Ancestry | Race | Relatedness
AncestryOct 30, 2009: If a living male [age 40 yrs] wants to determine whether he is in fact a true descendant of a male who lived in the 1600s, how could this be done? Can tests be done? What tests? Facts: The mother of the living male is his connection to the 1600s ancestor. The mother's connection is through her own mother [1904-1962]. If needed, the living male can contact confirmed descendants of the 1600s progenitor. Oct 14, 2009: I read on the web that some people think that red hair is a sign that humans and Neanderthals interbred because red hair came from the Neanderthals. Is this true? Jul 13, 2005: How does inbreeding affect the immune system of animals? May 18, 2005: What is the minimum number of it would take to maintain a viable gene pool? Apr 07, 2005: Would it be genetically possible for two individuals to populate the Earth? What complications could arise? RaceOct 27, 2006: I am descended from Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews, which are known to be at a much higher risk than all other groups to have genetic mutations and are carriers for diseases such as Tay Sachs and Cystic Fibrosis. They also have a higher risk than the general population of other diseases such as breast cancer, PCOS and diabetes.
I am extremely curious to find out, what did my ancestors do to develop such gene mutations and diseases? Did marrying close relatives cause it? I doubt it because Sefardi Jews also marry often within family and don't have any of the above diseases.
Is it possible for the current generation to cure the mutations or at least prevent it from spreading? Aug 24, 2006: Is it possible to identify a racial origin such as Native American? Aug 20, 2004: Are Native American Indians fundamentally Asians? Jul 14, 2004: I have read, "Genetically speaking, nothing differentiates one race from another. All humans share the same set of genes. There is no African gene, no Caucasian gene, no Asian gene." However, I also understand that there are genetic markers such as mtDNA haplotype L1, L2, L3, M, N and etc. that indicate a person's origins. In light of this, isn't it possible to determine "race" through DNA analysis? May 11, 2004: Can white parents have a black baby? Even if the grandparents are white too? RelatednessJul 01, 2009: Would two sisters (not twins) who have the same parents have more DNA in common than would a sister and a brother (not twins) who have the same parents? May 01, 2009: Why is it that we have almost the same DNA as other things? Oct 10, 2008: Considering that a person's nearest relatives (parents and full siblings) are only half genetically related, and a third cousin is nearing the baseline relatedness, what is considered baseline relatedness? I have read that half-fourth cousins share no more DNA than two people at random, even if a most recent common ancestor is known. Full fourth cousins share 2 out of 32 great-great-great grandparents, but half-fourth cousins share only 1 out of 32 great-great-great grandparents. Sep 04, 2008: Why do my brother and I look so different? Jul 10, 2008: Do boys have different genes than girls? Dec 17, 2007: My boyfriend and I have the same last name, and it has become an issue. We actually share an ancestor from 23 generations ago. Should we be concerned about having a child with a birth defect or be concerned about any other issues because we are from the same lineage? Dec 12, 2007: Incest laws seem to be socially rather than genetically based, but I'm guessing there are biological consequences too. So what are the exact genetic risks of two siblings having a child together? Mar 17, 2006: Help! I cannot seem to grasp why siblings are said to be 50% alike genetically when humans are said to be, say, 85% the same genetically as mice. Jan 19, 2006: Can someone find his sperm donor dad using genetics? Nov 01, 2005: I am a Chinese American woman. In the Chinese culture, people typically favor the male species. For example, they prefer sons over daughters and think two brothers are genetically closer to each other than two sisters. Also, they truly believe that the children are genetically closer to the father than the mother. Is this really true? I am often in debates with my parents and relatives about this. I don't believe their theory is true. I believe I am just as close to my father as to my mother.
Please help me solve this mystery. Aug 26, 2005: Hi, A question has been batted around the dinner table—who is more closely related genetically, siblings or a parent and child? Jul 01, 2005: If identical female twins get pregnant by the same man will their children be exactly the same if they are the same sex? Feb 24, 2005: My sister married my husband's brother (so we have two brothers who married two sisters). We are all curious about how related our children will be. (I'm pregnant with our first child right now.)
I understand siblings share 50% of the same genes. In our case would the first cousins be as genetically related as siblings? If no - can you tell us exactly how related they will be? Nov 05, 2004: My husband and I are first cousins and I am worried about our future kids. Are our kids at a very high risk of coming out retarded or something? People are always drawing that annoying conclusion and I try not to let it bother me...I've done some slight research on the subject and know that it is not necessarily true but it still bothers me. Aug 19, 2004: Hi. I am a 28 year old female and I was wondering do females get their father's or their mother's genes? It seems like I am mostly like my father but I don't know—can you help me with this? Aug 06, 2004: If you compare the genetic information in male vs female homo sapiens, there is a difference of about 3% (given the number of chromosomes and the difference between the X and Y chromosome). But if our chromosomal material is so close to mice, etc., it almost seems as if I'm genetically more similar to a mouse than I am to my brother. What gives???
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