Genetic Study Reveals Origins of Menorcan Surnames: Marquès, Sintes, Coll, Pons, Gomila, and Moll

A study by the Human and Evolutionary Genetics Group (HeGen) at the University of the Balearic Islands [Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB)] reveals the genetic origins of common Menorcan surnames. The research indicates that most individuals with the surnames Marquès [Marquès], Sintes, and Coll are monophyletic. This means they share a genetic lineage from a single founder who arrived on the island after the conquest of King Alfonso III in 1287. Conversely, the study confirms that the surnames Pons and Gomila originate from diverse lineages. There are also "incongruencies" regarding the surname Moll. The study involved collecting DNA samples from Menorcans with the surnames Pons, Marquès, Coll, Moll, Sintes, or Gomila to determine their origins. The scientists obtained 101 samples: 30 from individuals with the surname Pons, 20 from Gomila, 15 from Sintes, 14 from Moll, 13 from Coll, and 10 from Marquès [Marquès]. These samples were compared with a control group of 64 anonymous individuals from the UIB's genetic bank. Researchers analyzed genetic markers, including SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and STRs (short tandem repeats), to trace the history of these populations. The study found that the surname Marquès [Marquès] likely originated from North Africa, differing from the other five surnames (Pons, Sintes, Moll, Coll, and Gomila), which have European origins. The most frequent haplogroup in the control population was R1b, common in Western Europe. However, the surname Marquès [Marquès] predominantly showed the E1b1b haplogroup, suggesting an African origin for its founders.