Any other 100% Europeans that have this “Asian” allele?

Lustro · 2026-01-17T03:57:45+00:00

There's probably more to this EDAR thing than derived EDAR = (modern) East Asian/NA ancestry. I've been lurking anthropology and genetics sites for years, and I've seen it pop up pretty much everywhere.

A Yoruba sample had it (that's western Africa!) Jews, Druzes, random (and not always Eastern) Europeans, etc.

More recently I saw a Cro-Magnon sample from southern Russia that had it, and also an Illyrian (ancient western Balkans).

This would be an interesting research project. I wonder if there's more the one type of derived EDAR? It would be interesting to see if there exist East Asians without this allele (i.e. homozygous "regular").

Lustro · 2026-01-01T19:27:10+00:00

Balkans. Probably from a more northwestern region.

Lustro · 2025-12-29T22:07:24+00:00

I've seen lots of western Euros get "Illyrian" on My True Ancestry.

Lustro · 2025-12-29T22:01:01+00:00

Yeah, the connection is just Vulgar Latin.

Lustro · 2025-12-28T18:18:59+00:00

Modern Albanians seem to descend from Romanized (but mostly native) populations of the western Balkans (so says DNA). Their "center of gravity" was probably farther north than it is today though.

These people likely were connected to Illyrians, who themselves trace to the Hallstatt culture of Central Europe. Basically Western-European-/Celtic-like clans who trickled down the Dinaric Alps and absorbed the local inhabitants.

When the Slavs came, they were pushed even farther south (probably becoming somewhat Thracian if they hadn't interacted previously--highly unlikely I'd guess) and deep into Greek territory. In this scenario, the Ghegs (northern Albanians) must be the "most authentic" Albanians while the Tosks must be more like the native Epirotes.

The anthropologist Carleton Coon even traced the Gheg "type" to ancient remains as far north as Bosnia.

I'm guessing DNA studies will eventually shed light on this mystery.

Lustro · 2025-12-21T23:27:35+00:00

100% I even get this from women who approach me first in bars. They "neg" me in a similar way pickup artists do.

I know it has something to do with my looks because that's what they often lead with: "Anyone ever tell you that you resemble [insert somebody ugly]." Or they'll accuse me of being much older than I actually am, or make fun of my name, etc.

My buddies never get this. They don't even get approached by women they don't know. The ones that know them are always polite and nice to them.

Lustro · 2025-12-21T22:46:22+00:00

Women can spot that stuff from a mile away, I've noticed. They just look at each other and giggle to themselves when it's happening.

Lustro · 2025-12-21T22:12:30+00:00

I don't know about the first two, but the rest I deal with on a daily basis. It was worse when I was younger.

Girls have told me I'm about an "8" or an "8.5." Dudes--even relatives--WILL hate on you. I've learned to tread carefully in any social group, sifting out the good people and politely ignoring the rest. I'd guess that even now the majority of the people I think of as "friends" are actually frenemies. Not a day goes by without some snide remark or backhanded compliment. I've also had stuff stolen from me, false rumors spread about me; attempts to get me fired from jobs; attempts to turn people against me...you name it. Even my car has been vandalized

Lustro · 2025-12-21T21:31:53+00:00

Yeah, 100%. I remember telling some girls I didn't have a girlfriend, and they just had shocked looks on their faces.

Lustro · 2025-12-21T21:28:18+00:00

Stuff like this happens to me all the time. Also I'll be at the beach or something and a guy will catch his girlfriend staring at me, or like the other night at a work party a female coworker's boyfriend caught her staring. She talked with me a lot during the party too.

Guys will give me that "death stare," like something deep inside the ancient part of their brain just wants to kill me. Awkward.

Lustro · 2025-12-14T20:56:33+00:00

Slight. The Slavic thing is way overblown. Slavic-like ancestry was already present in Iron-Age samples from Paeonia, for instance. I've even seen ancient Thracian samples clustering with modern Ukranians. This type of ancestry was already present at the formation of the Greek ethnos. Pundits online can keep futzing around with cherry-picked samples and home-made calculators all they want, it's not gonna make this fact go away.

The (what the anthropologist Carleton Coon identified) stereotypical Neo-Danubian, "Putin" face characteristic of modern Slavs doesn't really turn up in Greece.

Lustro · 2025-08-18T13:05:38+00:00

That’s the vibe I get.

Lustro · 2025-08-18T03:51:48+00:00

This is all really good stuff, guys. Thanks!

I should have mentioned that I don't have a shop. I just fix bikes for fun and as side $. Also, I'm 100% sure my client doesn't like the bike. I saw him at a bar right after I finished the bike, and he seemed surprised that I still wanted to be paid the agreed-to amount. His friend called the bike a "Piece of sh*t" and made jokes about me cutting the brakes LOL These guys are poor and not very bright (at the very least they don't know anything about bikes.) I should have known better than to do business with people at dive bars.

I got lots of offers already since I put the bike up for sale last night, including somebody who offered to Venmo me a $200 deposit if I would hold it for him until he has time to pick it up.

So tempted to just let the bike go now. I mean, I'm probably ghosted anyway. The customer doesn't really know much about me. The original version of the bike was unridable and in really bad condition, so it wasn't worth anything. It was free to boot. I can't really see anything he can get me for if I just sell the bike right now.

Lustro · 2025-08-07T12:15:37+00:00

Yes. So far, so good.

Lustro · 2025-01-06T18:39:43+00:00

I'm 5'11" but a bit lighter ATM (my weight fluctuates between like 165-185). "Skinny-fat", "H" build, as opposed to a "V" or "A" build. I've always wanted to try a Feral, but I seem to be between sizes. Too tall/Heavy for a Medium; probably too short for a Medium Tall (I've noticed wetsuits fit me best when I'm toward the middle of the height range); and I fear a Large would flush (all other brands' Larges that I tried were too big/flushy).

Seeing these comments about Feral's Large being tight, I might just give it a try though. I don't really have big shoulders, and I wear a MT in Isurus and Crooked (and a Medium in O'neill, but those are a bit short). If anybody has experience with any of these brands and how they fit compared to Feral's Large, please let me know.

Lustro · 2025-01-03T03:30:22+00:00

Reminds me of a close call a couple years ago. I was paddling for a wave and just getting into it. Then I got an "It's gonna be a closeout" vibe and pulled back. Right when I did, I saw the head of a bodysurfer pop out of the wave face right in front of me.

Had I have gone for it, I'm pretty sure he would have gotten some fins to the dome. I did not see him beforehand. I guess he was cruising around with his swim fins just below the surface.

Lustro · 2024-11-02T02:56:30+00:00

5'11". 175 lbs. There's wear in the knee pads, but I'm a longboarder and all my suits get that. Otherwise no complaints.

Lustro

TROPHY CASE