Where in the World Is My Ancestral DNA?

I just finished swabbing my cheeks with a long Q-tip-like thing and packed up the swabs to send off to Ancestry.com. In a few weeks they'll send me a report that traces my personal lineage as far back as 70 generations. If I opt in, they'll put my DNA test results in a big database with others who've done the test, providing amateur genealogists with some pretty extraordinary new tools. DNA testing is going to give genealogists a shot of adrenaline.

Ancestry.com already has a number of tools to help its members research and record their ancestry, but offering DNA heritage testing is new. Once the swab is decoded it reveals markers on the DNA. The markers, in combination with a variety of statistics and probabilities, can tell you where your ancestors originated from, their path of migration, and where they have scattered throughout time.

We're talking about much more than knowing where your great-grandparents come from. We're talking about discovering your distant past, like whether you're descended from a long line of Jewish Cohenin, Niall of the Nine Hostages, the American Indians, or other ancient groups. Ultimately the test reports your haplogroups, which are the groups that various ancient ancestors were members of thousands of years ago.

The tests are conducted by a privately-held company, Sorenson Genomics. Currently there are two tests available. The Y-DNA test looks at the Y chromosome to indicate patriarchal lineage. The mtDNA test looks at the mitochondria that children inherit from their mothers. Both tests are under $200 each.

I spoke with Brett Folkman, VP of strategy for DNA Ancestry, about the testing process. I learned that the DNA test Ancestry uses is not the same sort of DNA test that looks for genetically transmitted diseases or tries to determine physical characteristics of an unborn child. "We look at what scientists call junk DNA—46 different markers on the Y chromosome that simply indicate heritage," said Brett. These markers on the DNA mutate at a different rate over time, and by looking at the mutation versus baseline information, the company can trace the path that your ancestors took to arrive where you are today.

My family, as best as I can figure, came from somewhere in Spain, wound up in Russia, and emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s. In a few weeks Ancestry will confirm or deny and I'll let you know. I suggest that Obama and Cheney take the test, too. Meanwhile, I'm thinking about buying a few for the relatives—a great holiday gift idea to show them from whence they came.

Watch the YouTube video to learn more.