Is it true that your DNA can tell your ancestry?

Question

I heard once that if you do not know where you originally came from,
(meaning anytime before 1492 when people started to move all over the world) that you can take a blood test and it can tell your ancestry. All I know is that my people were brought in a slave ship many years ago. I guess there could be many answer to this. But if anybody knows of a doctor or business that does something like that. Let me know. Or if there is another way let me know as well. Thank you all in advance for your respectful responses.

Answer 1

Hey Armond,

You can use the DNA test to show with certainty that you are related to someone else that has taken the DNA test either in a Maternal line or Paternal line - direct (male or female line). Your Family Tree will intersect with other DNA Test participants, at some number of generations back (for example 9 generations ago, 2 brothers had large families), and the decendants don't know eachother (except through their research). This test proves that there was no break in the Genes being passed down, (i.e. the milkman affect).

Here are some sites that are explainatory, and tell you how to participate, and what Surname's are participating.

Answer 2

Yes, it can tell you a lot. However, there are biological limits as to *how much* information is preserved about your ancestry in your DNA. If you are looking for a specific country to trace your roots to, there are two types of tests.

1. A Y chromosome test can tell you the geographic origin of your father's line, or, more specifically, your father's father's father's father's father's… line. The Y chromosome is passed only from father to son. Small mutations (that don't affect the functioning of the genes) occur in the Y chromosome at regular rates, so by comparing your Y chromosome to those of men all over the word, a Y chromsome test can determine the chance that your paternal line comes from a particular place. This works only for men. A woman doesn't have a Y chromsome, so she has to get her brother or father tested.

2. A mitochondrial DNA test can tell you the line of your mother's mother's mother's mother's mother's… working on the same principle as the Y chromosome test. Everyone has mitochondria, so both men and women can take this test.

There is a third type of test which looks for specific markers in your DNA that are known to be specific to a region of the world and assigns you a "percentage of ancestry" that tells you very non-specifically where a lot of your ancestors come from. A typical result looks like "85% African, 10% European, 5% Native American." This won't tell you what ethnic group any specific line goes to though, and is much less precise and accurate than the Y and mt tests for genealogical purposes.

A company that specializes in tests for African ancestry is here: http://www.africanancestry.com/ They do both paternal and maternal ancestry. Again, these tests tell you the origin of 2 of your lines, but these are the lines of only a small number of your ancestors. Look back to 1760, when most of the ancestors of today's African American population had already been enslaved and brought to the U.S., and you already had something like 256 ancestors, who, by probability, were all from different parts of Africa and the rest of the world. These tests can still be valuable though, both because they can connect you and your line to a particular migration path that goes back from you to your parents to distant history, and indeed, all the way back to the beginning of our species.

Also, if you have even more money, or if you can find relatives who are interested, it is possible to find more of your ancestors through a process of triangulating. If you are male, you have a specific Y chromosome group and a specific mitochondrial one, but your mother's father and brothers have another group that is also your ancestry. With enough relatives you can get a lot of specifics.

Answer 3

Yes, DNA can help you trace your roots. If you know your people were brought in a slave ship, that presupposes your origin was somewhere in Africa. If you have read Arthur Hailey's 'Roots', and several other books on the same theme, it suggests good starting points for where the slaves were captured. They were taken from very specific areas in Africa. A comparison of your DNA with DNA from persons in those countries, or cities, or even villages, can help confirm which of them might have been your point of origin.
Tracing one's origins can be important, in reconstructing your personal history and is not a frivolous quest.
Good luck to you!

Answer 4

There is tons of research being done. But were ALL of your ancestors brought here on slave ships? I know that my genetic ancestors came from many parts of the world-and only their arrival HERE made ME possible. If they had stayed in Germany, Scotland, and England-they never would have met the Native Americans and I would not be me. What if you find out you don't like your genetic history?

Answer 5

Yes and no. The DNA can tell you the location of the general area where your ancestors came from. But they really cannot tell you your ancestry. You have to do the research yourself.

You have many ancestors, and this DNA only does the paternal side, as far as I know, so you only get to know about one particular paternal line.

Answer 6

Yes, you can trace your maternal line and your paternal line.

Go to this link: http://www.dnaancestryproject.com/

You can order a kit from the same site: https://www.genebase.com/order.php?is_special=c3ViLWFuY2VzdHJ5


Medelia1984 Its true what you say about race. The genetic variablity within races is far greater than the variation between races. However this has nothing to do with the validity of DNA testing, which traces you biological, not social origins.

Answer 7

a thank you to music my genealogy a million. start up with your self. beginning certificates. it ought to have the names of father and mom and an prolonged time of the parentsand some situations the place they have been from. 2. If father and mom are nonetheless alive ask them questions approximately there father and mom. get the names of there father and mom. 3.as quickly as you have traced your loved ones back to all people born in the previous 1930"s in usa you will hit upon them in the census. it could take you back to the 1850's the place they began to place each ones call on the census. make shure you write each element down. the place born and the place father and mom are born. I actual have discovered many different halves father and mom through fact the guy next doorways became into born the place she mentioned they got here from. 4. yet another element you're able to do is sort on information superhighway seek is the marrage john smith-mary jones or john smith beginning date some situations different have histories of households . 5. After the 1850's you will ought to discover county documents or cemetery documents of the guy. in the previous days if that they had a will it is going to usualy tell the names of there toddlers and likewise if that they had land someplace else. 6. as quickly as you get that an prolonged way you are able to flow on your neiborhood MOrman church and ask them for help. they have been doing it for some years. and could be happy to help you preceed futher.

Answer 8

there is not much point in reopeating the answers you have been given , satayadars answer is very accurate, however i would point out that to start to trace your family tree is an exspensive undertaking ,there are ways to lessen the burden. start with what you know. write out your family history of living relatives that can help you in your search, they could contribute to the fund, after all they are a part of you and it is right that they could help out finnancially. dna is a area that is evolving, tracing family trees is a science that is developed, join a site ,like ancestry ect. i did this and i set up a fund that my relatives helped out with the info was shared, we found that my great great great grandmother was a painter of pottery for wedgewood, we found that my grandmother was born in a workhouse, ect all these slices of history help you to define who you are, i believe to get to your destination in life it helps if you know where you got on the bus. regards LF

Answer 9

www.ancestrybydna.com

this gives some interesting information. you take a dna test and they analyze it based on four major characteristics, which everyone on earth is some combination of. they are: Asian, Indo-European, African, and Native American (of South and North America).

while it is interesting, anthropologists claim that racial definitions are purely cultural identifiers, and have no real biological basis. so the accuracy of any dna testing of that type is subject to question.

Answer 10

There is a company that does this. I don't know the name. I saw it on the View. You might try to email them to find out. You have to send in your DNA and there is no way I would send my DNA to anyone.