Where are you REALLY from?

[JoJoDapyro]

My sister bought me an awesome gift. She bought me the kit from National Geographic to find out where our families really came from. I'll post results when I find out, only about 8 weeks till I know!
Here is a link to the website if you are interested.

https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/

[DC]

My sister did my DNA as part of her genealogy stuff. My ancestors came out of Africa 60,000 years ago into Asia then across Europe to arrive in Scandinavia about 20,00 years ago. That's all we know so far. There is more to come apparently.

Now that "they" have my DNA Scotland Yard wants to talk to me about the Ripper murders

[Marc St Louis]

Which part of your family are you focusing on?

My wife does genealogical research and she always finds it odd that people generally follow the male line when in reality you can only ever be sure of the female side of you lineage.

[JoJoDapyro]

Which part of your family are you focusing on?

My wife does genealogical research and she always finds it odd that people generally follow the male line when in reality you can only ever be sure of the female side of you lineage.

The way the DNA tests work, you have to test a male in the family. If a female is tested it only shows the mothers side of the family. My family history is well documented. Except my Moms, moms side. We think that my Great Grandfather was Jewish, and left Poland due to that. But he never would talk about it. When he came to the US he didn't speak English, so they gave him a new name (Joe Private, doesn't sound made up or anything  ). There is also issues with my dads, moms side. It is said that her great grandmother was 100% Cherokee. During the trail of tears a lot of native americans changed their family names to more traditional names to avoid losing their land. We can't find anything beyond her, as her name was changed to Black. My moms dad, and dads dads family trees are pretty cut and dry. My Moms side were on the Mayflower, and one of my ancestors is regarded as the first child born to the pilgrims once they arrived.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_White

My dads side is a mixture of Danes and French. My Great Grandfather was born in Copenhagen, His wife was born in Idaho to English parents. 

[Eric Krewson]

I did the DNA thing and got a few surprises; All the family lore passed down generation to generation about our NA ancestors was a lie, there is no NA DNA in my genetic make-up.

The biggest surprise was on my mothers side of the family who emigrated from Germany and had a long family tree going back generations as Germans. Surprise, surprise, they were actually Scandinavians. When the Goths invaded Germany in the 4th century they must have stayed around to distribute their DNA.

[JoJoDapyro]

Eric, that is also my thought on the Native American lore of many. Lots claim to have it, but the proof is in the test. If it comes back that I do, then great, if not, I'm not too worried. My grandma does have a very pronounced Cherokee nose.

[Ed Brooks]

Never done the DNA but do have a Blood and Tribe card form the Choctaw Tribe. Ed

[Parnell]

Which part of your family are you focusing on?

My wife does genealogical research and she always finds it odd that people generally follow the male line when in reality you can only ever be sure of the female side of you lineage.

Curious about this statement, Marc?  How do you figure?

I did the genographic test kit about 10 years ago.  It gave me a basic break out of the markers on the Y chromosome (Paternal Inheritance).  Women can do the same but the it is mitochondrial DNA that is inherited directly through the female line.  I found more fascinating information through the ancestry database and archives from the very long masonic line of my mom's family tracked through their records as well as the Mormons than I'd get from a genetics test.

They are interesting, though and I love teaching this stuff in Bio class.

[DC]

The DNA thing is a big step for genealogists. My sister has been trying to get our male line out of Southern Ontario for years. We think that our ancestor came across the border during the 1812 war but there is no record. He just magically appears in Ingersol(sp) about that time. The DNA test will cross check me with participants from south of the border. If we get a match it will be a big step backward(so to speak)

[JoJoDapyro]

Which part of your family are you focusing on?

My wife does genealogical research and she always finds it odd that people generally follow the male line when in reality you can only ever be sure of the female side of you lineage.

Curious about this statement, Marc?  How do you figure?

When using the old paper method it makes sense to follow the female lineage, as women usually know if kids are theirs or not. It is one of the reasons that kids tend to look like their Dads, the mom is sure the kid is theirs, while the dad has to have a reason to believe it.

[Marc St Louis]

Which part of your family are you focusing on?

My wife does genealogical research and she always finds it odd that people generally follow the male line when in reality you can only ever be sure of the female side of you lineage.

Curious about this statement, Marc?  How do you figure?

I did the genographic test kit about 10 years ago.  It gave me a basic break out of the markers on the Y chromosome (Paternal Inheritance).  Women can do the same but the it is mitochondrial DNA that is inherited directly through the female line.  I found more fascinating information through the ancestry database and archives from the very long masonic line of my mom's family tracked through their records as well as the Mormons than I'd get from a genetics test.

They are interesting, though and I love teaching this stuff in Bio class.

I know many that follow the patrilineage line exclusively ignoring the mothers line to determine where their roots are.  You can be sure that when a woman has a child it is HERS but the same cannot be said for the father of the child.  Many people have found out later in life that the father they thought was theirs wasn't, sometimes because of an indiscretion of the woman

[Chief RID]

I'm from right here. still live in my home town.

[neuse]

How do you do the DNA thing?
Is it expensive?

[Parnell]

Gotcha, Marc.  I agree.  Really different with the latin culture, down here, though.  They really heavily weigh maternal family in their family history and last name.  Some of their names go on forever tracking all the names!

[bow101]

I think we know what the oldest civilization is or was.  Before Egypt there was no New York, no London, no Paris. Having said that we either came from that part of the planet or there abouts or we are Aliens. 
Most of us have some sort of European heritage, but in reality Europe is not that old.