Benny on July 15th, 2010

A combination of genetics and archaeology has helped scientists identify 94 of 250 soldiers buried in a mass grave in France
See Story at new Scientist

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With the first UK ‘walk-in’ DNA Testing facility now open, DNA Diagnostic Centre UK confirms large numbers of families are being re-united through DNA immigration testing services.

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Benny on July 7th, 2010

A DNA test could pinpoint the roots of a persons family to within a few miles, according to a new study.Edinburgh University experts found genetic testing can detect the origins of people from a rural area to within five miles of their family home.
via BBC News – DNA test to help find family roots.

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Benny on June 24th, 2010

Want to know more about your genetic roots? Then you are not alone.   Most tests trace your maternal and paternal lines, by examining genetic markers on the mitochondrial DNA, which is passed from mother to child, or on the Y chromosome, passed from father to son. Like the roots of a tree, however, your genetic [...]

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Benny on March 22nd, 2010

The blueprint for life is not all about genes. Now we are finally pinning down how much differences in non-coding DNA – stretches of the molecule that dont produce proteins and used to be considered “junk” – shape who we are.
via Junk DNA gets credit for making us who we are – life – 19 [...]

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Benny on March 17th, 2010

Yesterday, 93-year-old Yarram resident Marjorie Whitford smiled joyously when told that her DNA sample has confirmed the identity of her uncle, Private Harry Willis.  Pvt Harris is one of the 75 of  the lost Diggers of Fromelles that will have a name, a headstone – and a family to grieve his passing.
All 249 lay together under [...]

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Benny on December 16th, 2005

Scientists believe that studying the humble zebrafish may have helped solve the mystery of human skin colour.

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Benny on December 15th, 2005

In the BBC news today, scientists have discovered that this wonderful island of ours (no, no, not the Seychelles) was peopled some 200,000 earlier than previously thought. It brought a smile to my face when I thought that if it were possible to trace your family to the earlier days, you would now be facing another long haul!

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Benny on December 10th, 2005

If you do not want to shake any family skeletons out of the cupboard, don’t do genealogy and certainly do not do genetic genealogy.

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Benny on December 9th, 2005

This news story on the BBC site is one that I am afraid of. Depite the fact that yDNA cannot be used to identify individuals, it is storieds like this that will make it difficult to convince people to have their DNA tested for the WRYEllis yDNA study.

Continue reading about NEWS – Boy tracks his sperm donor father