed a change in his 
Aunt's results as these Middle Eastern results went from close relatives 
to distant cousins after a recent algorithm change. This is when it 
appears 23andme started adjusting for Ashkenazi matches by making them 
distant cousins instead of 5th cousins in the majority of cases.

How do we know these "Distant Cousins" are Jewish based on the limited
feedback from them?

As you can see below we have received confimation or Jewish ancestry on many 
of our distant cousins. Otherwise, one of my Mother's distant cousins has 
shared a profile that says he is of Eastern European Ancestry with surnames 
that are of typical Jewish origin. See her distant cousin, number 21 below.  
Also the lineage's these results are showing up in are rare and prevalent 
in Jews or founder Jewish lineages. Also they are showing up as distant 
relatives when the amount of DNA shared would make them closer cousins. 
See the adjustment made by 23andme here: 
Are you categorizing cousins differently for people with Ashkenazi ancestry?

Jewish Founder Lineages and Rare Lineages with prevalence among Jews

MtDNA N1b2 - "Research has shown that Ashkenazi living today trace 
back to just a handful of mitochondrial DNA lines. Their mitochondrial 
genetics is so restricted, in fact, that 40% of the Ashkenazi living 
today can be traced back to as few as four individual women."

"One of those women belonged to the N1b2 haplogroup, which is found 
today in the mitochondrial DNA of about 10% of Ashkenazi. Though it is 
also found in other Jewish groups, the vast majority of the people who 
carry it today trace their lineage back to one, or at most a few, women 
who lived between 500 and 2,500 years ago, and most likely during the 
first millennium AD." Source on MtDNA N1b2 

MtDNA K1a1b1a - "About 1.7 million Ashkenazi living today - about 20% 
of the population - share a single branch of the K haplogroup, K1a1b1a. 
The diversity of that haplogroup among Ashkenazi suggests that it arose 
in the Near East between 2,000 and 3,000 years ago, and that everyone 
who shares it today could have shared a common ancestor as recently as 
700 years ago." Source on MtDNA K1a1b1a 

MtDNA K2a2a and K1a9 - "K in the Ashkenazi - A few branches of haplogroup K, 
such as K1a9, K2a2a, and K1a1b1a, are specific to Jewish populations and 
especially to Ashkenazi Jews, whose roots lie in central and eastern Europe. 
These branches of haplogroup K are found at levels of 30% among Ashkenazi. 
But they are also found at lower levels in Jewish populations from the Near 
East and Africa, and among Sephardic Jews who trace their roots to medieval 
Spain. That indicates an origin of those K haplogroup branches in the Near 
East before 70 AD, when the Roman destruction of Jerusalem scattered the 
Jewish people around the Mediterranean and beyond." "... a similar pattern 
in two other K branches that are common among the Ashkenazi, K1a9 and K2a2, 
as well as the N1b branch of haplogroup N, has led researchers to conclude 
that 40% of the Ashkenazi living today - about 3.4 million people - could 
descend from as few as four women who lived within the last 2,000 years." 
Source on MtDNA K2a2a

Y-DNA J1e - "J is the most common haplogroup among Ashkenazi Jews; about 
40% of Ashkenazi men have chromosomes belonging to it. J1 has largely 
remained near its place of origin in the Near East. It is most common 
there and in northern and eastern Africa. It is found only rarely in 
Europe except among Jewish men, whose male ancestors brought it from the 
Near East as a consequence of the diaspora" Source on Y-DNA J1e Additional
source on Y-DNA J1e

Y-DNA E1b1b1c1a - "Although haplogroup E1b1b1c1 is common throughout 
the Near East, reaching levels of 5% among populations such as the Bedouin, 
Omanis and Druze, it appears particularly elevated in Jewish populations. 
E1b1b1c1 averages 10% among both Ashkenazi from Eastern Europe and Sephardic 
Jews from Iberia. About 15% of Ethiopian Jews also carry the haplgroup, 
although it is not known if they are more closely related to other Jews 
bearing the E1b1b1c1 or to the other Ethiopian populations that also exhibit 
it." 

"Jews from Yemen carry E1b1b1c1 at levels of about 10%, and about 20% of 
Libyan Jewish men belong to the haplogroup. Given the clearly elevated 
frequency in all Jewish populations, E1b1b1c1 was very likely present in 
the ancestral Jewish population from the Levant that dispersed throughout 
the Old World about 2,000 years ago."Source on Y-DNA E1b1b1c1a

Y-DNA R1b1 - the undifferentiated R1b1 that I have researched occurs 
with prevalence among the Jews. This is a very rare lineage and the Mexico 
Project has Joe Alvarez (one of the subjects of this paper). I have connected
his haplotype with the Sephardic Diaspora  (see this entry on the project 
page Joe Alvarez results). Also see The Jewish R1b Project 

Y-DNA Q and the Jewish Diaspora - "According to historical sources the 
Jewish population of Eastern Europe arrived in the region about 1,000 years 
ago, after migrating out of the Levant a millennium earlier. Today's Ashkenazi 
Jews carry evidence of this migration in the form of Near Eastern lineage's 
not seen in other European populations. Haplogroup Q is one example: it is 
found in 5% of Ashkenazi Jews, while the haplogroup is almost nonexistent in 
all other Europeans. That pattern also indicates that the haplogroup has 
existed in the Near East for at least a few thousand years" 
Source: Y-DNA Q. This haplogroup is found in about 10 to 15 percent of males 
of Mexican ancestry but the majority, are of the Q1a3a Native American branch, 
which this participant tested negative on.

Y-DNA Q1b - it appears the Q1a* lines went to America with the Native 
Americans, the Q1b lines per the profiles on 23andme and postings on Q1b are 
of Jewish origin. 
See Ashkenazi Jewish Q1b  where it says "It appears that all of 
us have Ashkenazi (northern European) Jewish ancestors. Apparently about 5% 
of all Ashkenazi Jewish people are Q1b."


Here are suspected (per the listed research in this paper) and/or confirmed Jewish results by order of relatedness (i.e. segment(s) of shared DNA)
Gary Felix' Mother's
22 (all) distant cousins Joe Alvarez' Mother
has 55 "Distant Cousin" results. Here are her suspected (per the research in this paper) and/or confirmed Jewish results Al Aburto's Aunt
 has 29 "Distant Cousin" results. Here are her suspected (per the research in this paper) and/or confirmed Jewish results
01 Male
Maternal Haplogroup N1b2
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA	0.20%
Number of shared segments = 2
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Paternal Haplogroup E1a1
Amount of shared DNA 0.16%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed JEWISH - Ukraine, Poland Male
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Paternal Haplogroup I2a2b
Amount of shared DNA 0.24%
Number of shared segments = 2
02 Female
United States
Northern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Amount of shared DNA	0.15%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
Maternal Haplogroup H
Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a
Amount of shared DNA 0.15%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
United States
Multiple Region Ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a
Paternal Haplogroup R1b1b2a1a2
Amount of shared DNA 0.12%
Number of shared segments = 1
03 Male
Maternal Haplogroup N1b2
Paternal Haplogroup Q
Amount of shared DNA 0.14%
Number of shared segments = 1 Female
United States
Multiple region ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup U7a
Amount of shared DNA	0.14%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed JEWISH-Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Austria Female
United States
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Amount of shared DNA 0.12%
Number of shared segments = 1
04 Male
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Paternal Haplogroup R1b1b2a1a2d3*
Amount of shared DNA	0.13%
Number of shared segments = 1 Female
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Amount of shared DNA 0.13%
Number of shared segments = 1 Female
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Amount of shared DNA 0.12%
Number of shared segments = 1
05 Female
United States
Northern European Ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup H11*
Amount of shared DNA 0.13%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
United States
Maternal Haplogroup T2b2
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.13%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
United States
Unknown Ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup HV
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.12%
Number of shared segments = 1
06 Male
Maternal Haplogroup H
Paternal Haplogroup J2
Amount of shared DNA 0.12%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
Maternal Haplogroup H
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA	0.13%
Number of shared segments = 1 United States
Southern European Ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Paternal Haplogroup R1a1a*
Amount of shared DNA	0.12%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed JEWISH ancestry
07 Male
United States
Southern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup N1b2
Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a
Amount of shared DNA	0.12%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
Maternal Haplogroup H1
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.13%
Number of shared segments = 1 Female
Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a
Amount of shared DNA	0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1
08 Female
United States
Southern European Ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a
Amount of shared DNA 0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
Maternal Haplogroup N1b2
Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1
Amount of shared DNA 0.13%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
United States
Multiple Region Ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup H5a*
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.10%
Number of shared segments = 1
09 Male
Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a
Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a
Amount of shared DNA 0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
United States
Unknown ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup J1a
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.12%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed JEWISH - adopted, California Male
United States
Multiple Region Ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup K1a9
Paternal Haplogroup J2a1b1*
Amount of shared DNA 0.09%
Number of shared segments = 1
10 Male
United States
Southern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup H
Paternal Haplogroup R1b1
Amount of shared DNA	0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
United States
Multiple region ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup U5a1*
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
United States
Multiple Region Ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup N9a*
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.08%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed JEWISH Ancestry
11 Male
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Paternal Haplogroup Q1b
Amount of shared DNA 0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
Maternal Haplogroup L1c3
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1     
12 Female
Maternal Haplogroup U1b
Amount of shared DNA 0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed JEWISH Male
United States
Northern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup H1*
Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a
Amount of shared DNA	0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1     
13 Female
United States
Northern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup K1a*
Amount of shared DNA 0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
United States
Northern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup H3
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1     
14 Female
United States
Northern European Ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a
Amount of shared DNA 0.10%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
United States
Northern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Paternal Haplogroup J2b2
Amount of shared DNA	0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1     
15 Male
United States
Maternal Haplogroup U3a
Paternal Haplogroup T
Amount of shared DNA 0.10%
Number of shared segments = 1 Female
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Amount of shared DNA 0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1     
16 Male
Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a
Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a
Amount of shared DNA	0.10%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a
Paternal Haplogroup  E1b1b1c1a
Amount of shared DNA 0.11%
Number of shared segments = 1     
17 Male
Maternal Haplogroup HV1
Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1a2*
Amount of shared DNA	0.10%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
Maternal Haplogroup T1a
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.10%
Number of shared segments = 1     
18 Male
Maternal Haplogroup H5a*
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.10%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
Maternal Haplogroup  H
Paternal Haplogroup  J1e
Amount of shared DNA 0.9%
Number of shared segments = 1     
19 Male
Near Eastern/Middle Eastern ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup J1a*
Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a
Amount of shared DNA 0.10%
Number of shared segments = 1
Both sides of my family are Ashkenazi Jews from Ukraine Male
Maternal Haplogroup  K1a1b1a
Paternal Haplogroup  T
Amount of shared DNA 0.9%
Number of shared segments = 1     
20 Male
United States
Northern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup H1b
Paternal Haplogroup J2a1b1*
Amount of shared DNA 0.10%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
Canada
Southern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup  K1a1b1a
Paternal Haplogroup  R1b1b2
Amount of shared DNA	0.9%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed ASHKENAZI JEWISH     
21 Male
United States
Northern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup N1b2
Paternal Haplogroup J1e
Amount of shared DNA	0.09%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed Eastern European Ancestry with family surnames that are of typical JEWISH origin Male
United States
Near Eastern/Middle Eastern ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup U6a*
Paternal Haplogroup  J2
Amount of shared DNA 0.8%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed JEWISH; Ukraine     
22 Male
United States
Northern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup N1b2
Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a
Amount of shared DNA	0.07%
Number of shared segments = 1 Male
United States
Northern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup N1b2
Paternal Haplogroup Q1b
Amount of shared DNA 0.8%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed JEWISH     
23        Male
United States
Southern European ancestry
Maternal Haplogroup H7
Paternal Haplogroup J2b2*
Amount of shared DNA 0.8%
Number of shared segments = 1
Confirmed JEWISH     



As of July 15, 2010, 23andme is allowing us to compare segments of DNA to segments from Askenazi Jews. 
As of this update 23andme has tested a total of about 50,000 samples. 

Gary Felix' Mother - of the 16.8 percent of this genome covered by Ancestry Finder hits; approximately 
10 to 19 percent match Ashkenazi Jews. Closest regional genetic affinity to Central and Eastern European Countries.






Joe Alvarez' Mother - of the 29.1 percent of this genome covered by Ancestry Finder hits; approximately
10 to 27 percent match Ashkenazi Jews. Closest regional genetic affinity to Central and Eastern European Countries.






Al Aburto's Aunt - of the 20.4 percent of this genome covered by Ancestry Finder hits; approximately 
9 to 22 percent match Ashkenazi Jews. Close regional genetic affinity to some Eastern European Countries.






Joe Alvarez (closest we have to the Sephardic founders)  - of the 39.3 percent of this genome covered by Ancestry 
Finder hits; approximately 29 to 40 percent match Ashkenazi Jews. 







What is the chance that someone on my Relative Finder list is not related to me?

Response from 23andme: Because Relative Finder only identifies people who share a 
DNA segment of at least 7 cM (centiMorgans) and 700 Single-nucleotide polymorphisms 
(SNPs) long, you can be confident that the users on your list are your relatives. 
The vast majority of relatives found by Relative Finder shares a common ancestor 
within the last five to ten generations. A few may be more distantly related. 
Source: 23andme 


So how are shared segments of Jewish DNA showing up in the genomes of
Mexican Americans?

This appears to be a consequence of "founder effect". Founder effect is when a small 
portion of a large population leaves the main group and migrates elsewhere, as in the 
case of the colonization of new lands. In the case of the Jews they continue to inter-
marry and consequently share a larger portion of their DNA than would otherwise be the 
case. Our genealogy books show suspected Jewish lines in our founder populations such 
as Monterrey-Saltillo (see Conquistadores and Crypto-Jews of Monterrey) in the Northeast 
of Mexico. These founder lines were known to intermarry. Zacatecas and Puebla have 
founder lines since colonial days. For Jewish DNA to continue into the present in 
these 3 populations there must have been a substantial migration to begin with or 
these lines would have been absorbed into the non Jewish Castilian population, long 
ago. It appears the shared blocks of DNA are a legacy of this early settlement and 
expansion.  Evidently 23andme realized this "founder effect" was effecting the 
relationship predictions found in the Jewish samples so they adjusted for this effect.  
The list Rootsweb dna is also reporting the same close relationship between some of 
Northwestern European ancestry and Mennonites. 
See GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives See also a discussion we had on this same list 
on the Mexican/Jewish connection GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives: November 2009


Conclusions: 

It is fascinating what our DNA is able to tell us. The founder Jewish haplogroups and 
the rare connection to some of the above haplogroups and Jews as well as the confirmed 
relationships to Jewish distant cousins are opening a window we had yet to discover. 
It is known that prior to the expulsion, the Sephardic Jewish population of Iberia 
vastly outnumbered all other groups of Jews. Sephardic Jews established a presence in Iberia 
since about 200 C.E. We can now get a feeling of the vastness of this Diaspora. 

In addition we can see how closely this group is connected and get a feel for our 
connection to them through our Sephardic ancestors. 


History:

What of these Ashkenazi matches to those with Mexican Ancestry? In the book the Spanish 
Inquisition Kamen states "Jews had been in the peninsula from at least the third century. 
In Medieval Spain they constituted the single largest Jewish community in the world". 
In the book DNA & Tradition The Genetic Link to the Ancient Hebrews Rabbi Kleiman states
"By 1600 the Ashkenazim were numerically and culturally the most significant Jewish 
community in the world". It appears that a significant portion of the Sephardic community 
went and joined their distant cousins in Eastern Europe as well as joined in the settlement 
of the New World where they participated in it's expansion.

According to the book "New World Jewry 1493-1825: Requiem for the Forgotten" by Liebman 
(pg4), "there are, literally, millions of pages of documents, primary sources, that refer 
to Jews and Jewish communities in the New World." "Although many American Hispanics have 
overlooked the existance of Jews in the New World during the Colonial period (1493-1825), 
it is surprising that six eminent historians at the Hebrew University make no reference 
to any Jewish presence or community in Latin America prior to 1900 in their History of 
the Jewish People, except for a few lines about Brazil in the period from 1631-1654."
 
In Liebman's book The Jews of New Spain he writes of Diego de Ocana a reconsiled Jew in 
1533 Mexico , as wearing a long coat and a round hat similar to the clothing worn by Jews 
in Lithuania and Poland in the 17th to 20th centuries. This appears by Liebman to be a caftan. 
 
It seems the Jewish explusion out of Iberia co-incides with the Ashkenazi expansion in Central 
and Eastern Europe. Luis de Carvajal was documented as saying on his way to the stake in 
Mexico City to be burned "O this evil tribunal of the Holy Office. If it had not existed 
in this Kingdom, I could count the Christians here on my fingers."
 
Further Liebman writes "There were so many Jews in New Spain in 1602 that Friar Hernando de 
Ojea, a Dominican, was perturbed by their numbers. He published an apologetic work intended 
to convince Mexican Jews that they should convert". Further Liebman writes "Evidence of the 
growth of Jewish population  may be gleaned noting that the autos-de-fe at the begining of 
the seventeeth century included not only the prisoners of the previous decade but also their 
children". "This natural increase plus the legal immigration into New Spain in the early 
decades of the seventeenth century created a subtancial Jewish population.". 
 
Liebman writes of Juana Enriquez torture on the rack in 1648: "...she cried out, I have said 
all that you gentlemen want me to say, I say that all those who are in Mexico are Jews, ay! 
My God of my life for the love of God, I have confessed the truth". 

There evidently were many more Sephardic colonizers in Mexico than we ever realized. Also these
founders married enough amongst themselves to have their DNA show up significantly in us today.


Ramifications:

The fact that 23andme had to adjust their "relative finder' algorithm for the closeness 
of Ashkenazi Jews attests to the finding that Jewish DNA does exist. While my Mother 
has 22 distant cousins (15 of these cousins with common Jewish founder lines or rare 
haplogroups frequent in Jewish populations) I have only 6. I share distant cousin 
number 2 (.15%) intact, one of two segments (.10%) of distant cousin number 1 and 
distant cousin number 19 intact (.10%). All are from Jewish founder lines. It appears 
I inherited no Jewish founder lines from my Father (Northwestern Mexico and not tested).  

It is likely that Sephardic origins will be found in the oldest populations all over Latin 
America. 

This is the first autosomal evidence for this significant Sephardic/Ashkenazi connection 
to Mexico. Those with the most direct descendants of the founders of our regional 
populations in Mexico should have the most Jewish DNA, depending on the 
founder population. We need more data to clarify things.

Family Tree DNA has just announced their version of Relative Finder which they call
Family Finder. It is superior to 23andme's version since it identifies more relatives 
and allows you to easily contact your relatives. In addition your project administrator 
has the tools to identify founder lines common to many participants. 

I would encourage you to test with the Mexico DNA Project at FTDNA and choose 
Family Finder when it comes out so that we can determine the extent of our Sephardic 
Jewish Ancestry and discover our founder lines. We will be looking at specifically what 
areas of our DNA we share with Jews. Another possibility since our ancestors intermarried 
extensively is finding the regional founding lines of Mexico. We will be able to 
arrive at conclusions based on the data amoung project members. We will then have an 
organized way of sharing these new discoveries. The cost of the test is $289.

Click here to learn more about Family Finder on the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Special thanks to Al Aburto and Joe Alvarez for their cooperation.


The Sephardic Puzzle:

Below are distant cousin results for those with Mexican Ancestry from 23andme's Ancestry Finder Utility.
From 23andme - "Let the 23andMe Community help you discover what countries your ancestors might have lived 
in. This lab is fueled by your responses to the "Where Are You From?" ancestry survey."

Using the results from this utility we should be able to piece together our Sephardic DNA. 
TRUE denotes an Ashkenazi Grandparent.

33 "Distant Cousins" of Dolores Felix  (ancestrial lines from Zacatecas Mexico)

* Maternal
Grandmother
Birth
Country Maternal
Grandfather
Birth
Country Paternal
Grandmother
Birth
Country Paternal
Grandfather
Birth
Country Maternal
Grandmother
Declared
Ashkenazi Maternal
Grandfather
Declared
Ashkenazi Paternal
Grandmother
Declared
Ashkenazi Paternal
Grandfather
Declared
Ashkenazi Chromo-
some Segment Start
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment End
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment Length
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment Length
In
Centi-
Morgans
1 United States United States United States United States TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 1 230.4 233 2.6 6.8
2 United States Russia Lithuania Lithuania TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 1 230.4 233 2.6 6.9
3 Poland Poland Yemen Yemen TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 1 230.4 233 2.6 6.8
4 Ukraine Ukraine Poland Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 1 230.4 232.5 2.1 5.1
5 United States United States United States United States TRUE FALSE FALSE TRUE 1 230.4 233 2.6 6.9
6 Mexico Mexico Mexico Mexico TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE 1 65.5 74.5 9 7.1
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 1 between 230.4 and 233
7 Germany Austria United States Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 227.7 230.9 3.2 5.2
8 Moldova Ukraine Romania United States TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 228.2 232.2 4 6.4
9 Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 228.2 232.8 4.6 7
10 Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 228.2 232.8 4.6 7
11 United States United States United States United States TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 228.2 233.5 5.3 8
12 Poland Ukraine Poland Argentina TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 229.4 234 4.6 7.1
13 Lithuania Lithuania Russia United States TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 229.7 233.2 3.5 5.2
14 Poland Poland Poland Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 229.8 233.7 3.9 5.4
15 United States United States Canada Germany FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 2 229.9 233.7 3.8 5.4
16 United States Poland Ukraine Ukraine TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 229.9 234 4.1 6.2
17 United States United States Ukraine Ukraine TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE 2 230.1 233.7 3.6 5.3
18 United States United States Lithuania Lithuania FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 2 230.2 234.3 4.1 5.9
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 2 between 227.7 and 234.3
19 United States United States Poland Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 8 2.8 4.5 1.7 5.6
20 Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania Lithuania TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 8 28.2 32.6 4.4 5.9
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 8 between 2.8 and 4.5 also 28.2 and 32.6
21 Poland Poland Israel Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 104.3 108.2 3.9 6.3
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 9 between 104.3 and 108.2
22 Ukraine Ukraine Belarus Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 12 32.5 44.4 11.9 5.6
23 Bulgaria Bulgaria Poland France FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE 12 32.5 44.9 12.4 5.8
24 Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 12 32.5 45.2 12.7 5.9
25 Austria Not Provided Romania Romania TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE 12 32.5 46.5 14 7.6
26 Russia Not Provided Not Provided Not Provided TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE 12 32.5 47.1 14.6 8.1
27 United States United States United States United States TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 12 33.3 47 13.7 7.4
28 United Kingdom Canada Poland Not Provided FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE 12 37.6 46.9 9.3 6.8
29 Poland Hungary United States United States TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE 12 39.9 46.9 7 5.8
30 Russia Ukraine Russia Ukraine FALSE TRUE FALSE TRUE 12 40.8 47.3 6.5 5.5
31 United States Russia United States United States TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 12 41.4 47.5 6.1 5.1
32 Russia Poland Austria Poland TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE 12 41.4 47.5 6.1 5.1
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 12 between 32.5 and 47.5
33 Ukraine Ukraine Not Provided Not Provided TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE 14 49.8 55.5 5.7 7.2
Possible Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 14 between 49.8 and 55.5



7 "Distant Cousins" of Rogelia Nava Hurtado  (ancestrial lines from Nuevo Leon, Jalisco, & Zacatecas Mexico)

* Maternal
Grandmother
Birth
Country Maternal
Grandfather
Birth
Country Paternal
Grandmother
Birth
Country Paternal
Grandfather
Birth
Country Maternal
Grandmother
Declared
Ashkenazi Maternal
Grandfather
Declared
Ashkenazi Paternal
Grandmother
Declared
Ashkenazi Paternal
Grandfather
Declared
Ashkenazi Chromo-
some Segment Start
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment End
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment Length
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment Length
In
Centi-
Morgans
1 Russia Russia Russia Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 75.5 88.1 12.6 12.7
2 Hungary Hungary United States Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 75.7 85.3 9.6 8.9
3 United States United States Russia Not Provided FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE 2 77.5 88.1 10.6 10.2
4 Russia Poland Austria Germany TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 79 87.5 8.5 7
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 2 between 75.5 and 88.1
5 Canada Canada Italy United States FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE 10 61.6 72.6 11 11.5
Possible Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 10 between 61.6 and 72.6
6 South Africa South Africa Italy South Africa FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE 14 60.2 70.1 9.9 8.7
7 Ukraine Ukraine Poland Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 14 60.6 69.2 8.6 7.6
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 14 between 60.2 and 70.1



41 "Distant Cousins" of Socorro Aburto Guillen (ancestrial lines from Puebla in Southern Mexico and Chihuahua
in Northern Mexico)

* Maternal
Grandmother
Birth
Country Maternal
Grandfather
Birth
Country Paternal
Grandmother
Birth
Country Paternal
Grandfather
Birth
Country Maternal
Grandmother
Declared
Ashkenazi Maternal
Grandfather
Declared
Ashkenazi Paternal
Grandmother
Declared
Ashkenazi Paternal
Grandfather
Declared
Ashkenazi Chromo-
some Segment Start
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment End
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment Length
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment Length
In
Centi-
Morgans
1 United States United States United States United States TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 1 67.5 75.5 8 6
2 Russia Russia Romania Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 1 67.7 76.3 8.6 6.2
3 Belarus Russia Belarus Ukraine TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE 1 67.7 74.7 7 5.1
4 Germany Germany Germany Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 1 67.7 76.5 8.8 6.4
5 United States United States United States United States FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE 1 67.7 76.4 8.7 6.4
6 United States Not Provided Poland Poland FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE 1 67.7 76.5 8.8 6.5
7 Poland Poland Hungary Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 1 67.7 76.5 8.8 6.5
8 United States United States Romania Romania TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 1 68.5 76.4 7.9 5.2
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 1 between 67.5 and 76.5
9 Poland Poland Poland Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 190.1 195.9 5.8 5.4
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 2 between 190.1 and 195.9
10 United States United States Russia Russia FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 3 18.9 24.2 5.3 6.3
11 Ukraine Poland United States United States TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE 3 20.6 24.2 3.6 5.1
Possible Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 3 between 18.9 and 24.2
12 Mexico Spain United States United States FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 5 24.6 31.4 6.8 6.4
Possible Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 5 between 24.6 and 31.4
13 Ukraine Ukraine Uzbekistan Ukraine TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE 9 29.3 36.3 7 5.2
14 Not Provided Not Provided United States Not Provided FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE 9 38.4 76.9 38.5 36.1
Possible Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 9 between 29.3 and 36.3 also 38.4 and 76.9
15 Iran Iran Romania Romania FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 9 70.2 76.3 6.1 7.6
16 United States United States United States United States FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE 9 70.2 75.9 5.7 6.6
17 United States United States United States United States TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE 9 70.2 76.9 6.7 9.1
18 Poland Not Provided Not Provided Not Provided TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE 9 70.2 76.5 6.3 8.1
19 United States United States Hungary Hungary TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE 9 70.2 75.9 5.7 6.7
20 Russia Russia Ukraine Romania TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 70.2 76.9 6.7 9.1
21 Not Provided Not Provided Ukraine Not Provided TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 70.2 76.9 6.7 9.1
22 United States United States Ukraine Ukraine FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 9 70.2 77.3 7.1 9.6
23 United States Austria Not Provided Not Provided TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE 9 70.2 76.9 6.7 9.1
24 Russia Russia Romania Romania TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 70.2 77.3 7.1 9.2
25 Poland Lithuania Ukraine Ukraine TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE 9 70.2 77.3 7.1 9.2
26 United States United States Ukraine Ukraine FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 9 70.2 76.9 6.7 9.1
27 Poland Russia United States Not Provided TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE 9 70.6 76.9 6.3 8.9
28 Russia Russia United States Hungary TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 70.6 76.9 6.3 8.9
29 Ukraine Poland Lithuania Latvia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 71 76.9 5.9 8.5
30 Ukraine Georgia Georgia Georgia TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE 9 71.1 77.3 6.2 8.3
31 United States United States United States United States TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 71.6 77.3 5.7 7.9
32 Poland Poland Austria Austria TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE 9 71.6 77.3 5.7 7.8
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 9 between 70.2 and 77.3
33 United States United States Russia Russia FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE 11 26.2 35.5 9.3 9
Possible Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 11 between 26.2 and 35.5
34 South Africa South Africa Lithuania Lithuania TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 13 27.3 34 6.7 12.4
35 Ukraine Russia Ukraine Ukraine TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 13 28.2 34 5.8 10.4
36 United States Russia United States United States TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE 13 29.3 34.7 5.4 8.9
37 Canada Russia United Kingdom Canada FALSE TRUE TRUE TRUE 13 29.5 32.4 2.9 5.4
38 Ireland Italy Romania Not Provided FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE 13 29.5 33.1 3.6 6.6
39 Ukraine Ukraine United States Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 13 30.9 35 4.1 5.1
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 13 between 27.3 and 35
40 Romania Poland Austria United States TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 21 27.2 31.6 4.4 6.1
41 Ukraine Not Provided Not Provided Not Provided TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE 21 27.2 31.6 4.4 5.8
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 21 between 27.2 and 31.6



58 "Distant Cousins" of JoLynn Alvarez  (ancestrial lines from Northeastern Mexico)

* Maternal
Grandmother
Birth
Country Maternal
Grandfather
Birth
Country Paternal
Grandmother
Birth
Country Paternal
Grandfather
Birth
Country Maternal
Grandmother
Declared
Ashkenazi Maternal
Grandfather
Declared
Ashkenazi Paternal
Grandmother
Declared
Ashkenazi Paternal
Grandfather
Declared
Ashkenazi Chromo-
some Segment Start
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment End
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment Length
In MegaBase
Pairs Segment Length
In
Centi-
Morgans
1 Poland Poland Russia Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 41.9 45.9 4 5.5
2 Hungary Hungary Hungary Hungary FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 2 41.9 46.1 4.2 6.1
3 Belarus Belarus Russia Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 41.9 45.9 4 5.4
4 Not Provided Not Provided Russia Russia FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 2 41.9 45.9 4 5.1
5 United States Not Provided Russia Poland TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE 2 42.2 46 3.8 5.6
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 2 between 41.9 and 46.1
6 United States United States United States United States TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE 2 180.7 194.1 13.4 8.8
7 United States United States United States Canada TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 181 185.5 14.5 9.6
8 Moldova Moldova Romania Romania TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE 2 181 192.9 11.9 8.1
9 Hungary Not Provided Russia Egypt TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE 2 181 193 12 8.2
10 Jamaica United States Austria Austria FALSE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 190 196.8 6.8 5.8
11 Lithuania Belarus Ukraine Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 2 190 195.5 5.5 5
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 2 between 180.7 and 196.8
12 Mexico Spain United States United States FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 5 24.6 31.4 6.8 6.4
13 Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine Moldova TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 34.7 2.9 5.4
14 United States Russia United Kingdom Latvia FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 34.9 3.1 5.6
15 Germany Not Provided Not Provided Not Provided TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE 5 31.8 35.5 3.7 6.4
16 United States United States Ukraine Ukraine FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 34.9 3.1 5.6
17 United States United States United States United States FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 35.5 3.7 6.3
18 Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 34.9 3.1 5.8
19 United States United States Not Provided United States FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE 5 31.8 34.6 2.8 5.2
20 Hungary Hungary United States Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 34.9 3.1 5.7
21 Ukraine Ukraine Poland Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 34.7 2.9 5.3
22 Poland Hungary United States United States TRUE TRUE TRUE FALSE 5 31.8 34.9 3.1 5.6
23 United States United States United States Ukraine TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 35.1 3.3 6.1
24 Poland Poland Romania Romania TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 34.6 2.8 5.2
25 Russia Russia Russia Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 35.4 3.6 6.3
26 Canada Lithuania Not Provided Not Provided TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 5 31.8 34.6 2.8 5.1
27 United States United States United States United States FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE 5 31.8 34.9 3.1 5.6
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 5 between 31.8 and 35.4
28 Serbia Serbia Bulgaria Bulgaria FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 5 163.6 167 3.4 5.1
Possible Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 5 between 163.6 and 167
29 United States United States United States United States TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 6 32.6 39.2 6.6 7.4
30 Poland Russia France Poland TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE 6 32.6 37.7 5.1 6.1
31 Russia Russia Poland Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 6 36.5 40.7 4.2 5.7
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 6 between 32.6 and 40.7
32 Canada Canada Canada Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 33 38.7 5.7 6.5
33 Netherlands Netherlands Russia Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 33.1 38.7 5.6 6.2
34 United States United States Poland Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 33.4 38.7 5.3 6
35 United Kingdom United States United States Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 33.4 38.7 5.3 6
36 Austria Czech Republic Lithuania Lithuania TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 9 33.5 38.7 5.2 5.7
37 Not Provided Italy Not Provided Russia FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE 9 34.4 38.7 4.3 5.4
38 Russia Spain Not Provided Not Provided FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE 9 35.1 38.7 3.6 5.1
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 9 between 33 and 38.7
39 Slovakia Hungary Poland Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 10 5.1 7 1.9 5.4
40 Poland Poland Russia Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 10 5.2 7.5 2.3 6.3
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 10 between 5.1 and 7.5
41 Germany Germany Germany Germany TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 15 55.6 58.8 3.2 5.6
42 Canada Canada Poland Poland TRUE TRUE FALSE TRUE 15 55.6 60.1 4.5 8.1
43 Poland Ukraine Latvia Latvia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 15 55.6 59.1 3.5 6.6
44 United States United States United States United States FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE 15 55.6 64 8.4 11.6
45 Hungary Hungary Russia Russia FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 15 55.6 59 3.4 6
46 Argentina Syria Ukraine Ukraine FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 15 55.6 59.1 3.5 6.6
47 United States United States United States United States FALSE FALSE TRUE FALSE 15 55.6 59.1 3.5 6.6
48 Poland Poland Poland Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 15 55.6 60.3 4.7 8.4
49 Hungary Hungary Russia Russia TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 15 55.6 60.1 4.5 8.1
50 Poland Poland United States United States TRUE FALSE TRUE TRUE 15 55.6 58.8 3.2 5.6
51 United States Not Provided Romania Romania FALSE TRUE FALSE FALSE 15 55.8 63 7.2 10.9
52 Hungary Hungary United States Poland TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 15 56.4 61.1 4.7 8.4
53 United States United States United States United States FALSE FALSE TRUE TRUE 15 56.5 63.4 6.9 9.7
54 Poland Poland Ukraine Ukraine TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 15 57.7 61.4 3.7 6.4
55 Canada Russia United Kingdom Canada FALSE TRUE TRUE TRUE 15 57.7 61.3 3.6 6.2
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 15 between 55.6 and 64
56 United States United States United States France TRUE TRUE TRUE TRUE 16 56.4 60.9 4.5 5.2
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 16 between 56.4 and 60.9
57 United States United States United States Russia TRUE TRUE FALSE FALSE 19 17.9 33.4 15.5 5.1
Possible Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 19 between 17.9 and 33.4
58 Poland Poland Poland Poland FALSE TRUE TRUE TRUE 20 15.3 17.7 2.4 5
Possible Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 20 between 15.3 and 17.7



If you are of full Mexican Ancestry and have Ashkenazi distant cousins in your 23andme Ancestry Finder Utility and would 
like to participate just email me your Ancestry Finder file. 
Let me know where in Mexico your ancestors come from.

Email me Gary Felix at GaryF@pacbell.net if you have any questions.

Email me anytime,
Gary Felix
Mexico DNA Project Administrator

Note that I do not benefit monetarily from either 23andme or FTDNA (Mexico DNA Project). 


Additional Resources: 

Come and discuss "Jewish DNA in the Genome of Mexican-Americans" at our Mexico DNA Project Forum.

 

The Ashkenazic Jewish Bloom Syndrome Mutation blmAsh Is Present in Non-Jewish Americans of Spanish Ancestry
 by Ellis et. al. 1998. In summary, screening for blmAsh in families ascertained through BS has uncovered a fascinating 
historical-genetic mystery. The blmAsh mutation, common among persons of Ashkenazic ancestry, has been found to be 
segregating in Spanish-speaking Christian BS families who for many generations have dwelt in the southwestern United States, 
Mexico, or El Salvador, at least some of whom can trace their ancestry to Spain. blmAsh was not detected in any other 
non-Jewish population.

MtDNA evidence for a genetic bottleneck in the early history of the Ashkenazi Jewish 
Population by Behar et. al.

Counting the Founders: The Matrilineal Genetic Ancestry of the Jewish Diaspora 
by Behar et al.

The Matrilineal Ancestry of Ashkenazi Jewry: Portrait of a Recent Founder Event 
by Behar et al.

New! Distribution of HLA-B27 Subtypes in Ankylosing Spondylitis in an Israeli Population 
by Alaez et al. (2007). The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of the B27 subtypes to AS expression in 
a group of Jewish patients from Israel and to compare their distribution with that found in Mexican Mestizo patients 
because of the very well-documented Mediterranean and Semitic background in Mexicans. CONCLUSIONS: The only allele 
conferring risk to AS expression in Israeli Jews was B( *)2702, as was previously described in Mexican Mestizos. 
Populations of Mediterranean ancestry, such as Latin Americans, should be further explored to understand the contribution 
of ethnicity to the etiopathogenesis of AS.

New! The impact of Converso Jews on the genomes of modern Latin Americans 
by Velez, Hammer et al (2011). Note that this paper identifies a Population in the Loja Province in S. Equador 
as having Sepharidic roots. See the July 15th 2010 entry graphic for Dolores Felix and note that cousins are 
most prevalent in Equador after Mexico.

Here are suspected (per the listed research in this paper) and/or confirmed Jewish results by order of relatedness (i.e. segment(s) of shared DNA)
	Gary Felix' Mother's 22 (all) distant cousins	Joe Alvarez' Mother has 55 "Distant Cousin" results. Here are her suspected (per the research in this paper) and/or confirmed Jewish results	Al Aburto's Aunt has 29 "Distant Cousin" results. Here are her suspected (per the research in this paper) and/or confirmed Jewish results
01	Male Maternal Haplogroup N1b2 Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.20% Number of shared segments = 2	Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Paternal Haplogroup E1a1 Amount of shared DNA 0.16% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed JEWISH - Ukraine, Poland	Male Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Paternal Haplogroup I2a2b Amount of shared DNA 0.24% Number of shared segments = 2
02	Female United States Northern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Amount of shared DNA 0.15% Number of shared segments = 1	Male Maternal Haplogroup H Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a Amount of shared DNA 0.15% Number of shared segments = 1	Male United States Multiple Region Ancestry Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a Paternal Haplogroup R1b1b2a1a2 Amount of shared DNA 0.12% Number of shared segments = 1
03	Male Maternal Haplogroup N1b2 Paternal Haplogroup Q Amount of shared DNA 0.14% Number of shared segments = 1	Female United States Multiple region ancestry Maternal Haplogroup U7a Amount of shared DNA 0.14% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed JEWISH-Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Austria	Female United States Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Amount of shared DNA 0.12% Number of shared segments = 1
04	Male Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Paternal Haplogroup R1b1b2a1a2d3* Amount of shared DNA 0.13% Number of shared segments = 1	Female Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Amount of shared DNA 0.13% Number of shared segments = 1	Female Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Amount of shared DNA 0.12% Number of shared segments = 1
05	Female United States Northern European Ancestry Maternal Haplogroup H11* Amount of shared DNA 0.13% Number of shared segments = 1	Male United States Maternal Haplogroup T2b2 Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.13% Number of shared segments = 1	Male United States Unknown Ancestry Maternal Haplogroup HV Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.12% Number of shared segments = 1
06	Male Maternal Haplogroup H Paternal Haplogroup J2 Amount of shared DNA 0.12% Number of shared segments = 1	Male Maternal Haplogroup H Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.13% Number of shared segments = 1	United States Southern European Ancestry Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Paternal Haplogroup R1a1a* Amount of shared DNA 0.12% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed JEWISH ancestry
07	Male United States Southern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup N1b2 Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a Amount of shared DNA 0.12% Number of shared segments = 1	Male Maternal Haplogroup H1 Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.13% Number of shared segments = 1	Female Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1
08	Female United States Southern European Ancestry Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1	Male Maternal Haplogroup N1b2 Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1 Amount of shared DNA 0.13% Number of shared segments = 1	Male United States Multiple Region Ancestry Maternal Haplogroup H5a* Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.10% Number of shared segments = 1
09	Male Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1	Male United States Unknown ancestry Maternal Haplogroup J1a Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.12% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed JEWISH - adopted, California	Male United States Multiple Region Ancestry Maternal Haplogroup K1a9 Paternal Haplogroup J2a1b1* Amount of shared DNA 0.09% Number of shared segments = 1
10	Male United States Southern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup H Paternal Haplogroup R1b1 Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1	Male United States Multiple region ancestry Maternal Haplogroup U5a1* Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1	Male United States Multiple Region Ancestry Maternal Haplogroup N9a* Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.08% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed JEWISH Ancestry
11	Male Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Paternal Haplogroup Q1b Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1	Male Maternal Haplogroup L1c3 Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1
12	Female Maternal Haplogroup U1b Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed JEWISH	Male United States Northern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup H1* Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1
13	Female United States Northern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup K1a* Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1	Male United States Northern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup H3 Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1
14	Female United States Northern European Ancestry Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a Amount of shared DNA 0.10% Number of shared segments = 1	Male United States Northern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Paternal Haplogroup J2b2 Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1
15	Male United States Maternal Haplogroup U3a Paternal Haplogroup T Amount of shared DNA 0.10% Number of shared segments = 1	Female Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1
16	Male Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a Amount of shared DNA 0.10% Number of shared segments = 1	Male Maternal Haplogroup K2a2a Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a Amount of shared DNA 0.11% Number of shared segments = 1
17	Male Maternal Haplogroup HV1 Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1a2* Amount of shared DNA 0.10% Number of shared segments = 1	Male Maternal Haplogroup T1a Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.10% Number of shared segments = 1
18	Male Maternal Haplogroup H5a* Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.10% Number of shared segments = 1	Male Maternal Haplogroup H Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.9% Number of shared segments = 1
19	Male Near Eastern/Middle Eastern ancestry Maternal Haplogroup J1a* Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a Amount of shared DNA 0.10% Number of shared segments = 1 Both sides of my family are Ashkenazi Jews from Ukraine	Male Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Paternal Haplogroup T Amount of shared DNA 0.9% Number of shared segments = 1
20	Male United States Northern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup H1b Paternal Haplogroup J2a1b1* Amount of shared DNA 0.10% Number of shared segments = 1	Male Canada Southern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup K1a1b1a Paternal Haplogroup R1b1b2 Amount of shared DNA 0.9% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed ASHKENAZI JEWISH
21	Male United States Northern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup N1b2 Paternal Haplogroup J1e Amount of shared DNA 0.09% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed Eastern European Ancestry with family surnames that are of typical JEWISH origin	Male United States Near Eastern/Middle Eastern ancestry Maternal Haplogroup U6a* Paternal Haplogroup J2 Amount of shared DNA 0.8% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed JEWISH; Ukraine
22	Male United States Northern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup N1b2 Paternal Haplogroup E1b1b1c1a Amount of shared DNA 0.07% Number of shared segments = 1	Male United States Northern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup N1b2 Paternal Haplogroup Q1b Amount of shared DNA 0.8% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed JEWISH
23		Male United States Southern European ancestry Maternal Haplogroup H7 Paternal Haplogroup J2b2* Amount of shared DNA 0.8% Number of shared segments = 1 Confirmed JEWISH

Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 1 between 230.4 and 233
*	Maternal Grandmother Birth Country	Maternal Grandfather Birth Country	Paternal Grandmother Birth Country	Paternal Grandfather Birth Country	Maternal Grandmother Declared Ashkenazi	Maternal Grandfather Declared Ashkenazi	Paternal Grandmother Declared Ashkenazi	Paternal Grandfather Declared Ashkenazi	Chromo- some	Segment Start In MegaBase Pairs	Segment End In MegaBase Pairs	Segment Length In MegaBase Pairs	Segment Length In Centi- Morgans
1	United States	United States	United States	United States	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	1	230.4	233	2.6	6.8
2	United States	Russia	Lithuania	Lithuania	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	1	230.4	233	2.6	6.9
3	Poland	Poland	Yemen	Yemen	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	1	230.4	233	2.6	6.8
4	Ukraine	Ukraine	Poland	Poland	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	1	230.4	232.5	2.1	5.1
5	United States	United States	United States	United States	TRUE	FALSE	FALSE	TRUE	1	230.4	233	2.6	6.9
6	Mexico	Mexico	Mexico	Mexico	TRUE	FALSE	FALSE	FALSE	1	65.5	74.5	9	7.1
7	Germany	Austria	United States	Russia	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	2	227.7	230.9	3.2	5.2
8	Moldova	Ukraine	Romania	United States	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	2	228.2	232.2	4	6.4
9	Ukraine	Ukraine	Ukraine	Ukraine	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	2	228.2	232.8	4.6	7
10	Ukraine	Ukraine	Ukraine	Ukraine	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	2	228.2	232.8	4.6	7
11	United States	United States	United States	United States	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	2	228.2	233.5	5.3	8
12	Poland	Ukraine	Poland	Argentina	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	2	229.4	234	4.6	7.1
13	Lithuania	Lithuania	Russia	United States	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	2	229.7	233.2	3.5	5.2
14	Poland	Poland	Poland	Poland	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	2	229.8	233.7	3.9	5.4
15	United States	United States	Canada	Germany	FALSE	FALSE	TRUE	TRUE	2	229.9	233.7	3.8	5.4
16	United States	Poland	Ukraine	Ukraine	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	2	229.9	234	4.1	6.2
17	United States	United States	Ukraine	Ukraine	TRUE	FALSE	TRUE	TRUE	2	230.1	233.7	3.6	5.3
18	United States	United States	Lithuania	Lithuania	FALSE	FALSE	TRUE	TRUE	2	230.2	234.3	4.1	5.9
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 2 between 227.7 and 234.3
19	United States	United States	Poland	Poland	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	8	2.8	4.5	1.7	5.6
20	Lithuania	Lithuania	Lithuania	Lithuania	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	8	28.2	32.6	4.4	5.9
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 8 between 2.8 and 4.5 also 28.2 and 32.6
21	Poland	Poland	Israel	Poland	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	9	104.3	108.2	3.9	6.3
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 9 between 104.3 and 108.2
22	Ukraine	Ukraine	Belarus	Russia	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	12	32.5	44.4	11.9	5.6
23	Bulgaria	Bulgaria	Poland	France	FALSE	FALSE	TRUE	FALSE	12	32.5	44.9	12.4	5.8
24	Ukraine	Ukraine	Ukraine	Ukraine	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	12	32.5	45.2	12.7	5.9
25	Austria	Not Provided	Romania	Romania	TRUE	FALSE	TRUE	TRUE	12	32.5	46.5	14	7.6
26	Russia	Not Provided	Not Provided	Not Provided	TRUE	FALSE	FALSE	FALSE	12	32.5	47.1	14.6	8.1
27	United States	United States	United States	United States	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	12	33.3	47	13.7	7.4
28	United Kingdom	Canada	Poland	Not Provided	FALSE	FALSE	TRUE	FALSE	12	37.6	46.9	9.3	6.8
29	Poland	Hungary	United States	United States	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	FALSE	12	39.9	46.9	7	5.8
30	Russia	Ukraine	Russia	Ukraine	FALSE	TRUE	FALSE	TRUE	12	40.8	47.3	6.5	5.5
31	United States	Russia	United States	United States	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	TRUE	12	41.4	47.5	6.1	5.1
32	Russia	Poland	Austria	Poland	TRUE	FALSE	TRUE	TRUE	12	41.4	47.5	6.1	5.1
Likely Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 12 between 32.5 and 47.5
33	Ukraine	Ukraine	Not Provided	Not Provided	TRUE	TRUE	FALSE	FALSE	14	49.8	55.5	5.7	7.2
Possible Sephardic DNA on Chromosome 14 between 49.8 and 55.5