Check out your deep ancestry
BRAAMFONTEIN – You could be related to Nelson Mandela or Shakespeare.
If you would like to know what famous person you are related to through your ancestry, you can have your DNA tested at the Origins Centre.
Through the laboratory and the University of the Witwatersrand’s Origins Centre you can test your ancestry (if your ancestors are European, African, American and so on), and perhaps find out if you share San ancestry with the late Nelson Mandela.
With all of the world population’s roots being in Africa, it comes as no surprise that the San people have the oldest DNA lineage on earth. This according to Rajeshree Mahabeer from the National Health Laboratory Service on genetic ancestry testing.
Mahabeer explained that men are tested for both paternal and mitochondrial DNA lineages, meaning X and Y chromosomes and females are tested for X chromosomes only.
She said that the various patterns, called lineages, of X chromosome DNA sequence variation found in living people, are referred to as haplogroups.
Through finding your genetic ancestry, you can see what famous people you share a haplogroup with. It could be the last royal family of Russia, Mary Antoinette or Mandela.
Not only can we trace people’s ancestry, but according to Dr Ian McKay, who also hosts a presentation during the testing, the reasons for changes in skin colour.
“Skin colour can be explained as an adaptation to the environment,” he said.
McKay explained that exposure to a lot of sunlight means darker skin and exposure to cloudy areas and less sunlight equals lighter skin.
Did you know?
- Humans have 46 chromosomes – 22 pairs of autosomes, and one pair of sex chromosomes (males XY and females XX)
- Humans share almost 99 per cent of their DNA with chimpanzees
- Humans share common ancestors with horses and dinosaurs
- Humans share part of their genetic code with plants and bacteria
- There were two major migrations of humans out of Africa towards Europe and Asia with some migrations back to Africa, where we are all originally from.
The centre runs DNA testing until June. You can contact them for a session with a minimum of 10 people.
Details: Orogins Centre 011 717 4700
