An Exploration of Genetic Genealogy

Genetic genealogy is the scientific solution to traditional genealogy's dead ends. Birth and death records only stretch back so far for wealthier families, and such written records are almost non-existent for the poor. Genetic genealogy eliminates the need for historical documents by studying the genetic relationships between individuals (Bettinger).

Genetics for the purpose of genealogy became available commercially in 2000. Tens of thousands of people have used genetic genealogy, and as the number of individuals recorded increases, the ease of finding a genetic match and tracing ancestry increases. At this point, a number of different companies in the United States and the United Kingdom provide simple testing by mouth swab for a price. The price usually does not range above hundreds of dollars, but the complexity and quantity of the test will, naturally, require a higher price (Genetealogy.com).

There are different types of genealogical testing. The first type, and currently one of the most popular types, is Y polymorphism testing. This test focuses on the Y chromosome, which is only found in males. For the most part, the Y chromosome does not change (except for a small portion that might "swap" genes with the X chromosome), and this means that the Y chromosome changes very slowly. Most of the changes are due to mutations, and studying the different combinations of genes in this region allows a genetic relationship to be established between two people (Duerinck). Another type, called mitochondrial DNA, studies the DNA found within the mitochondria, which is a structure found within cells. Mitochondrial DNA studies the maternal line of ancestry because mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to child (Duerinck). Study of the X chromosome for genealogical purposes is still relatively new. The X chromosome is found in both males and females, but it is difficult to use because X chromosomes swap genes during a process known as meiosis. Therefore, it is more difficult to use information from the X chromosome alone to determine genetic relationships (Bettinger). Finally, autosomal DNA studies the 22 non-sex chromosomes. One use of this particular test is to determine an individual's ethnicity (Bettinger).

The results that an individual receives will vary from company to company. Results may include matches in the testing company's database, ethnic origin, or people with whom you share a common ancestor. In some cases, especially with African ancestry, a general geographic origin can be located. As stated, results will vary by company and by the type of test (ISOGG).

There are some limitations to the tests. The main tests, the Y polymorphism and the mitochondrial DNA, will only test for one line. The Y polymorphism test will only trace the direct paternal line, and the mitochondrial DNA test will only test the direct maternal line, even though both males and females can take the mitochondrial DNA test. Also, the test results for geographical origin are not country specific. The results may indicate a region, but there will not be a specific country of origin indicated Results may also indicate an affinity for one particular population, but some different populations share a number of characteristics (ex: Middle Eastern Jews and Arabs) (DNA heritage).

While genetic genealogy may provide an interesting alternative for genealogists that have hit a "brick wall" in research, it is not the ultimate solution. For a group effort, testing can also be quite costly. However, as the wonders of this expanding technology continue to grow, the prices may decrease, and genealogists might never follow a paper trail again.

Bettinger, Blaine. The Genetic Genealogist. 2007. http://www.thegeneticgenealogist.com

DNA Heritage. 2002-2009. http://www.dnaheritage.com

Duerinck, Kevin F. "GENETICS AND GENEALOGY: Y Polymorphism and mtDNA Analyses." 23 August 2003. http://www.duerinck.com/genetic.html

Genetealogy.com. 2005 Smolenyak2, LCC. Http://www.genetealogy.com

ISOGG, International Society of Genetic Genealogy. 2005-2009. http://www.isogg.org