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August 26, 2006
Global Geneology Study Tracks Migration by DNA
The National Geographic has embarked on a Genographic Study that uses your DNA to track ancient ancestral migration trails from as far back as 79,000 years in Africa. For a $100 fee, participants receive a DNA testing packet and an analysis of either your fathers or mothers DNA trail.
This process involves swabbing the inside of the cheek and sending the swab samples back to the lab where it's analyzed and the results are then compared to a DNA base of tens of thousands of core samples from around the world. Using DNA markers, these are the small changes in the DNA code that occur naturally over time, they track
the migration of families moving up from Africa and spreading out to all parts of the world as we know it today.
In addition you can also participate in a DNA Family Tree project that uses the test results to determine close family tree information, often leading to the discovery of fairly close relatives. For more information follow this link. The more people that participate the more that can be discovered about your families migratory trail through time.
In my case, prior to our families immigration to the USA in the early 1700's (based on my own family records), my closest DNA match, 12 of 12 markers...that's pretty close, were from Europe in places I never expected. Those tell tale markers frequently appeared in segments of the English population. I knew we had a lot of relatives in England, but I didn't know about the groups in Germany, Scotland, Russia (Ukraine), Poland and Czechoslovakia. The DNA trail through time links me to the Russian Cossacks (based on a study by one distant relative I found (thanks to the Nat'l Geographic study) and to a group of people living in Eastern Iran as well...which reminds me, I need to speak to cousin, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and see how our uranium enrichment is going.
You infidels have a nice weekend and check out that National Geographic site, it's pretty interesting.
Posted by Post Scripts at August 26, 2006 02:54 PM
Comments
Jack, Pretty tough bunch...Cossacks AND "people living in East Iran"?
If I'm not mistaken they are doing similar research at Davis about the origin of Indians in the Americas. The research indicates they are definitely Asian.
There's a dispute in my family about whether or not our great grandmother was half Blackfoot. The Choctaws and Cherokees in the family are no help...I wonder if the folks at Davis have a similar program?
Posted by: Tina at August 26, 2006 10:40 PM
"Jack, Pretty tough bunch...Cossacks"
That might explain my sword collection and why I ride a Harley.
As to your Indian connection, you need only do the DNA test as mentioned, this gives you your ethnic background. If you have some indian background, its definately going to show up.
Dos svydanya moi droog...
Posted by: Jack at August 27, 2006 12:08 PM
Wow, Jack. I'm surprised that you found out so much information from your National Geographic cheek swab. All those specific countries? I wonder how that happened. When my mother did it earlier this year, the results she got simply said that her ancestors made the trek from Africa to Europe. That was it. No more specific than that. Do most people get such specific info from the Nat. Geo study as you did?
Larry
Posted by: Larry Mitchell at August 28, 2006 02:34 PM
Larry, obviously I can't speak to what the Genographic study may or may not have had back then for your Mom, but the data base is growing every day and there is a good deal of interesting information available now that was not around a year ago. Remember, this is a 5 year project.
The data, as I recall, is contained in three web pages. Once you log in you will see "Your Genetic History". Then it asks (on the same page) "Help Us Tell The Story" and you can click a link to another page to contribute your known information. At the bottom of this original page there is another link that says, "Learn more >" and clicking this will take you to another page with more detailed family information.
The topics here are:
Finding if you are related to another family with the same surname.
Breaking through a brick wall in your genealogical research.
Getting hints for your ancestor's homeland
If your Mom missed any of this, she missed a lot! But, it gets even better. There's also a family tree link that is seperate from the Geno study for a number of families. That part could provide even more details, if you family name is in there. Fortunately, mine was.
The Genographic project can provide actual names of persons who share your first 12 DNA markers with you. That casts a wide net of some 725 years in family history. In my case there were 19 names of living people that currently share my same DNA markers. The names came with emails too.
This means a connection existed, but exactly when or how remains to be determined by your own research. We just know there is a family connection within the scope of 725 years.
However, the more markers beyond the first 12, the closer this can be defined! I would have to have my DNA re-checked for more markers to isolate a more precise connection in time. That costs another $75 and right now I am not quite ready to take that step, nor is it all that necessary as much family info is already known.
I think it may be worth your time to re-enter your kit number and re-check your DNA results again.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
PS The Y DNA or fathers side can go back far long than the Mother's lineage.
Posted by: Jack Lee at August 28, 2006 07:10 PM