Monday, August 18, 2008

Finns Aren't Europeans. Almost.


A reader notes that the Egg has displayed an unusual interest in Finns of late.  We call it casting off the yoke of oppression.  Let the reindeer soar!

Anyhoo, pictured at right is a genetic map of Europe. We stole it from the delightful Strangemaps, but apparently it was created by the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, and published in Current Biology.  

The map shows that, of the European genetic profiles studied, the Finns and the Italians are the most atypical.  But even a glance shows a remarkable difference in degree.  Italians may indeed be distinctive, but they overlap pretty heavily with Spaniards, Yugoslavians and Albanians.  Finns are practically on another page.

Swedes have a reputation for being aloof, but from the look of this map, Europeans have enjoyed a millennium-long orgy, while it has been the Finns who stood quietly and endogamously off to the side.   Our theory?  They really are the lost tribe of Israel.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

a theory expressed by others. however if anyone needs supporting evidence that finns are shall we say, a bit offsides, 1) listen to their language & 2) watch them dance for fun.

Anonymous said...

a theory expressed by others. however if anyone needs supporting evidence that finns are shall we say, a bit offsides, 1) listen to their language & 2) watch them dance for fun.

mark said...

Actually, you got that information from your grandfather when you were still in short pants and knew that everything he told you was true.

Father Anonymous said...

Yup. The emphasis in "really *are*" was my recognition that he was way out in front on this particular anthropological discovery.