Message: Oprah Winfrey announced on her show that DNA testing has managed to track her origin ethnic to a Kpelles tribe located in Liberia
Is That True That People Can Trace Their Ancestor Lines Via Ancestor
DNA Testing?
Genealogy research has been one upcoming and popular thing when one of
the most sought talk show celebrities, Oprah Winfrey announced on her
show that DNA testing has managed to track her origin ethnic to a
Kpelles tribe located in Liberia.
Then, with all the extensive studies and affordability of genealogical
DNA tests like the Genographic Project, annual sales have been
increasingly rising where an estimated $60 million was recorded in
year 2006.
Then, why people are interested in finding their origin? Is it because
they are looking to validate or invalidate their genealogical records?
Do they have or suspected any surname change or adoption in the line?
Are they looking to verify the relationships with a family from a
region where they believed their family has lived? Or do they believe
that they have a common ancestor with another individual or group?
Actually all the reasons mentioned are true.
However, the right reasons for the existence of DNA test kits seem
rational but whether the $70 to $900 ranging DNA testing provided
could pinpoint exactly your ancestor origin is another story.
The two most common tests in genealogy kits examine the paternally
inherited Y chromosome (Y-DNA), which is passed down from father to
son, and the mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) that is passed down from mother
to child.
Another test links to autosomal DNA, which is inherited from both
parents. However, it is most likely that one small part of your family
tree can be concluded. Like the mtDNA test, the information only could
track you back to only one of your 16 great grandparents.
Referring to the lack of approach in ancestry testing technology,
Professor Easteal - a leading molecular geneticist has quickly slammed
online and availability of direct-to-customer DNA ancestry testing in
the markets now.
He claimed that they only helped to track down human variation that
emerged in population over time and not individual ancestry
information.
Your DNA information is just many of the tools that we can use to
confirm what we know, or find out something new about your ancient
heritage.
It's fascinating that our cells contain information about our history
and that we hold on to the hidden treasure for eternity.
