What does blood type tell you about your heritage?

Factual Questions
1

Maybe this is a dumb question, but I seem to remember reading once that certain blood types are more common in different parts of the world. Is this so?

I became a donor about a year ago, I’m B+, and that’s apparently very uncommon here in Sweden. So, I’m wondering, what does that tell me about my heritage? There are a quite a few blanks in my family’s geneology (sp?), and maybe I’d get a hint of who or what I am.

Oh, and please, try to keep this in layman’s terms. I’m confused enough as it is.

Thanks!

2

This thread seems to deal with this subject at least partially. Maybe it can be of some help.

3

Thank you! It look interesting.

4

Hi Soda. Well, it seems you and I might be related somewhat closer in time than from our shared ancestral African heritage. The BBC are currently showing a new series on the Vikings – from your neck of the wood, I believe – in Britain and you might find the whole subject comes more alive when looking at how it worked in practice rather than taking the drier academic approach.

It’s still quite easy to pick out the Scandie markers in British DNA, particularly in the north of the UK (and especially on Islands). This is the general home page:

For a more general introduction to all things to do with genes, population movement (including immigration), I think this is a very accessible start:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/genes/

Of course, the uncomfortable subject of Eugenics has also been an issue in Sweden in recent years and that is also dealt with on the linked pages – it’s related to your question but not central.

p.s. I’m sure you’ll be enthralled to learn I used to be able to say in Swedish – quite well, apparently – “You have beautiful eyes and wonderful breasts”. Unfortunately, there is less call to so do nowadays so my linguistic ability has somewhat dimmed. I’m not sure that indicates a shared heritage but it did break the ice and lead to occasional bonding …

5

I know that this is an old post, but I came across it when looking at blood types and heritage.

I am in Australia & also B+ which is rare (10% of the population) and I would put my heritage as Anglo Saxon, including England, Ireland and Scotland…
The original question was posted by someone from Sweden, which would include Norway, in suggesting that these would be areas where some of my ancestors may have originated.