A Falsification Test of Ashkenazi Ancestry Using Italkim Jews

A falsification test of Ashkenazi ancestry using Italkim Jews shows that Ashkenazi populations primarily descend from Greco-Roman groups in southern Italy, Sicily, and Magna Graecia. These groups contributed most Ashkenazi autosomal DNA from both maternal and paternal lines over thousands of years.

Online forums like Quora and Reddit often treat Dr. Harry Ostrer's research as dogma. They claim Ashkenazi Jews have mainly Levantine paternal ancestry and significant European maternal ancestry. Many discussions dismiss PCA and FST results as artifacts, suggesting Ashkenazi clustering with southern Italians is an error.

This interpretation is incorrect. Italkim Jews provide a direct falsification test. They have continuously lived in southern Italy for about 2,400 years. Their autosomal DNA shows that southern Italian and Magna Graecia ancestry forms the core of Ashkenazi populations. This confirms historical continuity and shows Ashkenazi clustering reflects reality, not statistical artifact.

Italkim Jews as an Autosomal Falsification Test

Italkim Jews never migrated to the Rhineland, Central Europe, or Slavic regions. They have lived in southern Italy continuously since Magna Graecia and Roman times. This makes them ideal for testing claims that Ashkenazi clustering is caused by maternal European ancestry.

Greek colonizers established these communities. They survived through Roman, Byzantine, and medieval rule. Their autosomal DNA comes from both parents, capturing maternal and paternal contributions. This allows reliable testing of artifact-driven clustering claims.

Southern Italian PCA and FST clustering do not result from artifacts. PCA and FST provide independent evidence of genetic similarity. They show Ashkenazi clustering with southern Italians is historically grounded.

PCA Plot: Southern Italian and Magna Graecia Greek Affinities

The PCA plot shows continuity from Magna Graecia Greeks and ancient Romans to Italkim Jews and southern Italian populations. This contradicts claims that Ashkenazim cluster with southern Italians solely due to maternal European ancestry. The results support a falsification test of Ashkenazi ancestry.

G25 Similarity Map: Autosomal Clustering Patterns

The G25 map confirms Italkim Jews cluster with Sicilians, mainland Italians, Maltese, and Aegean Greeks. This reflects ancestry from Magna Graecia Greeks and ancient Romans. These populations remained in southern Italy through Greek colonization and Roman rule. This provides continuous genetic evidence of Ashkenazi ancestry. These affinities are not due to maternal European admixture.

The G25 and PCA results consistently place Italkim Jews and Ashkenazim in the southern Italian and Aegean Greek genetic space. Including southern Italy, Sicily, Malta, and Aegean reference populations avoids distortions caused by using Northern Italian, Tuscan, or Sardinian proxies. All of the tools used in this analysis, from FST to PCA, can be found on ExploreYourDNA, and the full results are documented in the author's study available on Preprints.org.

FST Analysis: Genetic Proximity of Italkim Jews

The FST table shows the 30 populations closest to Italkim Jews. These data confirm their genetic affinity with southern Italian and Greek populations.

Conclusion

Some studies claim Ashkenazi clustering with southern Italians is an artifact. They often define Italy as Tuscany, Northern Italy, or Sardinia, ignoring the Italkim Jews of southern Italy, the only continuously present Italian Jewish group.

Autosomal evidence from Italkim Jews confirms that Ashkenazi clustering is real and historically grounded. Their autosomal DNA reflects over 2,400 years of continuous residence in southern Italy and ties to Magna Graecia Greeks and ancient Romans. This contradicts forum claims dismissing PCA and FST placement as artifacts.

Northern or central European ancestry does not explain this clustering. A falsification test using Italkim Jews shows Ashkenazi genetic roots are anchored in southern Italian and Greco-Roman populations. These findings reinforce historical continuity and the genetic authenticity of Ashkenazi populations.