For Christmas this year my beloved gave me the National Geographic Geno 2.0
kit. You send them two samples of your DNA, obtained via cheek swabs (just like
on all the crime shows) and a few months later Nat Geo contacts you with your
results. Your DNA can track you from the mother of us all, aka Mitochondrial
Eve, who lived in Africa 180,000 years ago. Using genetic markers, they can
tell the route you took and which world populations you are related to.
According to Nat Geo, I'm 42% Northern European, 37% Mediterranean, and 18
percent Southwest Asian (totals are not necessarily right on the 100% mark).
Turns out I'm a distant relative of my Persian daughter-in-law. My particular
group was the first to migrate out of Africa. Further analysis of my current
makeup shows that my first reference population is from the United Kingdom, and
my second reference population is German. My name is German, but apparently the
German blood was overwhelmed by my UK ancestors. Hum. Didn't see any mention of
Irish, which is odd, because my mother was a MacCarthy. I suppose Ireland could
have been included in the UK, but I'm also sure the Irish would have objected.
<g>
And, to the delight of Esteemed Wife, I'm 2.1% Neanderthal, and 1.8% Denisovan.
Makes me almost 4% "cave man," which apparently Joan has no problem believing.
(Most of us living outside of Subsaharan Africa have up to 4% Neanderthal
and/or Denisovan ancestry. Denisovans are related to Neanderthals but more
Asian in origin.)
For some reason it doesn't surprise me I max out on the Neanderthal & Denisovan
content.
Get a kit. Have some fun.
NeanderBob
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