SUBSCRIPTIONS |
 |
READER SERVICE |
EDUCATION |
Learning With Newsweek |
PARTNER |
 |
| Newsweek Home » Society |
 |
 | Most Popular |
| |||||
| BLOG TALK |
Read what bloggers are saying about this Newsweek article |
| Special Section | Women in Leadership |
|
A few years ago, the term genetic genealogy probably wouldn’t have meant much to your average American. But today, tens of thousands of people are swabbing their cheeks and mailing DNA to companies nationwide—hoping to find the secret to their roots. Far-flung cousins are finding each other; family legends are being overturned. And the process has become so popular that popular celebrities are promoting the tests. In her cover story this week, “In Our Blood,” NEWSWEEK Senior Writer Claudia Kalb explores the gene-testing phenomenon. A seasoned health reporter, Kalb will be on hand to answer your questions on Thursday, Feb. 2, at noon, ET, when she’ll be appearing for a Live Talk. Submit questions now.
Claudia Kalb: Hi, I'm Claudia Kalb. Thanks so much for joining our chat today. Let's get started!
_______________________
Vicksburg, MS: Aren't there different types of DNA testing? What is covered in the ones mentioned in your article? Are there tests available tracing one's father's lineage?
Claudia Kalb: Yes, there are different types. Most of the companies out there right now do two tests: the Y chromosome test (the Y determines male gender so this test is only available to men) and the mitochondrial DNA test (available to both men and women). Because the Y and the mitochondrial DNA are passed down untainted from one generation to the next, these pieces of DNA give direct pictures of maternal and paternal lineage—i.e. your mother's mother's mother's mother, and so on; and your father's father's father's father... One company goes beyond the Y and the mitochondrial DNA to other parts of the genome, then provides you with percentage results—your percent European, Native American, African and East Asian.
_______________________
San Jose, CA: Do you know of any companies that trace both mitochondrial DNA as well as Y/paternal DNA? I am a female with a big "question mark" on my father's side, and am wondering if there's any testing that can be done to help me determine the ancestors on my father's side. Thanks.
Claudia Kalb: Yes, there are companies out there, like Family Tree DNA, Oxford Ancestors, African Ancestry, which test for both Y and mitochondrial DNA. We've got a list available in the magazine—their websites are easy to find through a Google or other search on the web.
_______________________
Davisburg, MI: How can I find out my DNA if my parents are no longer living and I never met my father's father and mother?
Claudia Kalb: You can submit your own DNA for testing. If you are female, your mitochondrial DNA will be the same as your mother's. If you are male, your Y will be the same as your father's. If you are interested in finding out your paternal lineage but you are female, there is a solution: you can test your brother (if you have one, of course!), as he will carry the same Y as your father.
_______________________
Gartringen,Germany: Did you know that most Jewish people descend indeed from 4 women? These were the 2 wives of Jacob and their two maids. You can read it in Genesis 29. For me, this is really delightful and impressing! Science underpins History! Great!
Claudia Kalb: The new study about Ashkenazi descent is indeed fascinating and the Biblical echo is very intriguing. Researchers found that the lineage of 40 percent of Ashkenazi Jews can be traced back to four women, who lived sometime around 1,000 years ago. Now that you're all becoming DNA experts, you probably would have guessed this, but I'll add it anyway: scientists used a mitochondrial DNA test to draw their conclusions. (There'd be no way to identify female ancestors with a Y chromosome test!)
_______________________
Blackriverfalls, WI: Can you share information discovered from the Native Americans in Massachussetts? I'd like to get my tribe to participate.
Claudia Kalb: The tribe that is participating in the Genographic Project is the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe. Since testing is still early on, there are no results to report yet. But stay tuned. If your tribe is interested, you can learn more from the Project's website: https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/atlas.html The researcher in charge of Native American testing is Theodore Schurr at the University of Pennsylvania.
_______________________
Portage, IN: When you summit your DNA for genology testing, will they take advantage of you DNA and test it medically, and then try to get you to pay more for the information they now have?
Claudia Kalb: Most of the companies doing this are staying as far away from medicine as possible. They don't want to wade into controversial territory and they assure customers that they are not going to sell their DNA to medical companies or use it themselves in a medical capacity. The reality is that the pieces of the genome they are testing—segments of the Y and mitochondrial DNA—don't contain much medical information anyway and they're not set up to study medical implications. Still, you are submitting your entire genome and there's no way to say with 100% certainty that your DNA is safe.
_______________________
Lafayette LA: The world is already segregated with color and culture. Researching the human beginnings is great, but providing another tool of classification to Homo Sapians might be a bad idea. What if Hitler had DNA scanning technology.
Claudia Kalb: This is a very important point and one that many critics of DNA testing are concerned about. The people we interviewed who have been tested say their motivation is that they are curious about where they come from and they are eager to make connections with others. But critics worry that these tests could divide people and reinforce stereotypes. It is chilling to even think about Hitler and DNA technology. One of the people I talked to wondered aloud about it as well, comparing the Jewish star of the Holocaust to the "haplogroups" (geographical ancestral origins) of today.
_______________________
West Des Moines, IA: What does all this new knowledge say about such things as race and family heritage, how we see ourselves and others, and what is real about them and what is not? How can we use the knowledge to free ourselves from old ideas about race and family and nationality and such that impede human progress?
Claudia Kalb: Another important point. As much as there are concerns about dangerous stereotyping and ethnic and racial divisions, there is also hope that by learning more about our lineage, we will learn to appreciate our common heritage. Most scientists support the theory that all humans evolved in Africa and then some groups migrated out around the world. The genetic "Adam" and "Eve" add weight to that theory. And then there's the fact that any two people share DNA that is 99.9 identical. All of this argues for a radical step away from old ideas about race and nationality and a giant step toward unity. Forget about skin color and religion: underneath it all, we are all genetically related.
_______________________
Brookeville, MD: The Jefferson-Hemings DNA test proved only that SOMEONE in the Jefferson family fathered a Hemings child. How can you claim that Jefferson himself was probably the father?
Claudia Kalb: We didn't claim it, the scientists did in their 1998 report. As we say clearly in the story, another male Jefferson could have been the culprit. But the evidence points toward Thomas. Scientists can't prove it 100%, but—important point here—they can't disprove it either.
_______________________
Denver, CO: How certain is DNA testing? In other words, what does one do when DNA testing seems to override a family history?
Claudia Kalb: The Y and matrilineal tests give you a glimpse of your ancestry. But because they are only testing two lineages—your father's line and your mother's line—you will not learn a thing about your many other ancestors. That's a lot of missing information: ten generations back, you would have had more than 1,000 ancestors. Critics worry that people don't realize the limited information they're getting through Y and mitochondrial DNA testing. Is it worth the $100 and up?
The reality is that DNA testing is better at disproving a family legend than it is at confirming one.
The test that gives back percentage results is especially controversial. First of all, the test only goes back so far and so some ancestral DNA won't show up. Also, the results are only estimates and since no other company provides this test it is not possible to compare the results—something that hardcore scientist say is a huge problem. As I've mentioned before, critics worry that the test isn't conclusive and some are uncomfortable with what they believe gets into dangerous territory regarding race.
In the end, paper records are going to be far more effective at identifying the actual names of people on your family tree. DNA is a tool that will help, but if you're serious about tracing ancestry, you need the paperwork, too.
_______________________
Ashford, CT: For how many generations backward is it possible to verify paternity? We have questions re the identify of my maternal grandmother's biological father.
Claudia Kalb: Unfortunately, your maternal grandmother would not have received a Y chromosome from her father which would be the ultimate way to prove the relationship. If she has a brother who is still alive, he could be tested—but that still wouldn't solve the problem completely. Today, paternity tests can determine biological relationship by looking for mother's and father's markers in a child's DNA. But that wouldn't be an option unless everybody is alive and willing to submit a sample!
_______________________
Claudia Kalb: Looks like time is up. Thanks for your excellent questions—I wish I could have gotten to all of them. There are plenty of interesting genealogy sites on the web: do some searching and you may well find the answers you're seeking. Claudia.
High
