| The use of DNA testing for determining a | | | | Database |
| person's ancestry is becoming more and | | | | |
| common. By linking your maternal DNA | | | | However, can this really be effective at |
| (mitochondrial DNA) and your paternal DNA | | | | tracing family lines? How can they tell you |
| (the y-chromosome), these ancestry databases | | | | who you're related to throughout history? |
| are effectively able to link you to other | | | | Some online ancestry websites create a |
| people to whom you may be related and thereby | | | | database of DNA against which your can be |
| determining to some degree your ancestral | | | | matched. By taking a simple mouth swab and |
| lineage and where your ancestors came from. | | | | run the DNA tests, they then save the DNA |
| | | | profile that is collected. However, the key |
| DNA Ancestry Testing - Y-Chromosome and | | | | is for them to continuously compare other |
| Mitochondial DNA | | | | people's DNA profiles to what your profile |
| | | | is. In essence, this will create a massive |
| The first thing that genealogists look for is | | | | database that will determine instantly if a |
| a father-to-son linkage, tracked down the Y | | | | piece of code is a direct comparison to |
| chromosome which only men posses. Therefore, | | | | yours. So, as the database grows more and |
| they are able to observe the Y chromosome | | | | more, more and more relatives and ancestors |
| that appears in other people and compare | | | | can be discovered for more and more people. |
| them, to determine where a paternal link may | | | | |
| be present. This comparison, in essence, | | | | DNA Ancestry Testing - Determine geographical |
| allows for the genealogist to try and find | | | | ancestry |
| paternal linkages amongst people. The other | | | | |
| thing that can be done is to link maternal | | | | Furthermore, these DNA tests are able to help |
| DNA. This in particular is a very powerful | | | | you find out where you come from. It's |
| testing method that allows for accurate | | | | argued that 170,000 years ago, humans left |
| tracking back over many generations because | | | | Africa and migrated elsewhere across the |
| of the mitochondria. | | | | globe. Some went to Europe, some went to |
| | | | southern Africa, while others went to Asia to |
| Unlike DNA found in the nucleus, which can be | | | | settle. By comparing the DNA profile of a |
| altered and changes as environments change, | | | | person to that of researched ethnic groups, |
| mitochondrial DNA is a direct connection from | | | | it is possible to provide information about |
| child to mother that can't be altered along | | | | where people are from. |
| the way. By taking a sample of the | | | | |
| mitochondrial DNA, which is different than | | | | DNA testing has become a very useful method |
| the DNA found in the nucleus, the genealogist | | | | for people to find long lost relatives. |
| can determine a maternal linkage. By taking | | | | Furthermore, the argument of the true nature |
| this information, they can, once again, find, | | | | of one's ethnic origins can finally be |
| perhaps those long lost cousins or celebrity | | | | resolved by DNA testing processes. Of |
| ancestors. | | | | course, as the databases grow and more |
| | | | research is conducted on, the usefulness of |
| DNA Ancestry Testing - Matching to a DNA | | | | these types of tests will increase greatly. |