Genealogy and DNA

Ancestry.com's new program combines three of my favorite things - science, genealogy and social - so you know I'd love it: AncestryDNA. Here's how it works:

AncestryDNA is a new DNA testing service that utilizes autosomal testing technology to revolutionize the way you discover your family history. This service combines advanced DNA science with the world’s largest online family history resource to provide your genetic ethnicity and help you find new family connections. It maps ethnicity going back multiple generations and provides insight into such possibilities as: what region of Europe are my ancestors from, or what percentage of East Asian descent am I? AncestryDNA can also help confirm relationships with unknown relatives. We provide genetic testing and DNA results but an Ancestry.com account is required in order for you to explore your possible DNA matches.

Your DNA may hold information to help make new discoveries about your family’s past, your cultural roots, as well as confirm information in your family tree. Using your DNA test in combination with Ancestry.com gives you hints that can guide your investigations and connect you with new relatives.  

Your DNA test results also provides information that’s more relevant and recent—targeting your family history a few hundred or even a thousand years ago, as compared to the Y-chromosome or Mitochondrial DNA tests, which have a 10,000 to 50,000 year time focus.

The whole process takes 8-10 weeks but here is the first step (after signing up):

The kit arrives.

Pieces parts.

Instructions for collecting saliva sample.

Instructions for mailing.

More instructions.

Mailing the sample.

Once complete, my DNA results will be attached to my family tree. Provided that lots of people sign up, we may find some new relatives and new clues about our ancestors. Exciting, right? 

Genealogy Junkies Unite

I got hooked on the show Who Do You Think You Are last winter after Ashley tweeted that she loved it. And now it's back for a second season! It airs on Friday evenings so I usually watch it online over the weekend. Here's the trailer for tonight's episode:

This is the somewhat over the top official description of the show:

"NBC's acclaimed alternative series "Who Do You Think You Are?" follows some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities as they embark on personal journeys of self-discovery to trace their family trees. From the trenches of the Civil War to the shores of the Caribbean, and from the valleys of Virginia to the island nations of Australia and Ireland, each episode will reveal surprising, inspiring and sometimes tragic stories that are often linked to events in American and international history."

The best part is stories they uncover about the families featured in the series. In last week's episode, Vanessa Williams learned one of her ancestors joined the Union Army during the Civil War, lived through the war, and then helped emancipate slaves. The historian even found a tintype photograph of him in his Army file. Watch it here. It reminds me a lot of the old PBS series African American Lives that used genealogy and DNA studies to delve into the ancestry of famous African Americans. Fascinating stuff.