DNA testing and the convergence of genetics and genealogy are being touted as the "next big thing" to revolutionize family history. While a "genetic genealogy" future is still some way off, current tests by one-name groups in the U.K. and the U.S. are already revealing valuable and challenging results.

Pomeroy explains that there are two basic DNA tests of interest to family historians: the Y-chromosome test and the mitochondrial test. The Y-chromosome in the nuclear DNA of every living man resembles that of his father and his paternal grandfather. It is carried by male cousins of any degree that share the same male ancestor. It creates a clear marker, known as a haplotype, that distinguishes one male-to-male lineage from another. The mitochondrial test looks at the DNA signature of mitochondria, a special part of nearly all human cells, which is passed on female-to-child and inherited down the female line. It is generally used to study long-term population developments such as migrations. Pomeroy then describes what the test shows and how the information can be used for genealogy purposes.

Chris Pomeroy’s article "DNA & the Family Historian" can be found on the GENUKI Web site.

My thanks to Brian Randell for letting me know about this excellent article.