Scientists say Ötzi the Iceman has Living Relatives, 5,300 Years Later

               

                

                Otzi the Iceman was found in the Italian Alps in 1991. It has been reported that scientists have found 19 genetic relatives of Otzi living in Austria’s Tyrol region. Walther Parson, a researcher for the Institute for Forensic Medicine, states “These men and the ‘Iceman’ had the same ancestors. These 19 genetic matches were discovered using the DNA records of 3,700 Austrian blood donors for a rare Y-chromosome mutation known as G-L91. This mutation is passed down intact from one generation to another and is a very dependable indicator for ancestral relationships. Unfortunately, since this mutation is on the Y sex chromosome, it can only be traced to male ancestry.

                Scientists are using these genetic markers to obtain better knowledge of how the different populations migrated throughout the Alpine regions. Through this study, APA scientists expect to find relatives in other nearby regions of the Swiss and Italian Alps. Scientists have learned a lot from the frozen mummy. It is assumed that Otzi was a farmer that suffered heart disease, joint pain, tooth decay, lactose intolerance, and most likely Lyme disease. Even though they have revealed that they have found 19 genetic they have not released names and it is certain that these relatives do not know that they are related to Otzi.

Regions of rare Y-chromosome mutation G-L91

                I found this article to be very interesting. Otzi had been preserved for thousands of years and remains intact and still gives us information on how people lived then and how his DNA still exists in the world today. I find it amazing that they can take the DNA of a 5,300 year old ‘Iceman’ and see where his ancestry has spread throughout the world. I hope that they do more investigation into people that would be related to Otzi and see how far his genes have spread around the world. Also, they should get inform the ancestors who they are so they can get more family history for them. It is a bit of a disappointment to me that they can only find the gene in the Y sex chromosome, but any amount of information is still supportive and historical. 


http://www.nbcnews.com/science/scientists-say-otzi-iceman-has-living-relatives-5-300-years-8C11392771

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/28/otzi-the-iceman-leads-a-wave-of-genetics-buzz/