African-Americans Offered Gene Breakthrough To Trace Roots

Ananova ^ | 9-23-2003

[blam]

African-Americans offered gene breakthrough to trace roots

A US company is offering to trace black people's family bloodlines to specific geographic areas on the African continent.

African Ancestry, with its growing databank of African DNA samples, offers two types of DNA tests and has compiled a DNA database of 10,000 people representing 85 ethnic groups from Africa.

Each of those groups have tell-tale genetic markers not found in other people. Those markers were passed on generationally and appear in African Americans' cells today.

The company's most common test tracks mitochondrial DNA, a mysterious strand of genetic material found outside the cell nucleus and apart from regular genes.

Evolutionary biologists believe each person's mitochondrial DNA is a copy of their mother's, their grandmother's and so on - a maternal thread that reaches back to the dawn of the species.

This led to the theory that all humans descended from an African Eve - though that theory was tested a little last year when Danish scientists documented a case in which a man's muscle cells contained mitochondria descended from his father.

Because mitochondrial DNA mutates more rapidly than regular genes, scientists have been able to track the rate of such changes, making it possible to identify individual bloodlines. Forensic specialists tasked with identifying corpses have turned to mitochondrial DNA for years, identifying some World Trade Centre victims with such tests.

African Ancestry also tests DNA in Y-chromosomes, found only in males, theoretically documenting a person's paternal bloodline. But only males can take the Y-chromosome test, whereas both sexes can submit to mitochondrial screening. It is also more likely to show European ancestry because of "the dynamics of the plantation," as company president Gina Paige delicately puts it.

The small Washington DC-based company is attracting the scepticism of some bioethicists who say its sales pitch raises unreasonable expectations.

© Associated Press

Story filed: 06:49 Tuesday 23rd September 2003

[blam]

ping.

[TomServo]

And they'll all be traced back to Thomas Jefferson. (/sarcasm).

[mhking]

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[RS]

"And they'll all be traced back to Thomas Jefferson. (/sarcasm)."


First thing I thought of was Montel walking through the crowd at the Million Man March going -

You ARE the Father !

[Question_Assumptions]

It would be interesting to see how many of these genes don't go back to Africa. A black Jamaican friend is genetically about as Scottish as I am (he's 3/8ths).

[dwd1]

Might give us a chance to find out who conspired to sell us out. Not sure how productive that might be but it may be interesting from a conversation standpoint..

[St. Clair Slim]

I'm not interested in the exact location in Western Africa my genes originate. I just want to get more info on my family prior to 1798. That's as far back as we can successfully trace.