DNA points to royal roots in Africa

MSNBC blogs ^ | September 8, 2010 | Alan Boyle, msnbc.com science editor

[SunkenCiv]

William Holland, a genealogical researcher living in Atlanta, has seen some pretty strange twists in his family tree. Several years ago, he found out that his great-grandfather was a black slave ... who wound up serving as a Confederate soldier during the Civil War. But this year Holland's research resulted in something even stranger. Thanks to DNA testing, Holland is being welcomed as a long-lost relative by a ruling family of the West African nation of Cameroon...

Holland plugged his genetic markers into a database provided by the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, which draws upon GeneTree results as well as global genetic surveys... The freely available Sorenson database takes the family search to an extra level, by linking the genetic data with traditional pedigrees contributed by those who have been tested. What's more, Sorenson's researchers -- including Woodward, who serves as the foundation's executive director -- have added test results from places around the world that would otherwise be poorly represented in genetic databases. For example, about 12,000 of the 110,000 DNA samples in the Sorenson files have come from Africa...

Meanwhile, Woodward and other researchers are working to develop new genetic tools for tracing family connections. One method would check markers on additional chromosomes to "fill in close relatives, we're thinking within four to six generations, and reconstruct a relationship between two individuals who share a common ancestor," Woodward said... That could mark a significant leap forward for genetic genealogy. The tests conducted on Y chromosomes or mitochondrial DNA aren't powerful enough to detemine the precise relationship between two individuals.

[SunkenCiv]

Courtesy of William Holland

[SunkenCiv]

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[outinyellowdogcountry]

This is very interesting! So happy for Mr. Holland and his family. It sounds like a family reunion they will never forget!

[JoeProBono]

[wendy1946]

This may be as good a use of technology as I’ve ever heard of.

[Monkey Face]

Thanks, SC!

I applied for this in 2005, but the corporation was new and, I suspect, it was overwhelmed by submissions. I despaired of finding it again!

Thanks!

‘Face

[kalee]

“his great-grandfather was a black slave ... who wound up serving as a Confederate soldier during the Civil War”

Paging the Atlanta History Center! I was there when they told a young black man from NOLA that blacks NEVER served in the Confederacy.
He was a descendant of a free black and had proof that his ancestor had served, but the AHC would not let him into the encampment. His story did not fit their PC agenda.
We had supper with him later that day at Johnny Rockets and he shared his family’s history and documents with our children.

[Monkey Face]

Yah. We GOT his A frican roots...

(the skanky liar)

[count-your-change]

Kunta Kinte, You’ve come home!

[Monkey Face]

AHC should be DEEPLY ashamed!! The bigots. (Not to be confused with the Begats!)

[SunkenCiv]

There were a few who did; blacks who served in the Civil War overwhelmingly chose to fight for the Union.

[SunkenCiv]

Tizzy?

;’)

[BunnySlippers]

Interesting BUMP

[SunkenCiv]

It’s good that more and more people do this, just to generate the database; but the longer this goes on, the better off everyone will be. Today’s results are bound to be superseded by the more complete info in the future.

[Drango]

For those interested in DNA and genealogy, Family Tree DNA, is a much, much better vendor than Sorenson. 90% of all genealogist use FTDNA.

www.familytreedna.com

[muawiyah]

Hey, I know that guy ~ or a million of 'em who look just like him.

Popular people Fur Shur.

[SunkenCiv]

I’m just glad his family isn’t involved in that infamous email scam.

[Quix]

I wonder if they are going to combine with the National Geographic geonome project and Family Tree DNA folks??

[kalee]

I know that now. After meeting that young man I read some books he recommended and recently I met a NC man who is researching the subject. I asked how his research had been received given the reaction we saw at the AHC and he said his response had been mixed.