Family history: DNA test for ancestral connections

Just think how it would revolutionize family history research if a DNA test could tell us which regions of the UK we are descended from. Now a partnership of 100 DNA experts, Living DNA has compiled a database of results from the 2015 People of the British Isles project which created a genetic map of the UK.

DNA test

[photo: projectbritain.com]

The Living DNA test compares a person’s genetic markers with those from 21 distinct areas of the UK, including Cornwall, Norfolk and North Wales. The results are then displayed on an online platform, where there is the option to identify connections with a further 59 worldwide regions. The results are shown on a map with a guide to how far back each component of genetic material comes from; this gives genealogists the chance to verify the DNA findings with traditional paper-based research.

This post is inspired by an article in the November 2016 issue of ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ magazine. More details here.

DNA test

Future novels in the ‘Identity Detective’ series will involve the use of DNA to find a missing relative. My heritage is in Yorkshire, my surname shared with a small Yorkshire village. So would my DNA point me to Yorkshire, or elsewhere? Read here about the village of Danby.

‘Ignoring Gravity’ by Sandra Danby [UK: Beulah Press] Buy now

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Trace your geological ancestry with a DNA test #familyhistory via @SandraDanby http://wp.me/p5gEM4-2fb

Comments

  1. But don’t people say that you should adopt a DNA test with caution? They don’t just find your family history – they can also turn up all sorts of genes that lead to inherited diseases, which can be rather shocking news if you are just hoping to find out whether Granny was a Viking.

    • sandradan1

      Really it is another research option now available, if people should choose to use it. I’m not sure how widely DNA tests are used at the moment but it does potentially add another layer of information. And after all you could find out about inherited diseases through conventional genealogical research, as you might discover convicts and murderers amongst your ancestors. Family history research can be a mixed bag, not to be undertaken lightly. SD