A fascinating new genetic study has shed light on the potential links between the Nusantara Sayabiga people (encompassing Javane...
A fascinating new genetic study has shed light on the potential links between the Nusantara Sayabiga people (encompassing Javanese, Malay, and other ethnic groups from the Southeast Asian archipelago) and the Catalan population in Spain. The study, which examined Y-chromosome diversity in a sample of Catalan surnames, has yielded intriguing clues suggesting a connection between Western Europe and the distant tropical islands of Southeast Asia.
The research focused on 50 of the most frequent Catalan surnames in the region, analyzing DNA samples from 1375 men. The results indicated that the majority of the Y-DNA haplogroups found were of European origin, with a smaller number of traces from North Africa and the Middle East. However, two specific haplogroups drew attention due to their potential link to the theory of the Sayabiga people's presence among the Agotes and Cagots, marginalized communities in Spain, France, and other Western European regions in the past.
Three individuals from the Girona region displayed the haplogroup C*, while one individual from Castells possessed the haplogroup K*. Interestingly, all three individuals with haplogroup C* shared the surname Llach, which means "lake" in Catalan. Meanwhile, the sole individual with haplogroup K* bore the surname Ferrer, meaning "blacksmith."
Further analysis of the genetic markers used in the study, as detailed in the relevant scientific publication, indicated that the absence of markers M8 (C1a1) and M219 (C2) convincingly identified the presence of haplogroup C*. Information from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra website provided further details on the surname study, including an in-depth analysis of the origins of the name Llach.
Historical records show that the surname Llach is not very common and is concentrated in the regions of Garrotxa, Pla de l'Estany, Gironès, and Perpignan. Records of French immigration in 1637 also list this name. The results of the genetic analysis of 26 volunteers with the surname Llach revealed eight different lineages, indicating a relatively high genetic diversity for a rather uncommon surname.
Furthermore, the analysis of the Llach family trees from the Girona region showed the existence of four distinct lineages, while the Llach groups from the Pyrenees, Berguedà , and Castelló each had unique lineages. The most significant finding was that the founder of one of the Girona lineages possessed the haplogroup C*, which is generally found with high frequency in East Asia and is rare in Europe, with the exception of Eastern Europe. Out of the more than 400 founder lineages analyzed in the study, this individual with haplogroup C* was the only surprising discovery.
The strong association of haplogroup C* with the Insular Southeast Asia (ISEA) region further strengthens the suspicion of a connection with the Sayabiga people. Previous research by Karafet et al. and Delfin et al. has identified that C*, also known as C-RPS4Y* and CRPS4Y, has a strong correlation with the ISEA region.
The study by Karafet et al. showed that only a small percentage of samples from mainland Southeast Asia possessed the haplogroup C*, while in West Indonesia, the percentage was significantly higher, followed by East Indonesia. The higher variation in East Indonesia suggests the possibility of this region being the origin point of the spread of this haplogroup.
Delfin et al.'s study also found that a significant portion of the Negrito population in the Philippines possesses the haplogroup C*, as does a smaller portion of the non-Negrito indigenous and Muslim populations in the same country.
In addition to haplogroup C*, the discovery of haplogroup K* in one individual with the surname Ferrer also drew attention. This individual showed negative results for the L or MNOPS groups, indicating a strong association with the K* type that is also predominantly found in Insular Southeast Asia, particularly in the Philippines. Delfin et al.'s study also tested for the L and MNOPS subgroups, finding that a significant portion of Negrito Filipinos and a smaller portion of Muslim and indigenous non-Negrito Filipinos possess the haplogroup K*.
The conclusions of this study on Catalan surnames provide intriguing initial indications that a small fraction of the Y-DNA haplogroups in the region may have originated from ISEA, one of the primary regions associated with the Sayabiga people. Furthermore, the geographical link of these findings to the Girona region, the location of an in-depth study on the Cagots at the turn of the 20th century, further strengthens the speculation about a possible relationship between the Sayabiga people and the marginalized communities in Western Europe.
Given that the Sayabiga people are believed not to have practiced endogamy as strictly as the Gypsy/Roma groups, it is possible that some paternal lineages may have been "replaced" during migrations and interactions with other populations in regions associated with the Sayabiga, including Basra in Iraq. In comparison, the study found no traces of the H1 or H1a haplogroups, which are common among the Gypsy population.
Another notable finding was the absence of the haplogroup O, which is very common in populations today. This might indicate that groups with the haplogroup O were not as dominant in certain regions in the past as they are now, although it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions with a relatively small sample size.
Unfortunately, the study did not include the surnames Borja, Borgia, or Borge, the results of which would certainly have been interesting to investigate further given their potential links to the history and migration of populations in the region. These initial findings open the door for future research to confirm and expand our understanding of the potential genetic traces of the Nusantara Sayabiga people in European populations, as well as their implications for the history and dispersal of populations in the past.
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