DNA Research and Family History

From left to right, the structures of A, B and...Image via Wikipedia
Most of us are happy to discover something about our grand-parents and great-grandparents when researching our family history. When we start to dig deeper in our family history we would probably be over the moon if we discovered details of our family history as far back as the 16th century or even the 15th century. One reason for this is the difficulty of research this far back, with the types of records being available not one you can easily gain access to and also due to the relative paucity of records prior to the early 1800's. Parish records can go back quite a way before this of course but unless you are related to the aristocracy or royalty, chances are the will be few records available for your ancestors.

So, how would you feel about tracing your ancestors back 40,000 years? Impossible, you may think. Well, think again. With advances in DNA research it's becoming more common everyday for genetic lines to be followed back further in history. Even Ancestry.com offers a DNA testing service. It's Paternal and Maternal DNA Lineage tests provide you with your ancient ancestry (haplogroup) and your own collection of genetic markers which can be used to connect with genetic cousins.

Who knows, you may find out your are descended from Ghengis Khan!
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