Anderson Blood

[gilmore]

Y chromosome markers are passed from father to son, as are surnames.

Take a look at the results of the Gunn surname Y chromosome DNA project. http://worldfamilies.net/surnames/g/gunn/results.html

The overwhelming majority are in the R1b hapolgroup, which developed in the Iberian peninsula during the last Ice Age when northern Europe was covered in vast ice sheets when a group of humans were isolated from others. After the ice receded, the descendants of these people went up the coast of France to the western coast of the British Isles, which were at that time still connected by land to mainland Europe. Their descendants settled in Ireland, and after some centuries their descendants, known as the Scotii, settled in Scotland and gave it their name. In 1500 AD about 2/3 of the men of the Iberian peninsula were in haplogroup R1b. About 3/4 of the men of Scotland were in R1b.

Meanwhile, in the Balkans another isolated group of humans developed the I haplogroup. A third isolated group developed R1a in central Asia. Some of their descendants wound up in Europe. About 1/3 of Scandanavian men were in the I haplogroup, about 1/3 were in the R1a, and about 1/4 were R1b.

Here are maps with pie charts showing the distribution of Y chromosome haplogroups: http://www.scs.uiuc.edu/~mcdonald/Wo...groupsMaps.pdf

Thirteen of the 16 men in the Gunn surname project are R1b, like the vast majority of Scots whose ancestors came from Ireland. Only one is in haplogroup I, none are in haplogroup R1a, unlike what would be expected if these men were indeed descended patrilineally from Scandanavian Vikings.

Therefore, most Gunn men in this study show DNA evidence that their forefathers were much more likely Irish Scots than Viking.