The following table outlines the Y-DNA STR markers available at Genebase and the corresponding motifs used for allele designation in Version 3.4.  Click here to view the conversion chart for Version 3.3 to Version 3.4.  Please note that Users from previous versions will be automatically converted to 3.4.

 *Variable regions in each motif are indicated in blue.

*Motifs used for allele designation in Version 3.4 are compared to NIST nomenclature, and marked as “same” or “different” accordingly. 

*Question mark (?) indicates that NIST data is currently unavailable.

What is “NIST nomenclature”?

NIST stands for “National Institute of Standards and Technology”.  NIST is a non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce with the mission to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life. 

NIST has compiled and maintained a Short Tandem Repeat DNA Internet Database called STRBase, a valuable STR information resource.  Click here to view the NIST standards for the most commonly tested Y-chromosome STR markers. 

To facilitate Y-DNA STR data comparisons between different laboratories and research groups, many laboratories choose to follow the standard NIST nomenclature to avoid differences in allele values due to different nomenclatures (motif and counting method) between different laboratories.  Most motifs in the NIST nomenclature follow the ISFG (International Society of Forensic Genetics) guidelines.  Click here to view the latest ISFG recommendations on the Y-STR nomenclature.

The mtDNA SNP Haplogroup H Subclade Test Panel examines 17 unique SNP markers in the coding region of the mtDNA.  These 17 SNP markers define up to 16 different subclades of Haplogroup H (Subclades 1 to 16).  The chart below lists the 17 SNP markers that are included in this panel and the Subclades that they define.

The diagram below is a phylogenetic tree illustrating the various subclades of H that are known.  The diagram also shows where each of the 17 SNP fall in the tree.  Click here to download a detailed copy of the Haplogroup H Subclade Map. 

DNA Lesson Series: The mtDNA and its role in Ancestry
mtDNA Part I - mtDNA 101
mtDNA Part II - Facts about mtDNA
mtDNA Part III - mtDNA Structure
mtDNA Part IV - Ancestral Markers
mtDNA Part V - Detecting Mutations in the mtDNA
mtDNA Part VI - mtDNA Ancestral Markers
mtDNA Part VII - The Cambridge Reference Sequence
mtDNA Part VIII - mtDNA Test Types
mtDNA Part IX - mtDNA Haplogroup Determination
mtDNA Part X - mtDNA Subclades
mtDNA Part XI - mtDNA Haplogroup H
mtDNA Part XII - Subclades of mtDNA Haplogroup H
mtDNA Part XIII - Distribution of Subclades of H
mtDNA Part XIV - Descendents of Maria-Theresa
mtDNA Part XV - Luke the Evangelist
mtDNA Part XVI - Empress Feodorovna
mtDNA Part XVII - James “Earthquake McGoon” McGovern  <<– you are here

In the last three blogs, we have been discussing the topic of how anthropologists have used mtDNA to solve historical questions.  In particular, we have been focusing on the analysis of historical figures who may have belonged to Haplogroup H, one of the largest European Haplogroups.  We will wrap up our Haplogroup H series with this case about a World War II fighter ace and CIA pilot who died in combat in Vietnam. 

Case #4:  James “Earthquake McGoon” McGovern

Who was he?

James McGovern was a World War II fighter ace who died in a plane crash in Laos on May 6, 1954 when the Civil Air Transport plane that he was flying to provide ammunition to French troops was hit by groundfire.  McGovern and Buford (an American co-pilot) and two French Corporal Chiefs were killed instantly, making McGovern and Buford the first two Americans to die in combat in Vietnam. 

The source of his nickname:

At six feet and 260 pounds, McGovern was considered large for a fighter pilot, prompting his nickname “Earthquake McGoon” after the fierce and primitively charismatic (hulking hillbilly) wrestler from the popular Li’l Abner comic strip.

What were the anthropologists trying to find out? ie why was his DNA tested?

Between 1997 and 2002, multiple investigations of the site of incident were done by different teams (including joint US-Lao teams); however, only small fragments of aircraft wreckage were found, but no human burial sites were located.  In 2002, while investigating an unrelated crash near the Ban Sot area, the JTF-FA team discovered an old C-119 (the type of plan that McGovern was flying) propeller.  A few months later, human remains of a single individual were discovered from an unmarked grave, leading to speculation that the grave may have belonged to James McGovern.

The main purpose of the project was to determine whether the remains belonged to James McGovern.

Who’s Who in researching this project:

• Irwin et al from Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rockville, USA.
• Holland et al from Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command - Central Identification Laboratory, Hawaii, USA

Top peer reviewed research publications for genetic identification of James McGovern:

This table lists the most significant papers for the James McGovern case and the DNA tests that were performed to identify his remains in peer reviewed journals.  Links are provided to access the original articles.

These papers provide the extent of what is known today about the DNA of James McGovern and provides answers to the question of whether the remains discovered in the grave belong to the James McGovern.

As further information becomes available, this table will be updated.

Solving the case: Collecting DNA samples

The first step in solving the case involved collecting DNA samples from the remains and locating living relatives of James McGovern for DNA testing.