What is Genetic Genealogy?
Genetic genealogy applies science to traditional genealogy. Although the work of genealogy has been made easier with computers and microfilm, it once consisted of hours of tedious research through stacks of documents and records. When a genealogist reached a dead end, there was nowhere else to turn. Now, with the help of genetic genealogy, researchers have a way to trace their family tree by linking markers in their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). A genetic marker is an easily identifiable sequence in a person’s DNA. Genetic genealogy experts say that basically 100% of everyone living today have descended from someone royal. A surprising 80% of the current population of Great Britain are descendants of Edward III. With genetic genealogy, simple “commoners” have the ability to link this interesting heritage with their own family trees. On the genealogist’s side, the process is simple. A company such as Family Tree DNA sells the subject either a Y-DNA test, which traces the paternal line, o
You might already be familiar with how DNA testing can help solve crimes, confirm the paternity of children, and even determine the identity of ancient mummies. Now DNA can also help you with your genealogical research. It’s a simple and painless process to gather your DNA sample and within a few weeks have results that you can compare with the ever-expanding DNA Ancestry database to find potential genetic cousins. By comparing your DNA Ancestry test results with others, you can determine to what extent you are related. For example, the more closely your result set matches another’s, the narrower the range of generations between the two of you and your common ancestor. In addition to finding genetic cousins, your DNA test can also reveal your ancient origins. Beginning over 170,000 years ago, our ancient human ancestors migrated out of Africa and began their slow and steady spread across the continents. Over time as these ancestors spread throughout the world and adapted to their new s
Is it really expensive? What is Genetic Genealogy? Genetic genealogy combines the tracing of the family tree, or genealogy, with the current science of genetic mapping. Using DNA stamping scientist trace individuals lineage by identifying common markers found the strands using Y Chromosomes and Mitochondria DNA. Genetic genealogy can take the guesswork out of who you are and where you came from, genetically speaking. The field of genetic genealogy has been growing since 2000 and continues to grow as more people use this science. Labs and genealogy companies sell at home kits that provide swabs to clients. Ancestral Homes Genetic scientists have been successful in tracing back genetic genealogy to particular ‘haplogroups’. Haplogroups are specific populations that lived in a particular geographical area. These haplogroups date back thousands of years and identify some of your earliest ancestors. Some have been identified in sometimes surprising ethnic groups like ancient Native American
The purpose of this project is to analyze Y chromosome DNA of males with the surnames Dorsey, Darsey, Darcy, Dawsey, Dossey, and D’Arcy to learn more about the interconnections between and within families of those surnames. In our culture, surnames are handed from father to son. Happily, a father also passes a copy of his Y chromosome, virtually intact, to all of his sons. This makes the Y chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) a kind of biochemical signature for the surname. In the last ten years or so, (relatively inexpensive) procedures have been developed to characterize specific segments of the Y chromosome DNA. Now there is a growing movement within the genealogy community to utilize this procedure to compare the characteristics of the Y-DNA segments to identify and define patrilineal lines. Fortunately though the surname is beholden to the vagaries of spelling skills, accents, “non-paternal events”, and invented genealogies, its partner in inheritance, the Y chromosome stays relatively consiste
