Crusaders Left “Genetic Legacy’

BBC News

3/27/08

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7316281.stm

Summary-

A team of scientists recently found a DNA signature in Lebanon that could have ties to the crusades. The Geographic Project works to track human migrations by the use of DNA. The researchers began discovering Christian men in Lebanon carrying a DNA signature stemming from Western Europe. They realized later that this was little support considering that Lebanese Muslim men were more likely than Christians to have a specific genetic signature. It ended up that this information was linked to expansions from the Arabian Peninsula which brought Islam to the area. As the researchers delved deeper they discovered that the genetic makeup seemed to be more similar by religion then by geographical area. A significant type of chromosome (WES1) was found on some Lebanese men. The chromosome was normally found in parts of Middle Europe. You can link the two together and give you evidence of the Crusades.

.

a) Cultural, religious and intellectual developments could be a theme twisted in with this topic. Now people are realizing and using their technology to delve more into the history of Islam and everything surrounding it. The theme also could be tied to culture and religion because it seemed the genetic makeup had something to do with what religion the person practiced.

b) Since 2005 the Geographic Project worked to track human migrations by the use of DNA. They decided to look into the topic of the Crusades and were able to find something to work off of.

c) The article could’ve be written from the point of view of an educated person who understands the science behind these experiments but not much else can be determined.

d) It seems that the author might have been unbelieving to these discoveries by the quotes put around the title ‘Genetic Legacy’ as if its fake and also the “genetic ‘surname’”

e) The point of view from an educated skeptic would be helpful because then we could see the other side of the case.

f) I think that there isn’t enough evidence to support this. A couple fragments of DNA can’t really prove anything. The test was conducted to a large range of people but results can be faulty. The evidence they found also doesn’t completely connect the two ideas. There are so many “what if’s” that could’ve happened for example what if a whole community of Christians or Muslims decided to live in a place opposite where they were supposed to? You can never have enough evidence and I don’t think that this test is enough to prove the tie between DNA and the crusades.