Victoria,
I can only speak for myself and the test I took, which was a straight maternal line test. Another female cousin from my mothers generation also took the test. My test showed that our female ancestor came from North Africa over the Iberian Peninsula and probably entered Spain (where some of my DNA cousins were found). When our cousin who is from my mothers' generation was tested, her test showed that our family were Berbers from North Africa. The one thing about the folks at Family Tree DNA is that they will share their information. They have an excellent website, and referrals to other sites. I am certain it is the same for the researchers at Howard University. My brother and cousins took their test from Howard University.
My brother took a straight male line test, and the results were not what we expected. Our paternal Grandfather was born in South Carolina, and was orphaned at an early age. The paternal line test my brother took shows that my Grandfathers' people came from the area of South East Asia, into Micronesia, Columbia South America, the Caribbean, and into North America. The part of Africa that this ancestor came from was probably South Africa, where many of the aborigines in Australia came from.
Again, I am only speaking for myself and what I have gained from this experience. Even after taking the test there are questions left unanswered, and you have to do the foot work.
Good Luck!!
Anita
-- Victoria Robinson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
I've been interested in DNA testing for some time. In fact, I will be doing
my own in the coming weeks. I do have one question about when such tests
are compared to determine whether individuals are descended from the same
progenitor[sp?](such as Louis Gates and potential cousins in last week's
African American Lives). My question:
How can one be certain that the individuals being used as the baseline have
an unbroken line to that ancestor? Or does this approach rely on the
concept that biological legitimacy follows legal or presumed paternity?
I was just wondering.
<html><div><P><STRONG>Victoria Robinson</STRONG> <BR><FONT
color=#993399><EM>Ancestors sought: Gant, Potts, Goss, Wynn, Robinson,
Kitchens, Edwards, Chambers, Dancer, Simmons, Jack, etc, etc,
etc</EM></FONT></P>
<P>"The danger to political dissent is acute where the Government attempts
to act under so vague a concept as the power to protect 'domestic
security.' Given the difficulty of defining the domestic security
interest, the danger of abuse in acting to protect that interest becomes
apparent." <BR><EM>-- U.S. Supreme Court, 1972</EM></P></div></html>
>
>Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 05:36:01 -0800
>From: qvarizona <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: DNA Article In USA Today
>
>Until very recently, which genealogist would ever have suspected that it
>might be possible to prove/disprove family history via a simple
>cheek-scrape? Fascinating... and scary, too. Do you suppose we'll all
>need to take a quick course in how to read DNA results?
>
> Joanne
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