mtDNA

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 evidence of an ancestor's relation to you, going back thousands of years. Y-DNA traces a male's Y chromosome to research patrilineal ancestry, or ancestry through their male line, thousands and sometimes tens of thousands of years.

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, traits and ancestor groups. However, as 23andMe.com notes, genetics reflects only part of the story when it comes to health and traits. The other variables that influence a person's trait profile and health predisposition includes: Environment (pollution, sun exposure), Genetic (DNA, ethnicity) and Lifestyle (smoking, exercise).

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.

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.