Hello,
I decided to join the forum this week because I am looking for a place to discuss R2 DNA and this seems to be the place for it. For the past two years I have mostly been investigating an Ashkenazi Jewish Cluster in R1b-L21 (now apparently under R-DF13, a new SNP under L21). My Y-DNA is R1b-L583, under R1b-DF13, under R1b-L21. There are only three people known to have L583, and we appear to be a Levite subset of a cluster of Eastern European Ashkenazim under a vast sea of various L21 Celtic types.
I am only just learning about R2a because I convinced a third cousin to do the Geno 2.0 test to learn the Y-DNA of one of my great-great-grandfathers and he came back as R2a, in the process testing positive for 29 new F-series R2 SNPs (these from a study of Asians at Fudan University in Shanghai) and a handful of PF-series R2 SNPs (these from a study of men in Sardinia). I'm very interested in finding out if these can help differentiate one or more new subclades under R2a-M124.
R2 seems to be a much less explored world than R1b and R1a (or for that matter J2, the Y-DNA of my maternal grandfather). I'm excited about an opportunity to understand a new (to me) Y-DNA landscape not necessarily populated by hordes of Americans and British Isles types trying to find out what ancient Celtic clan or king they may or may not descend from. While I like my periodic wee dram of scotch and glass of Guinness as much as the next person, I am looking forward to learning more about R2 and Central Asian origins.
