2007-01-13 06:06:21 · 7 answers · asked by Kevinlad 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
In theory, yes. In practice, that may or may not be possible.
The problem is that we don't yet have a detailed database of gene populations in the world. But if we did, then yes, we could see that you have certain genes that are in higher abundance in a certain part of the world.
'clumsydevil' is correct that we can trace maternal lineage (mother to grandmother to great-grandmother, etc.) pretty accurately using mitochondrial DNA. This is always inherited intact from the mother alone, and thus does not change from generation to generation, except for a slow accumulation of mutations. So if you can find some village in Norway in which many people all have the same mitochondrial DNA, they you are probably related to them.
But 'clumsydevil' is incorrect in saying that we can't do the same with nuclear DNA. We can. We can use the Y-chromosome (which is part of the nuclear DNA) of boys, which is inherited intact from father to son, and does not change from generation to generation except for small mutations. (So if you are a girl, you can trace your brother's or your father's Y-chromosome back through the generations). So if you found some village in Italy in which many of the boys had the same Y-chromosome as your father, then you are probably related to them.
Other nuclear DNA will also contain certain marker genes that are tell-tale signs of ancestry from a certain part of the world.
Also, keep in mind that you had *many* ancestors, that may have come from many different places. So it may not be possible to trace all your ancestors to the same place.
2007-01-13 08:47:03 · answer #1 · answered by secretsauce 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you can do it in theory but it would be very difficult. However it has been done using mitochondria DNA which is better because you only have one variable, what I mean by this, is you only get this DNA from one parent, namely your mother. It is possible to trace where your ancestry came from as long as they have a match. This has been done on numerous occasions for example, tracing the ancestry of black Americans back to Africa. However this method is not with out is draw backs it is only as reliable as the samples contained in the data base and can be inaccurate particular if a population are of mixed origin.
2007-01-13 09:45:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well no - you'd have to know the DNA of the other places for a comparison - DNA has told us that we're descendents from just one African group or tribe as recently as 50,000 years ago. The differences between scandinavians and japanese is smaller than that between differing tribes in Africa. If you think through why that could be it explains where we came from - at least human beings in general. Our family tree goes back to the first cellular life.
2007-01-13 06:13:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
easily. Us regulars have spent many years doing in simple terms that. the most.. you should do it one step at a time, and consider to apply files (not in simple terms what human beings undergo in ideas, it truly is in simple terms framework). There are a lot of files available, that you are able to by no skill imagine of.. census, cemeteries, criminal products like wills or land files.. huge huge record. The files were there earlier pcs. sure.. the computer is a best device to discover them, yet all of them are literally not on-line. in case you truly want to discover the archives, that isn't hardship you. It takes time, curiousity, concentration, and sure, some money.. yet functional. you may do dna attempting out..notwithstanding it truly is way broader and does not % out the persons. click on "resolved" questions.. it really is responded each day the following.
2016-11-23 16:09:39 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Regionally to a point. Trouble is people have moved around a lot in the last two or three centuries.
2007-01-13 06:09:33 · answer #5 · answered by Terence C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its not possible by looking at your nuclear DNA, but possible by looking at your mitochandrial DNA because it never changes. Your mitochandrial DNA gets passed on from the maternal side. you can actually find your great great great great great great......grandma by decoding your mitochandrial DNA...
you can find out who they were/are but probably not where they are
2007-01-13 06:15:59 · answer #6 · answered by clumsydevil 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
kinda
2007-01-13 08:47:42 · answer #7 · answered by Preeya 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋