Technology Helps Unearth Family Trees

CNN has an interesting online story about the use of DNA in genealogy. CNN reporter Steve Mollman writes:

Here's a fun exercise: Compare the DNA profiles of random individuals who reside in different regions of the world, have little in common and don't much resemble one another.

If you could do this, you'd find close DNA matches once in a while.

About three months ago Kevin Shepherdson, a Eurasian in Singapore, discovered that his DNA matches strongly with Thomas Kurowski, a man of Polish descent living in Rhode Island.

The men have never met, and they were unaware of each other.

Both of them research their family history as a hobby, but finding each other through traditional methods (such as sifting through census, marriage or property records) would have been unlikely if not impossible.

And yet their DNA profiles match so closely that they can be certain of sharing a common ancestor within the past six generations. It took scientific sleuthing for the two men to make a connection.

You can read this and a lot more at http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/11/09/dna.families/.

Comments

[Gloria Ishida]

I'm not surprised at the findings and the photos. Our children, Japanese (my husband) and myself (American Caucasian) have grandchildren, depending on the spouses of our children, who look very Japanese or very or quite Caucasian. First cousins, an outsider would never guess. Generations down the line may come up with these ancestors.

[Robert Johnston]

Interesting - wish I was as fortunate!

I have four perfect DNA matches at 12/12, with one of those matches continuing to 23/25 and 35/37, and yet there is no hint of a match between us in eight or more generations.

I keep hoping.

[Jim Rutledge]

Very interesting article I have a guy in Austrila that is very close on my DNA markers also we can find no connection on the one sername but looking into possible other surnames that match you never know where the people earlier than us stayed Look at George Washington and all the place he was reported to have slept. (he he)