If you are from the village of Swiatkowa, Dudynce or Hrabovcik, I urge you to consider joining the Carpatho-Rusyn DNA Project at Click Here
The site
explains the project goals and shows, anonymously, the participants and their
haplogroups.
What are
haplogroups? Go to the National Geographic site at Genographic
Project
NG is
mapping the movement of humans out of Africa using DNA. Their wonderful site gives a good
explanation of haplogroups and many other terms related to DNA. You can spend hours on this site.
Why do
it? My reason was to document the DNA of my
various lines before they became blurred by intermarriage. I seem to be the only one in my family
really interested in its history. I
have researched the records and done the traditional genealogy documentation.
The use of DNA for genealogical purposes is relatively new and the science of
DNA is itself a new science, but I see that the future will reveal even more
information and I want to be a part of it.
Unfortunately
for me, I have no brothers and so my DRAN surname line will not be
documented unless I can convince my only living male 2nd cousin in
the US to give a sample. The
alternative is for me to travel to Ukraine where another male 2nd
cousin resides and get a sample. What
are my chances? Slim, I think.
Sampling
is easy. The test kit you receive from Family Tree DNA
contains special cotton swabs, which you use to rub inside your mouth. The
swabs then go into a little vial of liquid and you send them off to the lab. I
would suggest the basic 12-marker test, which will identify your
haplogroup. You can get more markers
tested at a later time, if you are trying to prove you are related to another
individual.
I have
documented my maternal surname line (YDNA) with the cooperation of an uncle. I
have also documented my own maternal line (mtDNA) and with the help of my
92-year-old female cousin, my great grandmother, Anna Gracon’s, mtDNA line.
Each one is a different haplogroup.
Family Tree
DNA Labs is one of the largest of this kind.
It also does the testing for the NG Genographic Project.
Back to index