Family history, genetic testing, and a “true” family tree
There is a resurgence of interest in genealogy taking place in the US and it has again grabbed my own curiosity and led me down a somewhat interesting road. While the story is nowhere near complete and maybe never will be, it is the search that compels you to keep looking. Like a present day Sam Spade, you rely on your hunches, facts, and of course a little guess work to form learn whatever you can. As time progresses, you come to the realization that it is more than just genetics that shapes your true lineage which means your search gets even larger.
Family/Genetic history
My true genetic history is actually very split given that on one side, I have a fairly deep and thorough understanding of where my family came from and on the other side, we know nothing but a single name. On the paternal side, my father has done a very thorough and detailed analysis of our family tree which leads back to Slovenia (grandfather) and also parts of Germany (grandmother). On the maternal side as my mother was adopted, we only know the name of her birth mother and nothing more and most tree systems focus on the adoptive parents. I have done a lot of work here researching and will continue, but its really a brick wall after a brick wall. So the search continues!!
I can say the best resource for any type of research you might be doing is Ancestry.com. Seriously, they have a monopoly on historical information in the US which, while annoying, means most of your work can be done in one place online. I used their free trial which was a good start and it helped me fill out a bunch of information, but it can only go so far as well. Here’s a sample:
Genetic Testing - 23andMe
After much research and after constantly coming up empty, I decided to go the genetic route. I don’t want to meet these people really, just understand where they came from and maybe even if there are health issues I should know about and can pass on that info on. I settled on 23andMe as the genetic testing site I would use and quickly ordered my Complete Edition (at 50% off thanks to Oprah). Generally it is very simple. You give them your credit card, they send you a vial, you spit in it (a lot), send it back, and then after a few weeks you can log in and view the outcome.
So here we are 4 weeks later and I have my results and, no real need to go into crazy DNA splicing detail here, but generally my health risks are fairly low and on the ancestry side I am definitely of Northern European descent (French, German) with a possible mix of North African, Middle Eastern, Russian, or Indian (what?).
And herein lies the problem with genetic testing. First, the system really has no concept of true geography and instead has to rely on what are called haplogroups. Simply put, a haplogroup is a genetic marker. Every time the marker is mutated via cross-breeding a new mutation forms. Doctors use this to trace the migratory patterns of cultures throughout history. By knowing your group, you can see where “your ancestors” were at 500 years or more ago. Mine where fairly refined and they were…
Maternal (X): U4a1b - Indians, Europeans
Paternal (Y): G2a3b2 - Palestinians, Ossetians, Georgians, Moroccans
So while this is interesting and educational, it is actually fairly useless given the broad nature of the regions and the nomadic tendencies of people thousands of years ago. It may help you understand why you carry some of the physical traits you do (hair color, complexion, etc), but in the end there is little more. There may be a corollary on the paternal side between the Caucasus region and my paternal ancestors inevitably settling in Slovenia/Germany, but still speculation nonetheless. Also, you have to remember you are a blend of your parents so this does not mean they will always match you. The more people in your family that do it, the more you can refine it, but you will never reach a “complete” picture.
In the end, I found the health portion to be much much more interesting and actionable.
The “Real” Family Tree
The one thing I took away from all of this was really the definition of the family tree. Most people are very focused on their genetics and their lineage, but we are much more defined by the people in our lives and our experiences than by the blood in our veins. When I step away from the genetics, I find that my family tapestry is much broader and much deeper and much more interesting. I have been blessed in that I have two families including brother and sisters and all of this is really discarded if you focus only on DNA. I am much more a product of these people than I am of the nomads wandering the mountains of Eastern Europe over 25000 years ago.
People have asked me why I wanted to do this and my answer was really just to understand where I was from culturally. I still want to know the truth and won’t stop searching, but now it has become more about the stories, the struggles, and the people. Our experiences define us more than anything else and learning and sharing this about your own family can be a very enjoyable thing.
