Genetic genealogy

From Freepedia

Genetic genealogy is the application of genetics to traditional genealogy. Genetic genealogy involves the use of genealogical DNA testing to determine the level of genetic relationship between individuals. Author Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak [sic] has coined the term "genetealogy" for this practice.

Contents

Uses

Paternal and maternal lineages

The two most common types of genetic genealogy tests are the Y-DNA (paternal line) and mtDNA (maternal line) genealogical DNA tests. These tests involve the comparison of the DNA of one individual to that of another to scientifically determine how many generations ago the two individuals shared their most recent common ancestor. These tests allow two individuals to determine with 99.9% certainty that they are related within a certain time frame, or with 100% certainty that they are not related within a certain time frame.

Biogeographical and ethnic origins

Additional DNA tests exist for determining biogeographical and ethnic origin, but these test have less relevance for traditional genealogy.

See genealogical DNA test and population genetics (the study of the distribution of and change in allele frequencies).

Human migration

Genealogical DNA testing methods are also being used on a longer time scale to trace human migratory patterns and determine, for example, when the first humans came to North America and how they got there. One major effort currently going on is the Genographic Project, which aims to map historical human migration patterns by collecting and analyzing DNA samples from over 100,000 people across five continents.

Benefits

Genetic genealogy gives genealogists a means to check or supplement the historical record with information from genetic data. A positive test match with another individual may:

  • provide locations for further genealogical research
  • help determine ancestral homeland
  • discover living relatives
  • validate existing research
  • confirm or deny suspected connections between families
  • prove or disprove theories regarding ancestry

Drawbacks

The main reasons people cite for not wanting to be DNA tested is cost or concerns over privacy issues.

In addition, Y-DNA and mtDNA testing each only trace a single lineage (one's father's father's father's etc. lineage or one's mother's mother's mother's etc. lineage). At 10 generations back, an individual has 1024 ancestors (excluding intermarriages) and a Y-DNA or mtDNA test is only studying one of those 1024 ancestors.

See also

Important concepts

Related fields

Patrilineal relationships

Matrilineal relationships

Biogeography, ethnicity and migration

Projects

External links and resources

News

Mailing lists and forums

Additional information

Organizations

DNA databases

DNA surname project databases

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