DNA Genealogy

**Gael Ridire** · 6th March 12, 09:03 PM

Watch the 'Who Do You Think You Are' episode with actor Blair Underwood, and see how DNA markers located his ancestral origin in Africa.

**Tim Little** · 6th March 12, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by Gael Ridire

Watch the 'Who Do You Think You Are' episode with actor Blair Underwood, and see how DNA markers located his ancestral origin in Africa.

Yes, that was very cool!

**Dram** · 7th March 12, 08:57 AM

I watched it last night after you guys recommended it. I have to say I really like Blairs approach to it all. He took everything in stride, and seemed genuinely interested in learning as much as he could, good or bad.

Of course, I must caution folks...I'd be leary of a 10th cousin...they may be genetic cousins at that range but they are afterall still strangers. So, if any of you happen to have a match, be cautious before you give them a family portrait and a key to the house LOL.

**creagdhubh** · 7th March 12, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by Dram

I watched it last night after you guys recommended it. I have to say I really like Blairs approach to it all. He took everything in stride, and seemed genuinely interested in learning as much as he could, good or bad.

Of course, I must caution folks...I'd be leary of a 10th cousin...they may be genetic cousins at that range but they are afterall still strangers. So, if any of you happen to have a match, be cautious before you give them a family portrait and a key to the house LOL.

Fantastic show. I was a part of the Clan Macpherson DNA Project several years ago. Very interesting stuff indeed, though my results really didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know, which happens to some people I suppose.

Cheers,

**WVHighlander** · 7th March 12, 02:08 PM

In my case I have to say the DNA test is helping me out. I was stuck on an ancestor and,while I am still waiting for the rest of the results, the results so far have helped me get back on track with my ancestor. I am anxious to get the rest of the results back.

**creagdhubh** · 7th March 12, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by WVHighlander

In my case I have to say the DNA test is helping me out. I was stuck on an ancestor and,while I am still waiting for the rest of the results, the results so far have helped me get back on track with my ancestor. I am anxious to get the rest of the results back.

Wonderful! Best of luck!

**Gael Ridire** · 7th March 12, 07:17 PM

I volunteered for a DNA project back in 2002, and told that I'd never know the results. It was for a professor and his project to see if DNA could be used for genealogy. In 2006 I got a phone call from Kevin O'Brien of Buffalo, NY. He and I had been emailing each other since 1997 about O'Brien Clan things. He informed me to a website and look at this pedigree. I did so and to my astonishment it was my pedigree. He told me to click on matches, I did and there were three with 37/37. One was me and the other two were Kevin and his cousin in Ireland. We matched 100%! In the O'Brien Surname project, Kevin and I are the closest match at 37 to the Clan Chief who's markers serve as the baseline. Yet our markers are four off indicating that we split off the main line between 1250-1350. Then Kevin located a 100% match with a person in NYC, and one marker off with a New Zelander, two off with an Aussie, and two markers off with a man in Florida. In comparing all the stories, their ancestors came from within a mile of one another in Killernan, County Clare, Ireland. For me, it proves that the story of a surname change from O'Brien/O'Bryan to Bryant, and that I'm really an O'Brien. At a match of 37/37 markers, our common ancestor was in the 7th-10th generation. And for County Clare, Ireland, the paper trail has far ended. Kevin can paper trail it to 1750 in land records & parish records. My 2nd great-grandfather's American census records state from Ontario, Canada, born 23 Mar 1836. Death record of 19 Mar 1893, states parents John & Mary Bryant from Ireland. Then the paper trail ends. DNA helps establish my ethnicity & place of origin.

DNA is of value when all the paper trails fail. From approximate date of my 3rd great-grandfather's birth of 1800, the paper trail ends at a brick wall which is breached and extends itself to 23 Apr 1014, and the death of King Brian Boru, progenitor of the O'Brien Clan.

**Dram** · 7th March 12, 07:22 PM

Originally Posted by creagdhubh

Fantastic show. I was a part of the Clan Macpherson DNA Project several years ago. Very interesting stuff indeed, though my results really didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know, which happens to some people I suppose.

Cheers,

Kyle, if you don't mind me asking are Macphersons mostly R1b?

**Tim Little** · 7th March 12, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by Dram

Of course, I must caution folks...I'd be leary of a 10th cousin...they may be genetic cousins at that range but they are afterall still strangers. So, if any of you happen to have a match, be cautious before you give them a family portrait and a key to the house LOL.

Oh, I don't know... I ended up marrying mine!

Of course we didn't find out we were 10th cousins until well after the fact.