Number 4 in a series on DNA by Nancy A. Nolette, VFA #1702

Our DNA is comprised of 23 pairs of chromosomes. The first 22 pairs match because they contain essentially the same DNA inherited from both parents. The 23rd pair is different because in men, the pair does not match. This chromosome pair contains the “sex” chromosomes, named X and Y. Typically, women have two X chromosomes and men have one X and one Y chromosome.

Our genetic sex is determined by which chromosome you inherited from your father. If you are genetically male, you received a copy of your father’s Y chromosome. If you are genetically female, you received a copy of the X chromosome from both of your parents.  Therefore, the sole purpose of the Y chromosome is to create the male species.

According to new research, our most recent male common ancestor, “Y DNA Adam,” lived in Africa 208,300 years ago.  Most Eurasian men, from outside of Africa, are descended from a man who lived 69,000 years ago.  Additionally these Eurasian/non-African men can trace their ancestry back to four ancestors who lived there 50,000 years ago.

DNA was analyzed from 1,007 males from 25 European and Middle-Eastern countries.  Clusters were identified and when compared with mtDNA the data supported one another by telling the same story.  Looking at our gene pool 20% derived from the Stone Age farmers in the last 12,000 years and 80% came from the Old Stone Age hunters that began 3.3 million years ago creating the main source of modern day Europeans.

Researchers have designated 20 Y chromosome haplogroups from A to R to identify the descendancy of “Y DNA Adam.”

The bulk of Haplogroup R is represented by M173 which likely originated on the Eurasian Steppes.  R1 has two descendants: R1a and R1b.

Haplogroup R1a is associated with the Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic peoples and is now found primarily in Central Asia, South Asia, and Eastern Europe. 

Haplogroup R1b is the dominant Haplogroup of Western Europe males and also found sparsely distributed among various peoples of Asia and Africa.  R1b1a2 is the Haplogroup that is most commonly found among modern Western European male populations and has been associated with the Italo-Celtic and Germanic peoples.  The most common Haplogroup for the British Isles and Western Europe is the Atlantic Model: R1b1c6.

Below is a chart showing the migration and location of Haplogroup R.  40% of today’s Western European males belong to Haplogroup R1b.  Due to immigration patterns, our North American fathers are primarily their descendants.

History has revealed that men were the band’s primary source of hunting for food and protection from predators.  They engaged in local security, then later wars, that reduced their numbers.  On average the birth rate of males increased afterwards to replenish these losses.

Now for a few interesting facts about our ancestors.  Many have thought that Neanderthals are extinct.  However, they live inside many of us.  A few percent of DNA in Europeans, Asians and other non-African groups show Neanderthal in origin.  At some point in genetic history Neanderthals mated with modern humans.

Atilla-the-Hun had an influence on the land mass he conquered.  Some researchers believe that Attila-the-Huns’ hoards left a significant influence on these populations as shown in the spread of Haplogroup R.  An added feature is a small blue-ish birthmark called a “Mongolian spot” appears on the lower back of their present day descendants.  For those affected it is present at birth and usually disappears within months and definitely by the teens.

The series continues. . .

Number 3 in a series on DNA by Nancy A. Nolette, VFA #1702  

I opted to use Family Tree DNA for my genetic coding in 2006 as it was the only one offered by the National Geographic Genographic Project.  I have subsequently had my genetic coding shared with 23andMe and GEDCOM.  I selected 23andMe for their research and analysis on genetic predispositions for my health and future medical concerns.  I prefer to use internet sites with free name searches for my genealogical ancestry.

The genetics from my cheek swab can tell me everything about my past, present and future, genetically and anthropologically.  In 1981 geneticists started by selecting an unknown, random woman and plotting her genes as their base.  This gal lived in the English countryside.  They called the test everyone was compared to as the Cambridge Reference Sequence (CRS) from the University of Cambridge.  The CRS had 5 base regions and when compared my mtDNA showed I matched 3 of the 5.  I believed I was from 100% French ancestry, apparently not, yet forgetting about my Norman ancestors.     

As research advanced maternal lines were identified that led back to the original birth mother named “Mitochrondrial Eve” who lived 150,000 years ago in Eastern Africa.  Today an alternative sequencing is available for Africans with the Yoruba Reference Sequence based for a Ugandan-African woman.  Other mtDNA sequencing was developed for the Swedes and another for the Japanese.

In 2012 researchers replaced the revised Cambridge Reference Sequence (rCRS) with a new Reconstructed Sapiens Reference Sequence (RSRS). The RSRS represents the ancestral genome of “Mitochondrial Eve” from whom all currently known human mitochondria descend.

DNA testing will also determine your Haplogroup or genetic population group difference from the base sequence.  Haplogroups are defined by specific mutations occurring tens of thousands of years ago and passed down to all of today’s populations.  It identifies ancestral ethnic and geographic origins of your maternal and paternal lines. 

In the book, “The Seven Daughters’ of Eve,” these mtDNA origins and their locations have been identified and designated applying to 95% of European woman descendants.  Movement out from Northeastern Africa was influenced by many factors.  If your mtDNA begins with one of these letters then it is your maternal lineage clan.  The research criteria required the clan mother to have daughters to pass on the mtDNA and importantly two daughters to validate the mtDNA.

U for Ursula who was born 45,000 years ago in present day Greece.  Today about 11% of modern day Europeans are her descendants.  My first cousin is a U-5ala and her mother is from Delft, Holland and years ago was known as the Spanish Netherlands.  A friend’s daughter-in-law is also a U whose family is from Recife, Brazil that was settled by the Portuguese.

X for Xenia who lived 25,000 years ago in present day Kazakhstan.  6% of today’s population living in central Europe can trace their maternal ancestry to her.  1% of native Americans share her mtDNA as well.

H for Helena who lived in south central France 20,000 years ago.  Her mtDNA may have had special biological qualities that advantaged 41% of European woman who are her descendants today.   A close friend is a H-1 and claims British ancestry.  She matched the CRS with only 2 of 5 segments.

V for Velda is 17,000 years old who lived in northern Spain.  About 4% of western European woman share her mtDNA today.  A small group of her descendants can be found in the northern regions of Finland and Norway.

T for Tara who lived in northwest Italy 17,000 years ago.  Her descendants, over 9%, can be found living along the Mediterranean and Western edge of Europe.  Many live in Ireland and western Britain.  My mtDNA shows I am a T for Tara, T-2.  I have traced my ancestors to Normandy, France.   

K for Katrine who has 10% European descendants who lived 15,000 years ago in Northern Italy and around the Mediterranean countries.

J for Jasmine who originated from the Near East 8,500 years ago and has just under 12% descendants living today.  They are divided into 2 groups, one along the Mediterranean in Spain and Portugal to Cornwall, Wales, and west of Scotland and another group spread through central Europe.

Recently added is another clan mother, Ulrike, who is 18,000 years old originating from the Ukraine.  Her descendants comprise 2% and can be found in Scandinavia and the Baltic areas.

Another 26 clan groups exist in the rest of the world with Africa having 13.  Four mtDNA clans dominate native American genetics traced back 13,000 years ago.

Since we are primarily descendants from Western Europeans, I have selected these 7, now 8, daughters of “Mitochrondrial Eve” to highlight.  Eventually all these daughter clans, that spread out about 100,000 years ago from Africa, will converge on the one mother, Eve, who lived there 150,000 years ago.

The series continues. . .

Number 2 in a series on DNA by Nancy A. Nolette, VFA #1702

As a young girl growing up I remember my father’s reverence for his elders.  He always treated them with respect and honor.  He developed an in depth knowledge of our family’s oral history from these older generation relatives.  Fortunately for the past 30 years I had him document his memory of them.  Some of his family tales seemed outlandish to me yet I have not judged and accepted his present day versions.

In 1976 Alex Haley published his book, “Roots—A Saga of an American Family.”  It was an overnight success causing a 1977 ABC television mini-series based on his book.  I remember being glued to the television each week as Alex Haley’s family history was revealed from Kunta Kinte (1750-1822), Kizzy, Fiddler, Chicken George to present day.  In 1979 a sequel followed with Haley’s visit to the African home of Kunta Kinte.  The History Channel aired a remake of the original mini-series in 2016.  The story of Haley’s African ancestry series inspired a broad interest in genealogy and family history.

More recently several television series have become popular with genealogy research.  The first one that I recall viewing was, “Who do you think you are?”  It was presented initially on NBC then was replayed in later years on the cable channel TLC.  Sometimes you can catch reruns on this cable channel.  The focus was on celebrities who now discovered an unknown line of their ancestry with the assistance of historians and ancestry experts.  With the resurgence of genealogy now, this series will return soon with new personalities.

Another television show on the BYU channel is “Generations Project.”  This program uncovers the hidden identities in a family’s past.  Their focus is for the individuals to know who they are today based on where their ancestors came from.  The participants embark on a journey that immerses them into their family’s past with unknown relatives and places.  The “Generations Project” was limited to a series of 10 stories and was discontinued yet has become a weekly rerun on this channel. 

“Roots Less Travelled” is a half hour presentation geared for teenagers.  Two family members from different generations participate to solve a mystery in their family tree.  They investigate rumors and discover notable moments in history and locations.  It is shown on Saturdays by the NBC television channel.

PBS presents “Finding Your Roots” with host and historian Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.  Dr. Gates explores the ancestry of influential persons from diverse backgrounds.  This feature has been on television for 6 seasons.  Recently added at the conclusion of the genealogy discussion, the individual’s DNA that was collected earlier identifies who also shares it with them.

Another NBC Saturday morning show is “A New Leaf.”  This program follows ordinary individuals on their self-discovery using family history, genealogy and sometimes DNA analysis to fill in the missing blanks.  Along the way viewers will learn about different cultures discovered by the guest about their family heritage having an understanding of their family history in making important positive life changes.

“Railroad Ties” is a short series sponsored by Ancestry.com.  The current episodes take a personal look at how understanding our family’s past can influence not just who we are, but how we see ourselves.   Historian Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. shows the dynamic impact our history has had on identity, family and legacy.

A TLC cable channel program, “Long Lost Family” follows the stories of people who have experienced long term separation from family members and are seeking to be reunited with them.  After fruitless searching, birth parents can reconnect with their biological children who were put up for adoption years ago.  Most often separated siblings are searching for one another.  The hosts have a special connection to these people as they are both adoptees who have embarked on their own journeys to discover their biological families.  Often DNA is needed as a starting point in this search and can validate their genealogy results.

A recent ABC program is the “Genetic Detective” hosted by CeCe Moore.  She has had a diverse career and then years ago ventured into genealogy for family and friends.  When DNA sequencing became popular, she studied Family Tree DNA and how it applied to finding unknown biological parents for adoptees.  Her expertise has morphed into valuable research skills and techniques. 

Today CeCe partners with police departments who have reached a dead end in solving cold case homicides yet have crime scene DNA available.  She uses related DNA to search for genealogical family members by comparing and eliminating them by parentage, generation, sex, age and physical location with the crime scene suspect’s DNA.  CeCe’s says her greatest “bump” in the process is a descendant of an adoptee or divorced parent causing her to relook deeper into the ancestral lineage.  Once the police receive her genetic and genealogy clues, they must use their investigative techniques to validate her conclusions.

Plan to watch these televised programs, search for them with your on-demand channels, try the premium television providers or do online searches to discover how genealogy and DNA can find missing relatives and confirm family lineages.

“We are the sum total of our ancestors…you have the potential of their accumulated sense of possibilities.”

This series continues . . .    

 Number 1 in a series on DNA by Nancy A. Nolette, VFA #1702

What’s in it for me?   Is a reasonable question when you are considering something unknown and new.  Well, I am defining “it” as my DNA or those pesky 23 genes from each of your parents that came at birth.

I am sure you have been told that you look or act like one of your parents, an aunt, an uncle, a grandparent or other close relative.  I have frequently.  Have you ever wondered how you came by those traits?  In the past twenty-five years significant research has evolved to answer a lot of our questions on who we are, where we came from and what influences our future. 

I will begin by mentioning the prominent agencies that collect DNA, our genetic code:  23andMe, AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, MyHeritage and GEDmatch.  Today the prices for the analysis kits are reasonable.  Earlier versions included a hidden premium paid for researchers to collect DNA from obscure peoples who lived away from populated areas.  By enlarging the DNA sampling many unique links were identified from their participation in this collection process.

Once you get a kit, you swab your cheek and send the tube to the processing center.  Weeks later you receive the results of your genetic code:  mtDNA for women and Y-Chromosome for men.  Mothers pass their mtDNA (XX) to all her children while fathers pass their Y-Chromosome (XY) only to their sons.  Brothers and sisters share similar genetics at a potential 50% match and can be identified as close relatives.  Only identical twins, not fraternal twins, have the same genetic codes.

Today one privately owned DNA coding, analysis and storage service releases any genetic information to law enforcement.  In the past this genetic coding was only released for identities for homicides and sexual assault cases.  Times have changed due to the overwhelming number of cold cases of millions of victims, including families and friends, of violent crime victims and unidentified remains.  Now GEDMatch users must OPT IN their permission to allow law enforcement access to their DNA coding.  This requirement has closed off access to 95% of the database and made DNA crime solving much more difficult.

To understand, how genetic genealogy helps in solving cases is simple.  It does not identify suspects. Those who OPT-IN may never know if their information has been used to catch a suspect.  One reason law enforcement does not contact users is the risk of alerting a potential suspect.  Law enforcement has no special access as they can only use the system and its features as other users yet only see matches with the OPT-IN kits.  This process gives law enforcement a person or persons of interest where none existed before.  Then they must use the traditional investigative techniques to identify and arrest a suspect.

Now, do I OPT IN or not?  I always thought that if I had nothing to hide why not?  I am thinking otherwise.  We all have an expectation and right to privacy.  Often I hear that if we willingly give up our rights, they will eventually be eroded and then non-existent.

However, my strong sense of justice overrides my privacy rights.   I am in.

The series continues. . .