Y-Chromosome Test Results & Analysis

Purpose: The goal of the Venter Surname DNA Project is to identify, isolate, and categorize the different genetic lines which comprise our surname. Once that is done, the next step is to determine to which specific lineage each individual belongs. However, in order to determine what genetic lines exist, we must first test Venter surnamed individuals in order to identify the various haplotypes.

Original Hypothesis: Our initial hypothesis was that there were very few, and possibly only one, Venter genetic line (or haplotype). This was based on the fact that, in relation to other European genetic lines, the Venter surname is extremely rare.

Status: Preliminary steps have been taken toward determining the validity of the original hypothesis. However, the test results of the individuals we have analyzed so far, indicate that there are at least three, and possibly more, identifiable and unrelated Venter genetic lines. These results have been grouped and categorized as follows:

• Group #1: English Ancestry: The participants who have identified their ancestry as English and whose marker data appear to be related, have been categorized as belonging to the "English" group.
• Group #2: German Ancestry: The participants who have identified their ancestry as German and whose marker data appear to be related, have been categorized as belonging to the "German" group.
• Group #3: South African Ancestry: The participants who have identified their ancestry as South African and whose marker data appear to be related, have been categorized as belonging to the "South African" group.
• Group #4: All Others: Participants whose marker data does not appear to match the identified groups, no matter what they claim as their ancestry, have been place in the "Uncategorized" group. As more becomes know, these will be grouped appropriately.

Test Results

This table shows the "Short Tandem Repeat" (STR) value (i.e., the number of repeats) of each marker tested. Each marker is identified by its DNA Y-chromosome Sequence Number, or DYS#, which is listed across the top of the right-hand portion of the table. The STR values for each individual appear below each DYS#, respectively, and one may compare the tested values between various individuals by reading down the column below each DYS# . Values differing from the modal value are highlighted in yellow.

Line No. Surname ID Earliest Documented Ancestor H  G a   r p  o l   u o  p Family Tree DNA Test Group   ==> Group #1 1 Venter 109845   R1b1b2 2 Venter 74467   R1b1b2 Group #2 3 Venter 31552 Johann Adam R1b1b2 4 Fenter 107281 Johann Peter R1b1b2 5 Venter 43528   R1b1b2 Group #3 6 Venter 87825 Hendrik Conrad R1a1 7 Venter 73298 Hendrik Conrad R1a1 8 Venter 87173 Hendrik Conrad R1a1 9 Venter 89593 Hendrik Conrad R1a1 10 Venter 87448 Hendrik Conrad R1a1 11 Venter 132347 R1a1 12 Venter 78508   R1a1 Group #4 13 Venters 98133   R1b1b2 14 van Deventer N32142   R1b1b2 15 Venter 81208   N1 Family Tree DNA Marker Number   ==>

DNA Y-chromosome Segment Number (DYS#) DNA Y-chromosome Segment Number (DYS#) 3 9 3 3 9 0 1 9 3 9 1 3 8 5 a 3 8 5 b 4 2 6 3 8 8 4 3 9 3 8 9 | 1 3 9 2 3 8 9 | 2 4 5 8 4 5 9 a 4 5 9 b 4 5 5 4 5 4 4 4 7 4 3 7 4 4 8 4 4 9 4 6 4 a 4 6 4 b 4 6 4 c 4 6 4 d 4 6 4 e 4 6 4 f 4 6 4 g 4 6 0 G A T A   H 4 Y C A   I I a Y C A   I I b 4 5 6 6 0 7 5 7 6 5 7 0 C D Y a C D Y b 4 4 2 4 3 8 5 3 1 5 7 8 3 9 5 S 1 a 3 9 5 S 1 b 5 9 0 5 3 7 6 4 1 4 7 2 4 0 6 S 1 5 1 1 4 2 5 4 1 3 a 4 1 3 b 5 5 7 5 9 4 4 3 6 4 9 0 5 3 4 4 5 0 4 4 4 4 8 1 5 2 0 4 4 6 6 1 7 5 6 8 4 8 7 5 7 2 6 4 0 4 9 2 5 6 5 Y-DNA12 Y-DNA13 - 25 * Note Y-DNA26 - 37 Y-DNA38 - 47 Y-DNA48 - 60 Y-DNA60 - 67 Categorized as ENGLISH Haplotype. 13 23 14 10 11 14 12 12 12 13 13 29 17 9 10 11 11 25 15 19 30 15 15 17 17 11 11 19 23 15 15 18 17 37 38 12 12 Markers 38 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. 13 23 14 10 11 14 12 12 12 13 13 29 17 9 10 11 11 25 15 19 30 15 15 17 17 Markers 26 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. Categorized as GERMAN Haplotype. 13 24 14 11 11 14 12 12 11 14 13 30 16 9 10 11 11 25 14 19 29 15 15 17 18 11 11 19 23 15 16 18 17 36 37 12 12 11 9 15 16 8 10 10 8 10 11 12 23 23 17 10 12 12 16 8 13 22 20 13 12 11 13 11 11 12 12 13 24 14 11 11 14 12 12 11 14 13 30 16 9 9 11 11 25 14 19 29 15 15 17 18 11 11 19 23 15 15 18 17 36 37 12 12 Markers 38 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. 13 24 14 11 11 14 12 12 12 14 13 30 Markers 13 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. Categorized as SOUTH AFRICAN Haplotype. 13 25 16 10 11 14 12 12 11 13 11 29 16 9 10 11 12 23 14 20 32 12 12 15 15 15 16 11 11 19 21 18 16 18 18 35 40 13 11 Markers 38 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. 13 25 16 10 11 14 12 12 11 13 11 29 16 9 10 11 12 23 14 20 32 12 12 15 15 15 16 11 11 19 21 18 16 18 18 35 40 13 11 Markers 38 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. 13 25 16 10 11 14 12 12 11 13 11 29 16 9 10 11 12 23 14 20 32 12 12 15 15 15 16 11 11 19 21 18 16 17 18 35 40 13 12 12 8 17 17 8 10 10 8 12 10 12 21 22 15 10 12 12 13 8 14 25 21 12 12 11 13 11 11 12 13 13 25 16 10 11 14 12 12 11 13 11 29 16 9 10 11 12 23 14 20 32 12 12 15 15 15 16 11 11 19 21 18 16 18 19 35 39 13 11 12 8 17 17 8 11 10 8 12 10 12 21 22 15 10 12 12 13 8 14 25 21 12 12 11 13 11 11 12 13 13 25 16 10 11 14 12 12 11 13 11 29 Markers 13 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. 13 25 16 10 12 14 12 12 11 13 11 29 Markers 13 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. 13 25 17 10 11 15 12 12 11 13 11 29 Markers 13 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. Uncategorized Haplotypes. 13 24 14 11 11 15 12 12 12 13 13 29 17 9 10 11 11 25 15 19 30 15 15 16 17 11 10 19 23 15 15 17 18 37 37 12 12 11 9 15 16 9 10 10 8 10 10 12 23 23 16 10 12 12 13 8 12 23 20 13 12 11 13 11 11 12 12 13 24 15 11 11 15 12 12 13 13 13 29 Markers 13 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. 14 24 13 11 11 13 11 12 10 14 14 31 Markers 13 - 67 have not yet been tested for this individual. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 * Note 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67

* Note: Our South African test results show an unusual characteristic in that DYS#464 is repeated six times instead of the more common four. (DYS#464 has been seen to repeat as many as seven times in some individauls.)

Analysis

The table above shows the marker values for each of our participants. Each individual's test results are displayed horizontally and are identified by a unique "ID", which is the test kit number assigned to that participant's DNA sample. Surnames are provided because, in addition to Venter, our project is also looking at variations in spelling of the name as well as other surnames that could be related.

Test results are grouped according to category. The top line in each group is the haplotype which, when compared to the others within the group, appears to be the "modal" that defines that group. The haplotype chosen to be the modal may change as more results become available. Marker alleles that differ from the modal are highlighted in yellow and the test results are sorted with respect to these differences.

The English Group has only two individuals at this time, and their haplotypes match perfectly for all markers tested (markers 1 -25). This is not surprising, since documentation shows that these two individuals are related.

In the German group, ID 31552, was chosen as the modal strictly for convenience, although ID 107281 may just as easily have been designated as the modal. At this point, there isn't enough information to recommend one over the other. ID 43528 is considered related, since it differs by only one marker count in the first twelve markers, but needs to test for more markers in order to determine just how closely it is related to the others.

In the South African group there is little ambiguity. Only ID 78508, seems out of step. The other lines show complete agreement through marker #31 (DSY#607) for those markers that were tested. Since all of the Venters in South Africa are believed to be descended from one original immigrant, Hendrik Conrad Venter (aka von Dempter), the fact that there is such good agreement is not surprising. Differences only start to show up in markers further to the right, giving hope that we may be able to differentiate the various family lines within the South African clan.

The haplotypes of ID 87173 and ID 89593, in addition to differing from the modal at markers 32 & 37, and 33 & 35, respectively (highlighted yellow), also differ from each other at marker 43 (DYS#537 - highlighted orange). Our modal hasn't been tested for this marker, so it is not known if only one or both of these haplotypes differ from the modal at this location.

The South African group also shows the unusual feature of having DYS#464 repeated six times instead of the usual four. (See note below the table.) This should be a great help in narrowing the search for Hendrik's family line outside of South Africa.

That just leaves ID 78508. This one is puzzling. There certainly seems to be a genetic relationship between it and the others, but a two marker difference in a total of only twelve is much more than would have been expected in just the eight generations since Hendrik. Hopefully, future results will reveal what is happening here.

The Uncategorized group contains the test results that do not fall into either of the other groups and, therefore, no differences are highlighted. At this point, each one represents its own unique genetic line and each may have its own history and place of origin. Eventually, as more results become available, we should find others that match these haplotypes and we will be able to give each its own group designation.

Return to the Venter Surname DNA Project page.