Cohen Modal Haplotype (CMH)
Cohen Modal Haplotype (CMH) The Cohen Modal Haplotype (CMH) is a specific genetic signature found on the Y-chromosome that is associated with Jewish men who identify as Kohanim , the priestly class in Judaism believed to descend patrilineally from Aaron , the brother of Moses. The Cohen Modal Haplotype (CMH) is a specific pattern of genetic markers found on the Y-chromosome. It includes a set of short tandem repeat (STR) values that were commonly found among self-identified Kohanim from diverse Jewish communities (Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi). “Modal” means it's the most common pattern in a group—in this case, among Kohanim. The CMH was first defined in the 1997 study by Dr. Karl Skorecki and Dr. Michael Hammer . It originally consisted of six STR markers that formed a distinctive signature. For example, the original CMH included these STR values: DYS19 = 14 DYS388 = 16 DYS390 = 23 DYS391 = 10 DYS392 = 11 DYS393 = 12 What Are STR Markers? STR stands f...