family tree dna

EVOLUTION: Building the Tree of Life Genome by Genome

Via: Science Phylogenetic studies have gone 'omic. Whereas researchers used to be satisfied comparing one gene, or a few, to sort out the branching of the tree of life, the push now among those building phylogenies is to consider whole genomes--at the very least, dozens of genes and thousands of DNA bases--in establishing kinships among flora and fauna. In this way, evolutionary biology is joining the bandwagon of data-intensive studies pioneered by genomics. Thanks to one such phylogenomic an read

So where did birds come from - and where are they going?

There’s an interesting article doing the rounds at the moment that looks at the early history of bird evolution and speciation by studying avian genetics. Simply put (which is the only way most of us CAN put it, I suspect) geneticists have analysed the make-up of specific slices of DNA from 169 species and then compared the slices with each other. They have then recorded how closely the components that make up the slices match each other (or differ from each other) and have drawn some (or, ‘dra read

The future is now: Encouraging younger genealogists

Some of today's most well-known genealogists got hooked on family history research as young students in elementary or junior high school. They have translated this passion and acquired skill into contemporary research that in many cases has benefited international researchers.Very young when they caught the genealogy bug, people like Steve Morse (One Step fame), Bennett Greenspan (Family Tree DNA read

Genea-Jamboree: Day 1

BURBANK, Calif.--The 39th Annual Southern California Genealogical Jamboree got underway this morning at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel. The Jamboree began with a class on "Beginning Genealogy," which for reasons I noted last night I did not attend. More about what I did instead later. I went downstairs about 12:15 PM and spotted Randy Seaver at the check-in desk. We chatted for a few minutes, and then went off in different directions. We would meet up again later. The hotel is under recon read

Revising HIV's History

Via: Science The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) responsible for most of the AIDS cases in the world infected people approximately 100 years ago, more than 20 years earlier than previously believed, according to findings presented here this week at the Evolution 2008 meeting. Its lesser known cousin, HIV-2, jumped into humans decades later, from a monkey species that carried the virus for just a couple of hundred years, not the millions of years researchers had assumed, according to othe read