Palma's Place

Genographic Study

This is a really interesting project.  The program tracks participants' genetic history by examining your DNA and tracing back either the male or female history, depending on your sex. 

National Geographic and IBM are leading this landmark anthropological five-year research study to answer the oldest questions we have about ourselves: Who are we and where did we come from? In doing so the project will also create the world's largest survey of DNA samples to map how humankind populated the planet.

The Genographic Project uses sophisticated computer analysis of DNA voluntarily contributed by hundreds of thousands of people—including indigenous and traditional populations and the general public—to reveal man's migratory history and to better understand the connections and differences that make up humankind.  Everything is tracked anonymously.

I volunteered my sample and here are my results.  They trace my paternal line.  You will probably need this ID to view my results: FW**53N3**

The first ** refers to two numerals, which are the result of my birth month, multiplied by 6, when added to 24, so:

first ** = 24 + (birth month * 6) = _ _

The second ** refers to two numerals, which are the result of the day of my birth, multiplied by 3, so:

second ** = birth day * 3 = _ _

good luck figuring this all, give me a call if you need help.

Given the last name of Palma, and a really good family recipe for pesto sauce, its no surprise that the DNA testing shows that my paternal ancestry traces back to Italy.  From there it goes back to the Middle East a 15,000 thousand years ago, and then to the rift valley in Kenya about 50,000 years ago.  My genetic history is rare in Europe, except for Italy and southern Spain.  About one in five men in Sicily have the same gene. 

As far as I have been able to discover, we can trace our family back to orphan who eventually sailed to America from  La Spetzia, in Liguria, south of Genoa to the late 1800s.  La Spetzia was and is a major Seaport, as well as Genoa to the north.  Family lore holds there is no real knowledge about our origin beyond this. So my family history can go anywhere from there, if the orphaned ancestor was the son on a sailor.  He married into the family of a cheese maker and owner of a food processing business.  Supposedly his father-in-law died taking cheese across the Alps to Switzerland, but I think this was just my dad's way of covering up for his own lack of knowledge.  Who knows. 

In the mean time, I am waiting for my mom or sister to have their DNA tested, to see if we really are Irish.  There does not seem to be a good way for our immediate family to test out the Scottish side of our ancestry.

Any ways, check it out.  The testing is just like on CSI, you swab your mouth.  It costs about $100 but its a good cause.