Results from the Project
Results So Far ...
So far we have tested 27 Mugford, Mudford and Mogford men for the standard 67 STR markers (Short Tandem Repeat Y-DNA markers).
It is already evident that Mugford men belong to a variety of different genetic Y-haplogroups, so we conclude that the single-founder hypothesis is false for Mugfords. This was expected, given the geographic (locative) origins of the surname, as men from different genetic origins but living in or near the same place adopted or were given the same surname beginning around the 12th century in England.
The Haplogroups
So far, we have found our members are spread among 10 different Y-haplogroups, representing 10 genetically-distinct family lines, as shown in the summary table below. Further testing might show that some of these different groups are in fact related, although probably quite distantly.
Family Line "A"
It is probable that all or most Mugford men with roots in the Conception Bay and nearby areas of Newfoundland might share a common Mugford ancestor, and for them the single-founder hypothesis could be true. These participants all match fairly closely on 67 STR markers. As well, an additional participant, with roots in Devon, England, is a reasonable match for the 6 from Newfoundland, confirming that at least some of the Conception Bay Mugfords have roots in Devon, England. Five of the these six men have been tested for the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) called SNP L448 and found to be positive for it. Four have also now tested positive for SNP CTS4179. A "Big-Y test" on 2 of the men has found them positive for new SNP Y38533 and it is expected that the others will be positive for it as well.
These men all belong to what is thought to be an ancient Scandinavian sub-group of haplogroup R1a that is characterized by the genetic values 19 and 21 at STR (Short Tandem Repeat) markers YCAII-a and YCAII-b, instead of values 19 and 23, which are characteristic of R1a1 types from Eastern Europe. They also have some of the characteristics of the Somerled Scots, descendants of the 12th century Scottish warrior Somerled. Men of R1a genetic origin may have come to Britain during the many invasions and settlements by "Vikings" and other Scandinavians during the post-Roman period 400-1000 AD. There are other possibilities as well, some perhaps even pre-Roman. Some researchers believe that the R1a haplogroup originated in Eurasia, north of the Caspian and Black Seas, and is associated with people of the Kurgan Culture who domesticated the horse about 3000 B.C.
Other Family Lines
Other participants belong to various sub-branches of haplogroup R1b and are not related to the other gentlemen in haplogroup R1a. Only a few of the R1b members are known to be related to each other. These have roots in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, England and in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Another participant belongs to haplogroup R1a1 but is not related to others in R1a1, and another belongs to haplogroup I2a. Testing is underway to see exactly which sub-branches these men are on and what their terminal SNPs are.
Haplogroup R1b is the most common Y-haplogroup in Western Europe with especially high incidence in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal), Western France and Ireland.
Another participant belongs to haplogroup I2, a relatively small haplogroup found mainly in western Europe.
And yet two other participants belong to haplogroup O1a, a haplogroup found mainly in southeast Asia and thought to have originated there, thousands of years ago.
The table below describes the 10 genetically-distinct (Y-DNA) Mugford and Mudford family groups discovered so far among members of the Mugford Surname DNA Project :
| Family Line (Note 1) |
Tested | Where Found Today |
Genetic Y-DNA Haplogroup (Notes 2, 3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "A" Mugford Mogford |
13 | Australia, Canada, England, USA |
R1a-M417 M417+ Z283+ Z284+ L448+ CTS4179+ YP386+ BY27355+ Y38533+ |
| "B" Mugford |
1 | England | R1b-P312 P312+ DF19+ L644+ |
| "C" Mugford |
1 | Canada | R1b-P312 P312+ DF27+ Z2571+ CTS11567+ |
| "D" Mugford |
3 | Canada, Norway, USA |
R1b-P310 P310+ U106+ S12025+ S16361+ |
| "E" Mugford |
1 | Canada | R1b-P312 P312+ L21+ L513+ S6365+ BY17+ |
| "F" Mudford |
1 | New Zealand | R1a-M417 M417+ L664+ |
| "G" Mugford |
2 | South Africa, USA |
R1b-P312 P312+ DF27+ Z2571+ FGC11397+ |
| "H" Mugford |
1 | USA | R1b-P312 P312+ |
| "I" Mugford |
1 | USA | I2a-P37.2 P37.2+ CTS595+ S21825+ L1286+ L233+ |
| "J" Mugford |
2 | England | O1a-M175 M175+ F265+ M307+ F81+ |
Notes —
1. Genetically-distinct family lines are designated by letters which were assigned chronologically as the lines were discovered in the project.
2. The genetic haplogroups have been determined by specific SNP tests done on project members by Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) and are labeled as currently defined in the FTDNA database. Based on these tests, some haplogroup designations have been extended according to the co-ordinated haplotree that used to be maintained by the International Society of Genetic Genealogy ISOGG). In some cases further extensions of the tree have been made by reference to the experimental haplotrees maintained by relevant haplogroup projects at FTDNA and sometimes also by reference to the experimental tree maintained by the genomic analysis service of YFull. The labels shown here are reviewed and revised periodically in accordance with advances in knowledge of the Y-DNA haplotree.
3. The terminal SNP is the last known SNP on that branch of the phylogenetic tree (haplotree) from which the men originated. The haplotree is being continually revised as research results accumulate and are verified. The terminal SNPs of project members are being actively researched. Above the terminal SNP, only a few of the representative SNPs are shown.
Mugfords in the Haplotree
So Mugfords and Mudfords are from a variety of different genetic haplogroups. Let's see how these different haplogroups appear in the Y-haplotree. Below is a diagram of the Mugford and Mudford family lines discovered so far showing their locations in the "tree" of Y-chromosome Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) that define their respective haplogroups. The "tree" is shown in inverted format with the ends of the branches at the bottom, making it easier to add more SNPs as they are discovered.
You can see that there is still much work to be done in finding the terminal SNPs for all family lines. We need to test more Mugfords and Mudfords everywhere to find common ancestors between family lines in England, North America and elsewhere, and to see what proportion of Mugford and Mudford men belong to each haplogroup. If you are a male Mugford or Mudford (or variant surname), I invite you to join our project to see which family line you might be connected to and to possibly extend your own genealogy when a close match is found.
Interested ?
Interested to join? Please follow the Join link and fill in the Request to Join form on the new page there. If you have questions about the project or about DNA testing, you can use the same form to contact the project administrator. (Or, you can reach the administrator directly by sending an e-mail to mugforddna at the service named protonmail.com.) Whether you write to join the project or to ask a question, I look forward to hearing from you.