Who Am I?

WHO AM I?

DNA Helix Model

We are told our unique DNA is made up of RNA and consists of 46 pairs of chromosomes. 22 pairs of non-sex pairs and 2 pairs of sex determining. Females care two X chromosomes, while males carry both an X and a Y chromosome. It is the chromosomes contributed by your father that determined whether you were a boy or a girl when you were conceived.

When we decide to utilize our DNA to try to locate our family ancestors, it is these unique chromosomes, broken down even further into haplogroups, and many other sub-level groups, that determine the "markers" that are looked at to determine if one person is related to another or not. Much like we determine if one person is a parent of a child by a blood test, but with more accuracy.

In looking at our haplogroups we are able to best determine where our ancestors most probably came from.

Of course, none of these tests are 100% accurate, but they can be quite close!

In my own DNA study, we studied only the paternal line of family. It has the closest of the brick walls for us. We originally tested back in 2007. And we felt confident that a close relative would come about through testing, as our family is documented back to 1792 in America.

This has not been the case. Doing a paternal DNA study (known as a Y-DNA test, as only the paternal line carries the Y chromosome). We felt so certain. However, no results have matched us, in our over 10-year quest, except close 2nd or 3rd cousins, whom we already knew. (At least we knew the milkman wasn't involved with any maternal ancestors back to our known point! But I jest here.)

When a complete study has been performed for one of our known cousins, over 1,000 matches have been made.  But this is matching both Y-DNA and Mt-DNA (maternal).

We have had several matches with 12-markers and 24 markers. But these make the common ancestor back anywhere from 250-2000 years ago! No where near to where we can match up common ancestry.

It's the 67-marker golden ticket that we are searching for. I was so hoping we would find this match. But as each year passes, and we have no matches, I am becoming more and more frustrated. It is almost as if we were dropped here from an alien spacecraft, or something! (No, I am NOT serious, so please, no emails telling me we are NOT aliens!)

I am still holding out for that golden ticket! I am not so old that I can't continue to search daily in my in-box for a perfect match somewhere!  And someday, I just know it will come!