RootsTech has just ended. The hot topic? DNA. RootsTech lasted four days with three of those days sponsored by DNA testing companies.
David Nicholson and Hannah Morden, the cofounders of Living DNA, based out of England, stated that the goal of their company is the put together a “Genetic Family Tree.” They highlighted a lady abandoned at youth and did not know who her parents were. This lady had some letters that she believed belonged to her birth father. Living DNA took the DNA found on the stamps on the envelopes of those letters, and through DNA matching was able to find her birth father.
Aaron Godfrey a spokesman for MyHeritage, based out of Israel, mentioned that there is a shift in the genealogical community to genetic genealogy. Godfrey highlighted his address by announcing a Pro bono initiative, DNAQuest.org, to help adoptees find their families. MyHeritage will be giving away 15,000 DNA test kits to those who qualify, and they also have a professional advisory board that specializes in helping adoptees find their families.
Ken Chahine stated that through Ancestry’s DNA testing, you can determine the migration patterns and the place where your ancestors originated. Those with slave ancestors find this helpful as it pinpoints the place in Africa their ancestors originated. There are seven million people with their DNA in Ancestry’s database, and they have 140 million common ancestors, and these ancestors have been broken down to being from 350 global regions. Chahine predicted that soon they would be able to determine which port your ancestor immigrated to and give you a sketch of your ancestor’s appearance.
The concluding keynote speaker at RootsTech 2018 was Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Dr. Gates has a TV series, Finding Your Roots. He uses traditional genealogical research methods with genetics to help people find their ancestors. Dr. Gates stated that from his experience with using family history and genetics that he has found a way to bring people together and help people see their commonalities, rejoice in their difference and become united. Dr. Gates feels this is what our country needs to heal itself from the great division that is occurring. Dr. Gates feels so strong about this that he has created a curriculum for middle schoolers that will combine genealogy with DNA to help students find out who they are and what they have in common.
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