Did you ever wonder about your most ancient ancestors?

That’s the big question that can be answered by THE GENOGRAPHIC PROJECT, a result of a five-year effort by National Geographic, IBM, Waitt Family Foundation and geneticist Dr. Spencer Wells. I never knew such a project exists until today when I read about it at the December 2007 issue of National Geographic magazine. I get curious again , and here are what I get so far.

The Genographic Project is an exciting exploration of your personal genetic background. But it also has a broader mission. If you choose to anonymously contribute your genetic results to the project database you’ll participate on a global scale—and help further define the vast scope of the human genetic journey (nationalgeographic.com).

THE UPDATES

I’m very interested in the project and wanted to know the results they have found so far. They have patterned the journey of our common African ancestor who lived 60,000 years ago. The mapping is presented in a beautiful interactive multimedia atlas. Click here to see the atlas, or here to read articles about the latest project news.

FINDING OUT YOUR OWN GENETIC JOURNEY

Now we can trace back our ancestors by doing test with a Genographic Project Public Participation Kit purchased at the Genographic Project Official website. We just have to swab our cheek and secure the swabs inside the transport tubes provided in the kit and mail the tubes off to the lab using the supplied envelope. It’s that simple, and guaranteed anonymous! Your results will be ready in about 8 weeks.

 

Price: $99.95 (plus shipping and handling)

The kit includes the following elements:

• Buccal swab kit
• Multimedia DVD
• Exclusive National Geographic Genographic Map
• “Quick Start” card
• Genographic Project Brochure
• Self-addressed envelope
• Confidential Genographic Project ID Number (GPID)

WHAT TO EXPECT

Your results will reveal your deep ancestry along a single line of direct descent (paternal or maternal) and show the migration paths they followed thousands of years ago. Your results will also place you on a particular branch of the human family tree. Some anthropological stories are more detailed than others, depending upon the lineage you belong to. For example, if you are of African descent, your results will show the initial movements of your ancestors on the African continent, but will not reflect most of the migrations that have occurred within the past 10,000 years. Your individual results may confirm your expectations of what you believe your deep ancestry to be, or you may be surprised to learn a new story about your genetic background.You will not receive a percentage breakdown of your genetic background by ethnicity, race, or geographic origin. Nor will you receive confirmation of an association with a particular tribe or ethnic group.Furthermore, this is not a genealogy study. You will not learn about your great-grandparents or other recent relatives, and your DNA trail will not necessarily lead to your present-day location. Rather, your results will reveal the anthropological story of your direct maternal or paternal ancestors—where they lived and how they migrated around the world many thousands of years ago.

IT’S A REAL TIME RESEARCH PROJECT

Your initial results are just the beginning. They are based on current science and may become more detailed and refined as the ongoing field research yields new information. Be sure to visit the “GENOGRAPHIC PROJECT” web site often to follow along as they post new findings and automatically update your results. Just remember not to lose your Confidential Genographic Project ID Number (GPID). Since you’ll need to enter your GPID at the website when you want to see the update of your result.

For more detail information, go to The Genographic Project official Web site.