Is there strong evidence that Kohanim are descended from Aaron the first Jewish high priest?

Question

http://judaism.about.com/od/worshiprituals/f/kohen.htm
This article refers to a study conducted by an Israeli nephrologist (I would have more confidence in the study if he were a geneticist) who found a common genetic marker in 97 to 98% of Kohanim that he studied. The article cites this study as strong evidence that these subjects have Aaron the high priest as a common ancestor. I would suggest that, given the restrictions on marriage observed by orthodox Kohanim, there are many common ancestors from much later than 1400 - 1200 BCE (about the time of the occupation of Palestine).

Answer 1

I would say that 1 in 10,000 odds of that (having a 97.5% common YAP marker) occurring is very strong evidence...

Answer 2

You might enjoy the book "Abraham's Children" by Jon Entine which discusses genetics and the history of the Jewish people, including the study of Kohanim DNA.

The studies have not only identified a rare genetic marker in Kohanim, but they have also been able to date it. The oral tradition of the Kohen, passed from father to son for 3300 years since Aaron, is a scientific fact.