When I was I kid, I loved looking up in the sky at night, at all the starts, going dizzy when trying to understand the universe go on and on and on and on... forever and ever and ever.
Now I sent this little sample, and with that, it is possible to look thousands and thousands of years back, knowing where MY genes first started. They have really been passed on generation after generation after generation for such a long time. And with science it is possible to track them back. I find it so amazing.
I love spending time searching for documents and records, looking for clues, trying to understand and learning the life of my ancestors. But with DNA it is like a whole new dimension opened up. With that, analysed in a science lab, I know there are people that matches me, that are related to me even if I haven't found that specific document to prove it. Perhaps there isn't any document at all, it might be over 20 generations back in time. But still, that exact person and I are related. And we didn't know.
I had two things analysed. First one is called Family Finder. With that, I can find decendants of my greatgreatgrand parents. I got a lot of matches in the FamilyTreeDNA database. Mainly distant, no ones really close. Still, somehow, I am connected to them in some way.
The other test I had was a full mtDNA sequence. This uses genetic material that is passed down from a mother to her children, both male and female but it is only females who can pass it on. With that, I was also provided with my haplogroup and it dates at least 20 000 years ago.
I am happy I found a totally new angle to look at my genealogy research. I want to learn everything about it - yesterday already. I am totally hooked.
With that, here is a picture of my grandmother and her mother. Hoping with DNA I will find out more about her grandmother and great-grandmother and add some pieces to my genealogy puzzle.
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| My great grandmother, Julie Verno, born 1887 (married to Eduard Seck), holding her daughter my grandmother Ludmila, born 1922. Standing next to them is my grandmothers brother, George, born 1916. |
