One in ten Scots men descended from Picts

[Geoff Withnell]

The new part of this study is finding Pictish markers in the male line. It is my understanding that mitochondrial (sp?) dna, the female line, shows considerable Pictish contributions throughout the British Isles.

[OC Richard]

The new part of this study is finding Pictish markers in the male line. It is my understanding that mitochondrial (sp?) dna, the female line, shows considerable Pictish contributions throughout the British Isles.

A great point and something to keep in mind when we see these DNA studies. Mitochondria have their own DNA which is passed unmixed through the female line, and the non-recombining portion of the Y chromosomal DNA passes unmixed through the male line. The two are often quite different in a given population, and tell a different tale. This is striking in Melungeon DNA where, if I recall correctly, the mitochondrial DNA is purely European while the Y-chromosomal DNA has African and Native American components. (I think it's why an older Melungeon DNA study showed them to be purely European but a recently study revealed the African and Native American streams.)