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The decoding of the human genome precipitated a change of paradigms in genetics analysis, from an emphasis on genetic similarity to a concentrate on molecular-level variations amongst men and women and groups. This shift from lumping to splitting spurred ongoing disagreements among scholars about the significance of `race' and ethnicity in the genetics era.

Heritable surnames are hugely diverse cultural markers of co-ancestry in human populations. A patrilineal surname is inherited in the identical way as the non-recombining region of the Y chromosome and there ought to, therefore, be a correlation between the two. Research of Y haplotypes within surnames, mainly of the British Isles, reveal high levels of co-ancestry amongst surname cohorts and the influence of confounding factors, such as multiple founders for names, non-paternities and genetic drift. Combining molecular genetics and surname evaluation illuminates population structure and history, has potential applications in forensic studies and, in the kind of ‘genetic genealogy’, is an area of swiftly expanding interest for the public.

The expectations and causes for taking the test vary. For some, the genetic ancestry testing allows them to reconnect with African ancestors soon after centuries of slavery wiped out hyperlinks between African-Americans and their forebears. Other individuals want to see if they have hyperlinks to historical figures like Genghis Khan or Marie Antoinette. For still other people, it is an attempt to fill gaps in family histories and discover distant cousins they may not otherwise have identified.

HERE’S how the test works: A customer swabs his or her cheeks and gums, collects microscopic tissue samples and sends them to a laboratory. The lab extracts and digitizes the DNA and sends the results back to the businesses. Using computer software, the firms attempt to determine matches between the customer’s DNA and those in their databases. The test, which fees $one hundred to $900, normally comes in two forms. One particular test analyzes mitochondrial DNA, which reveals information only about a person’s maternal line, traced back through the mother’s mother to other female forebears (but not the males, since mitochondrial DNA is passed to all kids only from their mothers).

The second test appears at the Y chromosome, which can supply clues only about a customer’s paternal line so only guys can take the Y-chromosome test.

The companies also provided technical assistance to recognize the results, and I spent considerable time attempting to make sense of them. I learned a lot about how they reached conclusions, but not significantly about exactly where I or my ancestors ultimately came from. What this all means is that you can not take one of these tests and go off and say you’re this or that. Somewhere down the road, the outcomes could adjust and you might have another group of people who may possibly also be your genetic cousins. dna testing for ethnicity