Neanderthals: Shared DNA and Variant Traits - When reviewing my DNA test results from 23andMe, the "Neanderthal Ancestry" section states "We've identified 272 genetic variants that can be traced to the Neanderthals, ancient humans who interbred with modern humans before going extinct 40,000 years ago - this is less than 54% of 23andMe customers and your DNA accounts for less than 4% of your overall DNA". So, I immediately furrowed my (Neanderthal) brow, joined the 23andMe discussion forum and searched for more answers on what this DNA result actually meant. Upon reading my DNA results and the related White Paper 23-05 "Neanderthal Ancestry Inference", some of the discussions on the topic, and further research on the Wikipedia.org: Neanderthal page, I found a wealth of information. 
Growing the Family Tree - A family tree offers a window into your family's past, and like a real-world organic tree, it requires constant pruning, maintenance and care. As your family tree grows, you'll uncover family stories, photographs and vital records along the way which provide insights into who your ancestors were, what they did in their lives, when they did these things in their lives, where they lived their lives, and if you're lucky, you might also discover why they did the things they did, and how they did these things. Now everyone has their own approach to building their family tree, so I will only describe the methodology that I follow and have followed thus far for growing my family tree. 
Ancestry DNA Results - Before exploring my family origins, I think it makes sense to first review the DNA science which will influence the course of my research. In January of 2018 I took the AncestryDNA test and received my results a few weeks later. The AncestryDNA test focuses on autosomal DNA matching and provides a DNA footprint of ancestral origins by including genetic ethnicity estimates matched to any given region and the identification of DNA matching (autosomal) to other people in their database. The test provides insights into making new genealogy tree discoveries by genetically identifying cousins and distant cousins through DNA matching to confirm information in your family tree, while providing insights into cultural roots. Autosomal DNA testing provides a broader and more comprehensive survey of a person's entire genome, while Y-DNA and MtDNA testing provides more focused DNA results. 
Elaborating on My Pyramid Stream Methodology - As I go down the rabbit hole of family history and genealogy research, I found it helpful to create a graphic to elaborate upon my grand methodology which I'll call the Pyramid Stream Methodology. While it may seem that Roots & Leaves presents information on non-related sources of information and topics, I can assure you that I have some method in my madness…ha ha. My methodology consists of nine components really, each of which has several sub-components which I will further decompose as my research progresses. I think having your own methodology towards research can help not only in long-term planning, but, also in motivating you to do each task with a purpose, knowing that every research building block plays a role in the ultimate project output…a family history book. 
DNA Testing for Ancestry, Traits, and Health - In an effort to understand my ancestry from a genetic perspective, I have taken two DNA tests, the AncestryDNA test from two years ago, and one from 23andMe, the sample of which I submitted today. As described in an earlier post, I the AncestryDNA test focuses on Autosomal DNA matching, which provides a nice overview of genetic testing for cousin matching and integrates with their family tree features. AncestryDNA recently also came out with their Health DNA report, but, I wanted to get the 23andMe DNA test because it includes the Y-DNA and MtDNA reports for Ancestry, along with the Health, and VIP Health DNA reports. While DNA is 99.5% identical from person to person, it's the small differences in our chromosomes that make us unique. Our DNA passes from our parents and their parents, going back generations and the DNA testing companies find variants linked to certain health conditions,… 
The Three Main Types of DNA Testing - Recent advances in science make DNA testing more reliable and help in criminal investigations and family genetic research. So I enthusiastically embraced the idea of exploring my DNA to understand my genetic matching with the goal of providing insight into my genealogy and cultural origins. In reviewing the types of available DNA testing, I found that three most common DNA testing types exist: Autosomal DNA, Mitochondrial DNA, and Y-DNA testing. Autosomal DNA Testing analyzes DNA from both your parents to help identify recent and distant relatives, along with a general footprint of where your ancestors lived 500 to 1000 years ago and can reveal more about your ethnicity and who you are related to. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA testing) traces a person's matrilineal ancestry using the DNA of that person's mitochondria. Since mtDNA can only test a small sample of your family tree through the matrilineal ancestry, it can provide supporting… Family History: April, 27, 2024
Family Births
- On 1704-04-27, Samuel COLEMAN is born in King and Queen, Virginia, United States
- On 1789-04-27, Frances Garnett TWYMAN is born in Madison County, Virginia
Family Deaths
- On 1579-04-27, Phillip JOHNSON dies in London, Middlesex, England (St Giles, Cripplegate, London, England--Burial)
- On 1591-04-27, Thomas ANSCELL dies in Barford, Bedfordshire, , England
- On 1686-04-27, John FLEMING dies in Charles Parish, York, Virginia, United States
- On 1919-04-27, Harriet Newkirk (Hattie) HALL dies in Greensboro, Guilford, North Carolina
- On 1949-04-27, Henry Shaw TWYMAN dies in place unknown
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