Anthrogenealogy? Anthropogenealogy?
Biogenealogy? ¿What the
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Barbara English West
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Two Scientific Methods Combined
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| ..."By utilizing Molecular Biology to observe the genetic data trail of a lineage you are now able to connect unknown family members by employment and comparison of specific locations on the Non-Recombining Y or mtDNA we inherited from our fathers and mothers" [Family Tree DNA] | ||
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Lets back up some...
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OK...What is Genealogy?
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| Genealogy is a personal history that contains a record of one's ancestors, a study of a family pedigree. Genealogies are commonly documented in the form of a pedigree chart or a family tree using data found through traditional methods of family research based in historic, public and family records. Sometimes oral histories are available to aid in the creation of an account of the descent of a person, family, or group from an ancestor. | ||
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We All Have Common Ancestors
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Every one of us has two
parents, four grandparents, eight great-grandparents, and so on. The
number of ancestors doubles with each generation. So what does this
mean? Going back 30 generations (approx. 750 years ago), every person
alive today will have over a billion possible ancestors. However,
the world population for the year 1250 AD is estimated at only 400
million.
Why the difference in possible ancestors and the estimated world population? At some point in the past our ancestors came together and we all share common ancestors. This means that the number of actual ancestors is much smaller than the number of possible ancestors. What this means is that every person alive today are related in varying degrees. |
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DNA and Genealogy
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| Molecular genealogy is
a new field that is employed as a method of research used to enhance
traditional genealogical methods, using DNA in association with written
records. DNA is transmitted from one generation to the next and some
parts are passed almost unchanged, creating a strong link between
generations. DNA testing used as a research tool can be of great help
in reconstructing personal family histories.
All of genetic material is inherited from ancestors, and very distantly related individuals share portions of this information. And, the closer the relative, the greater the amount of shared genetic information. So even though the entire DNA sequence of an individual is unique only to that individual, very similar genetic information is found among those that descend from a common ancestor. We now have bio-genealogy, DNA testing, as a research tool which, when used along with traditional genealogy methods, can help establish family links among individuals, families, tribes and populations by using the information encoded in our genetic material. Genetics can help move family research forward because families have very similar DNA DNA contains over one-billion bits of information, but only specific regions are useful in deciphering family relationships. |
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DNA = The Physical Carrier
of Inheritance
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| Deoxyribonucleic Acid
(DNA) is a genome, one haploid set of chromosomes with the genes they
contain, which holds the genetic material of an organism. Human DNA
holds a complete genetic blueprint of a person containing all of the
genetic information necessary for life and acts like a repository
of hereditary traits.
DNA is found mainly in the nucleus of cells in
structures known as chromosomes and all living humans have a total
of 46: 23 chromosomes passed along from the father and 23 chromosomes
passed along from the mother. All of these chromosomes are called
autosomes except for one pair-- Y and X -- which determine gender.
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Maternal Ancestry via mtDNA
and Paternal Ancestry via Y-DNA
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| Tests are available for
maternal or paternal ancestry, each using different areas of our human
DNA. Our human DNA contains over a billion bits of information, but
only specific regions are useful in deciphering family relationships.
A person's DNA can be traced through the mother's mitochondria DNA. Both men and women have this mtDNA, but only women pass it along to their children. This method traces a female through her mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and so forth. Tracing ancestry through paternal DNA is most
common, paternal ancestry can be traced using the DNA of the Y-chromosome
(Y-DNA or Ycs). Only men have the Y-chromosome, and this method
traces a male through his father, grandfather, great-grandfather
and so on. |
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Biogenealogy/ Bio-genealogy?
Anthrogenealogy? Anthropogenealogy?
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| Simply put, Biogenealogy
uses specific human DNA markers to designate relationships. Anthrogenealogy
and Anthropogenealogy are other terms that have been coined to describe
the combining of biological and anthropological methods to determine
heritage. In the academic setting scientists were applying DNA sampling
to anthropological studies and thus this combining of sciences brought
about the need for a term. You won't find these words in today's dictionary
(November 2004), but they will make their way into future volumes
without a doubt. Anthrogenealogy can assist family historians by showing the path of a lineage to connect unknown family members by comparing specific regions of the DNA we inherited from our fathers and mothers. Using a combination of traditional methodology and genetic science applied to genealogical studies can be viewed as an asset to our own understanding of who we are. |
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| Barbara West - 17 November 2004 | ||
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created: 15 November 2004 / updated: 18 Aug 06 |