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In 1991, two men on a climbing holiday in the Alps happened upon the body of a man half buried in the ice. Although this may sound gruesome, it’s not an unusual occurrence to come upon a body as high as they were in the Alps. The climbers simply assumed it was some poor soul who’d met with an unfortunate accident, marked the spot and continued down the mountain where they then notified the proper authorities.

At first glance it was thought that the body was a gentlemen who was last seen in the area around 50 years earlier. But there were several tools scattered on the ground around the body that appeared to be older than 50 years and on closer inspection it was determined that they were not just fifty years old or even a hundred and fifty. They were thousands of years old and this investigation that had previously been handled by the local authorities now became a discovery of international importance among the archeological community.

The remains of the Iceman, as he soon became known, were flown to Innsbruck, Austria where he was stored, frozen, while an International team of archeologists and scientists was assembled to study this unique find, detail by detail. Professor Bryan Sykes, whose research team at Oxford had been the first in the world to recover DNA from ancient human specimens, was contacted to see if he and his team could find traces of DNA in the Iceman.

Using radiocarbon analysis – carbon dating – it was determined that the Iceman was well over 5000 years old but because his body had been in a frozen state since his death it was possible for Professor Sykes to extract DNA from the remains and conduct additional research. In order to prevent any claims of fraud or hoax about his findings, all tests were conducted and re-conducted from every possible angle. Even so far as to cross-match the Iceman’s DNA with samples of DNA that had been donated by modern day, living, human beings.

Through a remarkable series of coincidences it was found that the Iceman’s DNA was exactly the same as the DNA of modern Europeans. But what was even more remarkable was the the DNA sample for comparison had come from one of Professor Syke’s own assistants. And there was a direct, unbroken link between the DNA of Marie Moseley and the Iceman. Which meant that Marie was a direct descendant of the Iceman himself.

Professor Sykes presents a very compelling and entertaining view of the possibility of tracing the lineage of every human on earth back to seven distinct women – The Seven Daughters Of Eve – who all shared a common ancestor – The Mitochondrial Eve.

Although DNA testing kits for genealogy research are now available to members of the public, before ordering it’s best to determine just what type of kit you’re going to need. And to do that you need to know exactly what results you’re looking for. There are two basic types of DNA testing kits available and each is used for a different reason.

mtDNA Tests – mtDNA tests are used to test the Mitochondrial DNA that is passed from the mother to both the male and female children. Mitochondrial DNA does not mix with other cells so it’s easy to determine that your mtDNA is the same as your mother’s, and your mother’s mtDNA is the same as her mother’s. Because mitochondrial DNA changes very slowly from generation to generation, it’s used best to determine the fact that you’re related to someone, as opposed to just how closely you’re related. For example, testing mtDNA can tell you if two people are members of the same family but it can’t be used to tell you if you’re brother and sister, grandfather and grandchild, etc.

If two people have an exact match in their mtDNA then there’s a good chance they have a maternal ancestor in common but it’s hard to determine if a recent ancestor or one who lived hundreds of years ago. So if all you’re trying to do is prove that your family is descended from say George Washington’s family, then yes, you could use an mtDNA test. But this test will not be able to tell you if George Washington was your grandfather.

Y Line Tests – The Y Chromosomal Test, typically referred to as the Y Line test, is only available for males since the Y chromosome is passed down the male line from father to son. Chemical markers on the Y chromosome create haplotypes, distinctive patterns that can be used to determine the genetic connection between one male and another. This test is generally used by people who have the same last name to see if the have a common ancestor. So your family could use this test to determine if the males were descended from George Washington – assuming you could also get a sample of George Washington’s DNA.

Neither of these tests can be used to gather health information or information about a predisposition to a particular disease. Nor will they allow you to create any kind of identifying personal genetic fingerprint. Rather, in most DNA testing for genealogy these tests are used to determine the line of descent and to confirm a relationship between one family and another.

The opposing theory is that there had to have been more than one woman in order for the human race to grow fast enough and survive the harsh climate. But this theory only means that there may have actually been more than one Eve. Theological discussions aside, I find it intriguing that it would be possible to use mitochondrial DNA testing to trace our lineage back to the dawn of time, whether it’s to one woman or several women. Think of it. My ancestor may have lived in the cave right next door to yours! They may have exchanged recipes for barbecued Mastodon and Spicy Pterodactyl wings!

Mitochondrial DNA, or mtDNA as it’s commonly referred to, is passed from the mother to her offspring, both male and female. But the male does not pass it on to his offspring. It’s only passed by the mother. So my mother passed it to me, her mother passed it to her, and so on. The reason it’s so easily traced is because mtDNA rarely mutates or changes in any way. So I share exactly the same mtDNA with my mother that she shares with her mother.

However, every few thousand years a change or mutation does take place in the mtDNA which creates a new ‘branch’ in the ancestral tree. It’s by following all of these branches back through the centuries and centuries that human beings have been in existence that Professor Sykes has determined we’re all descended from 7 different women who all share the same mother – Eve.

If you’re a fan of Dan Brown then you’re familiar with his now world famous book, “The DaVinci Code”. This book created quite a stir when it proposed that not only was Jesus married but he also had children. Imagine being able to trace your lineage all the way back to the wife of Jesus. And of course, Jesus had a mother so that means you would also be related to her and all of her ancestors. And if you could trace it that far, and be that specific, then you probably could trace it all the way back to Eve as well. And whether it’s one Eve or seven, or even seventy Eves, how interesting would that be?

Regardless of which theory is right, or if either is right, the fact is we’re all related somewhere in time. At some point there was a beginning. It may have been a ‘Big Bang’ that took place over thousands of years or it may have been an over night ‘Creation’ but if you perform the mitochondrial DNA testing back through the eons you’ll see that we really are all related to the Seven Daughters Of Eve.

The simple answer is that you may know 6 people or 600 people or even 6000, but you don’t know if those people are your ancestors. You could be living right next door to someone who’s DNA figures prominently in your genealogical background and never know it. It happens all the time.

DNA testing for ancestry differs from other forms of DNA testing in that it’s a more specific test and your results are entered into a DNA database. Don’t worry though. The actual results are kept confidential. But the reason your information is entered in to that database is so your data can be compared with other people from all over the world to determine if any of them are your ancestors. Isn’t that amazing!

I recently read an incredible story about a gentleman name Chris Haley, a nephew of the famous author Alex Haley. Apparently in Alex Haley’s book “Queen” he made a brief mention of a European ancestor with the last name of Baugh but the family had never been able to track down any proof of ancestry or even that the Baugh family existed. So Chris Haley decided to have DNA testing for ancestry performed.

Now it just so happens that a young woman in Scotland, half the world away from Chris Haley, whose last name was Baff, was also researching her family history. She had run up against a brick wall due to the unusual spelling of her name and had run out of ideas, so she, too, decided to perform DNA testing for ancestry.

Because both sets of information were entered into the database, even though they were half a world apart, these two people were connected by matching their DNA information. How amazing is that?! To think that they had both spent years and years searching for information about their ancestors and by simply conducting DNA testing for ancestry they found each other. They now each have a whole new family to get to know and a wealth of information can be shared between them that will further help their search into their ancestry.

For example, by using DNA testing you can determine the ethnic and racial backgrounds that have gone into your own genetic makeup. But unless you also have a DNA sample from Napoleon, you could not just look at your own DNA results and determine that you’re related to him. You would need a sample of his DNA for comparison and even then the most you could tell is that you were descended from Napoleon but you wouldn’t be able to determine along what lines.

So let’s say you’re just beginning to research your family tree and you have no idea where to start. If you perform a DNA test the best you’ll be able to determine is your racial and/or ethnic origin. But that will at least give you a starting point. You can then go online to research that area looking for surnames. If you were to find someone who shares the same surname and after researching you believe the two of you may be related, then another DNA test could be performed and by comparing the results from both of your tests you’d be able to find out if you were related. This test still would not tell you however in what way you were related, simply that you share the similar genetic material.

Using DNA for family history research is helpful in that you can use it to eliminate possibilities but it doesn’t point them out to you. You still have to do the legwork and research the old-fashioned way – visiting libraries, churches, archives, city halls, hospitals, etc. And you still have to talk to people to gather information. But isn’t that the fun part of researching your family history? The exchanging of family stories and legends is what makes it so interesting.

Think about it. The reason you’re researching your family history is usually because you’re interested in the history, the special events and little stories that make your family unique. How much fun would it be if all you had to do to find out Napoleon was you great-great-great-great-grandfather was to swab out your mouth and be done with it? And even if it did work like that, if you’re a true history buff you’d still want to do the legwork and research to find out all the little details and juicy bits of family gossip. Using DNA for family history research should only be one tiny step of the process. Use it to verify information when necessary but don’t expect miracles. Even those cops have to do a little legwork before they wrap it all up in a bow and identify the murderer by the DNA he left on a cigarette butt.

Studies have shown for years that certain ethnic groups are more prone to certain diseases. For example, African Americans are more susceptible to sickle cell anemia and hypertension. Chinese Americans are more likely to have liver cancer and Vietnamese women are more apt to contract cervical cancer.

While you may be aware of the health risks associated with your ethnic group, you may not be aware of all the different ethnic groups that may have contributed to your genealogical makeup. It’s with good reason that most providers of DNA testing materials caution users to be prepared to receive potentially life altering information when they receive their results. No one can be one hundred percent sure, without a DNA ethnicity test, of what will show up in their genetic background information. If you’ve been suffering ongoing health problems, a DNA ethnicity test may reveal the answers.

While DNA testing can often give you surprising insights into who your ancestors are, it can also provide the opposite result of letting you know who your parents or ancestors are not. Looks can be deceiving and just because you look like a member of a certain ethnic group doesn’t necessarily mean you are. DNA ethnicity testing can be used to determine parentage as well as legal rights for inheritance purposes.

Another important reason to have a DNA ethnicity test is to establish your legal rights. As in the case of many Native Americans of mixed ethnic backgrounds, establishing the fact that they really are a member of the tribe may entitle them to some hefty financial benefits as well as additional legal rights that are afforded to Native American tribes because they act as their own government.

But many people have a DNA ethnicity test simply because they want to learn more about their ancestry. In this day and age it’s no longer a crime to be of mixed heritage, in fact, it’s really something to be proud of. When you think about it, all of our ancestors worked hard to get us to the point where we’re at today. Each different ethnic group has it’s own stories and it’s own traditions that only add more flavor to this melting pot we call America. Whether your ancestors were slaves or pilgrims or pirates or adventurers, they are the reason you are who you are today. Isn’t it worth finding out where you came from and who to thank for the great person you turned out to be? Wouldn’t you like to know who your ancestors really are?

You never want to rely on just DNA testing alone for your genealogy research. By using ancestry DNA testing you will be able to locate people from around the world with whom you share DNA markers. But those will only be the people who have also submitted a DNA sample for comparison. And Y-Line DNA tests and Mitochondrial DNA tests will also only tell you if you are in some way related to another person but only if they have also submitted a DNA sample for comparison.

So your first steps in your family tree research will most likely have to begin with your own family. Research records of marriage, births and deaths. Look through attics and basements for old family Bibles, service records, medical records and insurance records. As your search progresses don’t forget that over the years someone may have changed the spelling of their surname, too. As you start filling in those branches on your family tree you’ll know when it’s time to turn to DNA to help further your research.

You may come to a point where you’ve found someone with the right surname you’ve been looking for but you’re not sure you’re related. That’s when DNA can help you in your genealogy research. Now that you have someone you can compare results with, both of you can take a DNA test to find out if you share the same lineage. And if you do, then it’s back to the traditional research methods on that person’s branch of the tree until you run up against the same problem. So you see, you can use DNA testing to prove your research findings but you’ve still got to do the research first.

But that’s the fun part anyway. The research. Hearing all those old family tales and tracking down the comings and goings of everyone. And then finding another person you’re related to! Well, how exciting is that? In this day and age when everyone moves around all the time and we never know our neighbors anymore, anytime you can make a family connection with someone you never even knew existed is wonderful. But you already knew that didn’t you? That’s why you’re doing all this research in the first place. To make that connection.

It’s easier now than ever before to trace your family tree. Not only is the world a much smaller place now but we have all of this technology like DNA testing and the Internet to help us out. Use DNA to back up your genealogy research and keep that family tree growing.

While researching your ancestry, DNA testing can’t provide you with your entire family history but it can tell you if two people are related or descended from the same ancestor and if you are related to others who share the same surname. It can also help you prove or disprove your research and provide clues about your ethnic origin.

The knowledge that you can gain from DNA research into your family history typically falls into one of three historical categories and each offers different insights into your genetic makeup and historical origins. The first is the modern era which falls from the present time back to around 1500 AD. During this time span documented records where kept as fathers passed surnames down to their children. This will be the easiest time frame for you to research simply because people were beginning to keep accurate records.

You can conduct your research for your family tree online and at libraries, town halls, churches, archives, etc. But your best source of information may just be in your own home. Check attics and basements and old desks that may have documents tucked into the drawers. Ask your relatives to do the same. Look for things like marriage, birth and death certificates, service records, insurance papers, even stacks of old personal and love letters can contain valuable information about your lineage.

Once you’ve determined that you may share a common ancestry, DNA testing can be used to either prove or disprove your research findings. But be warned. Many people have had DNA testing performed and been surprised at the results they’ve received. Most DNA testing providers will warn you beforehand that the information you receive may be life altering.

The second time frame that your research will take you to is the time back from the fifteen century, the time of the classical writers and the Roman occupation of Britain. Your DNA test results may reveal that you’re of Scandinavian descent or that your tribe followed Ghengis Khan across Europe. It will be much more difficult to find information from this era simply because there was no organized record keeping but wouldn’t it be fun to know that your ancestors once roamed the Mongolian Steppes.

And of course the third time frame you’ll come to in your research lies even earlier still, well beyond the scope of either your research into your ancestry, DNA results and even family stories. But with the results you’ll be better able to imagine your ancestors sailing down the Nile with Cleopatra.