by Pa Rock
Family Researcher
Several years ago when the practice of having one's DNA analyzed for genealogy (family tree research) purposes was still relatively new, I had my DNA tested through a project sponsored by the National Geographic Society. I didn't know the terminology at the time, but that test was of my "autosomal" DNA, or the basic combination of chromosomes that I had inherited from my parents on twenty-two of the twenty-three chromosome pairs in each of my cells. The results of that test provided me with some colorful charts and graphs showing the general migration route that my ancestors had followed out of Africa, as well as the percentages of ethnicities and nationalities that had gone into my ultimate being. And yes, I am over two percent Neanderthal and proud of it!
The National Geographic testing was part of the Human Genome Project which is an ambitious international scientific undertaking to investigate the nature and map the location of all human genes. By taking its test, I became part of that project.
Following that test, I received a couple of emails from a medical doctor in Oklahoma who felt that because of close matches in our DNA structure he and I were related. The doctor asked several DNA-related questions that I was unable to answer, and he soon became frustrated with my basic lack of knowledge on the subject and quit communicating.
A few years later I rejoined Ancestry.com after a hiatus of several years. Ancestry had a going DNA testing business and was busy connecting cousins across generations based on their DNA. Ancestry, being a for-profit business, declined to accept my DNA results from National Geographic into its program, and I eventually chose to spend more money and have a DNA test performed through them. It was a good investment and Ancestry has provided me with many likely family connections, some of whom have gone on to share family information which I previously did not have.
But I suspected that there was more to be learned from my DNA
A year ago this month I traveled to Salt Lake City for a week of research at the famous Mormon genealogy library. Officially I was part of a group, and one evening the group met over dinner. I was stuck in a corner at a table with seven people that I did not know - and dreaded the idea of trying to make small talk while I ate. But that proved not be be a problem because one lady in the group never shut up.
The lady was talking to the people on each side of her, but her incessant chatter dominated the entire table. She knew more about everything than anyone else at the table and wanted to make sure that everyone knew it. I tried to tune her out - until she drifted off into the topic of DNA. Then I began to pay attention.
She said that she had all three types of DNA testing done on herself. She named them, but I was too much of a novice to remember the technical stuff. (And who knew there were three types of DNA?). Then she began talking about her husband and how he refused to have his DNA tested. She jokingly suggested that perhaps he had been a criminal before he met her and feared the FBI showing up at his door with a cold case file. She laughed and said that capturing his DNA profile had become a challenge, one which she met by having her children (who were also his children) tested. Now there would be enough of his DNA profile on file for law enforcement to find him - if the need should ever arise.
And while I secretly thought that the poor husband would probably relish the thought of going to prison just to get away from her, I held my tongue and finished my dessert.
Several months later, in May of this year, I took part in the National Genealogical Society's "Family History" conference in St. Charles, Missouri. While there I managed to get into several workshops that focused on using DNA research in genealogy. One of the things that I wanted to learn about was the three types of DNA that the lady in Salt Lake City had referenced. Here is what I found out:
I filed that information away and determined that when the time was right I would have my own mtDNA and Y-DNA tested.
As the summer wore on I became involved in family tree research centering on the will of one of my g-g-granduncles who died in 1920. He died a childless widower and left his estate to fifty-three heirs of his six siblings who had all preceded him in death. As a part of that research, I was trying to identify the birth surname of his mother - a woman who would have also been my g-g-g-grandmother. As I got to mulling that over, I suddenly realized that it would be a straight female line between that woman and her g-g-grandaughter - my mother - and that I would have inherited her mtDNA. If I were to have my mtDNA tested - which I proceeded to do - I might possibly make contact with other descendants of the same genetic line, some of whom might already have the information that I was seeking. The results aren't back yet, but I am hopeful that science may help to solve this family history mystery!
And then because I was fired up over the prospect of what the mtDNA might reveal, I also decided to take advantage of the summer sale that Family Tree DNA was having and have my Y-DNA tested as well. I am still waiting on that test kit to arrive.
And the next time I run into the incessant talker from Salt Lake City, I will know just as much about my own DNA profile as she does about hers - though she probably won't give me the chance to talk about it.
For those who would like to know more about DNA, you might want to check out the new special edition publication from the National Geographic Society. It is entitled "Your Genes: 100 Things You Never Knew." It is available at newsstands now for $14.99. I have a copy and have been engrossed in it for a couple of days. The publication is very informative and easy to understand. I recommend it highly!
To recap:
That is the extent of my knowledge on this rapidly expanding topic. For more information, please check out the new publication from the National Geographic Society that was referenced above.
Happy hunting!
Family Researcher
Several years ago when the practice of having one's DNA analyzed for genealogy (family tree research) purposes was still relatively new, I had my DNA tested through a project sponsored by the National Geographic Society. I didn't know the terminology at the time, but that test was of my "autosomal" DNA, or the basic combination of chromosomes that I had inherited from my parents on twenty-two of the twenty-three chromosome pairs in each of my cells. The results of that test provided me with some colorful charts and graphs showing the general migration route that my ancestors had followed out of Africa, as well as the percentages of ethnicities and nationalities that had gone into my ultimate being. And yes, I am over two percent Neanderthal and proud of it!
The National Geographic testing was part of the Human Genome Project which is an ambitious international scientific undertaking to investigate the nature and map the location of all human genes. By taking its test, I became part of that project.
Following that test, I received a couple of emails from a medical doctor in Oklahoma who felt that because of close matches in our DNA structure he and I were related. The doctor asked several DNA-related questions that I was unable to answer, and he soon became frustrated with my basic lack of knowledge on the subject and quit communicating.
A few years later I rejoined Ancestry.com after a hiatus of several years. Ancestry had a going DNA testing business and was busy connecting cousins across generations based on their DNA. Ancestry, being a for-profit business, declined to accept my DNA results from National Geographic into its program, and I eventually chose to spend more money and have a DNA test performed through them. It was a good investment and Ancestry has provided me with many likely family connections, some of whom have gone on to share family information which I previously did not have.
But I suspected that there was more to be learned from my DNA
A year ago this month I traveled to Salt Lake City for a week of research at the famous Mormon genealogy library. Officially I was part of a group, and one evening the group met over dinner. I was stuck in a corner at a table with seven people that I did not know - and dreaded the idea of trying to make small talk while I ate. But that proved not be be a problem because one lady in the group never shut up.
The lady was talking to the people on each side of her, but her incessant chatter dominated the entire table. She knew more about everything than anyone else at the table and wanted to make sure that everyone knew it. I tried to tune her out - until she drifted off into the topic of DNA. Then I began to pay attention.
She said that she had all three types of DNA testing done on herself. She named them, but I was too much of a novice to remember the technical stuff. (And who knew there were three types of DNA?). Then she began talking about her husband and how he refused to have his DNA tested. She jokingly suggested that perhaps he had been a criminal before he met her and feared the FBI showing up at his door with a cold case file. She laughed and said that capturing his DNA profile had become a challenge, one which she met by having her children (who were also his children) tested. Now there would be enough of his DNA profile on file for law enforcement to find him - if the need should ever arise.
And while I secretly thought that the poor husband would probably relish the thought of going to prison just to get away from her, I held my tongue and finished my dessert.
Several months later, in May of this year, I took part in the National Genealogical Society's "Family History" conference in St. Charles, Missouri. While there I managed to get into several workshops that focused on using DNA research in genealogy. One of the things that I wanted to learn about was the three types of DNA that the lady in Salt Lake City had referenced. Here is what I found out:
A normal human cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, with half of each pair being inherited from each parent. Twenty-two of these pairs are called autosomes - and the DNA analysis of those pairs is referred to as "autosomal DNA" - the test that I had performed by the National Geographic Society and Ancestry.com. The final pair, the sex chromosomes, differ between males and females. Examinations of those sex chromosomes make up the other two types of DNA tests - and, while of all of the major genealogy sites that test DNA, only one - Family Tree DNA - does those two particular tests.
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) passes down from mothers to their children, normally unchanged. Males do not pass the mtDNA along to their children, but females do. Consequently a line of mtDNA can go from mother to daughter virtually unchanged for many generations or until it undergoes a mutation.
Mitochondrial DNA is one of two types of DNA found in the sex chromosomes. The other is Y-DNA which is passed down from fathers to sons, but is not passed along to females. Y-DNA is also be carried through generations unchanged until, for some reason, is goes through a mutation.
I also learned that mtDNA and Y-DNA tests are more expensive than the regular autosomal DNA tests, but that they are no longer prohibitive in price for most consumers, and the pricing of all DNA testing is coming down.
I filed that information away and determined that when the time was right I would have my own mtDNA and Y-DNA tested.
As the summer wore on I became involved in family tree research centering on the will of one of my g-g-granduncles who died in 1920. He died a childless widower and left his estate to fifty-three heirs of his six siblings who had all preceded him in death. As a part of that research, I was trying to identify the birth surname of his mother - a woman who would have also been my g-g-g-grandmother. As I got to mulling that over, I suddenly realized that it would be a straight female line between that woman and her g-g-grandaughter - my mother - and that I would have inherited her mtDNA. If I were to have my mtDNA tested - which I proceeded to do - I might possibly make contact with other descendants of the same genetic line, some of whom might already have the information that I was seeking. The results aren't back yet, but I am hopeful that science may help to solve this family history mystery!
And then because I was fired up over the prospect of what the mtDNA might reveal, I also decided to take advantage of the summer sale that Family Tree DNA was having and have my Y-DNA tested as well. I am still waiting on that test kit to arrive.
And the next time I run into the incessant talker from Salt Lake City, I will know just as much about my own DNA profile as she does about hers - though she probably won't give me the chance to talk about it.
For those who would like to know more about DNA, you might want to check out the new special edition publication from the National Geographic Society. It is entitled "Your Genes: 100 Things You Never Knew." It is available at newsstands now for $14.99. I have a copy and have been engrossed in it for a couple of days. The publication is very informative and easy to understand. I recommend it highly!
To recap:
Your autosomal DNA is reflective of both of your parents who each contributed half of the genetic information contained in the twenty pairs of autosomal chromosomes that reside in each of your cells.
Your mtDNA should be exactly like that carried by your mother, and her mother, and her mother, etc. And, if you are a female, you will pass your mtDNA along unchanged to all of your biological children, and your daughters - but not your sons - will pass it along to their children. (Your sons' children will inherit the mtDNA that their mothers carry.)
Your Y-DNA (carried only by males) should be exactly like carried by your father, and his father, and so forth. Your sons and their sons will also have the same Y-DNA. (A female who would like to have information on her father's Y-DNA would need to have her brother, or a paternal uncle, or one of their son's tested.)
That is the extent of my knowledge on this rapidly expanding topic. For more information, please check out the new publication from the National Geographic Society that was referenced above.
Happy hunting!
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