When I began my genealogical research, I began in Tennessee and South Carolina with Southern American folk. I never imagined I'd run into anything quite like I did with the Norwood line, a well documented family of knights and English land owners that I became fascinated and fell in love with. I trace my lineage to the Norwoods via my 5th great grandmother, Elizabeth Norwood. She married George Yarbrough and they were the great grandparents of Alexander Yarbrough, my third great grandfather.
In researching this branch of my family, their heraldry factors prominently into the pieces of their history that still remain. Eventually, I wanted to recreate an image of their heraldry and in doing so, began to research it more specifically.
Although I began researching the Norwood de Sheppey heraldry, I quickly ascertained that there is no such thing as a family coat of arms. [11] Instead, each individual family member achieves their own heraldry that is specific to them and their accomplishments. Thus, this wound up being a journey through the history of the Norwood Heraldry.
Showing posts with label ancient ancestry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ancient ancestry. Show all posts
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
DNA Test Results - Neanderthals and Mitochondrial Eve
The thing that interested me in genealogy to begin with was this desire to know who I am, what I'm made of and where I came from. I started with this really general research into the origins of humans, which ended with 'humans migrated to various places across the earth at various times'. Then I picked up about 700 years ago in Europe with my earliest known ancestors with genealogy. Between the two - 700 years ago and a few hundred thousand years ago was this really big gap of ... "Eh, Who Knows?!"
So, one of the most compelling reasons I wanted to get my DNA tested was to find out what my mitochondrial Haplogroup is - and, in turn, to have some idea of how my ancient ancestors migrated across the earth's surface, and in turn, what their lifestyles were like. Its one thing to know, in general, that some male and female somewhere got together to have babies, who had babies etc and that's how our species came to be - but something else entirely to know where my ancestors specifically, fit into the advent of agriculture or the use of iron or how they helped carry their culture from one place to another.
I got my dna analyzed via 23andme.com. They do two forms of analysis that was applicable to this particular research into myself. They will tell you how much of your DNA is neanderthal as well as what your maternal haplogroup is.
Neanderthals were these humanoid folks that were really closely related (although not ancestors) to modern humans. We are Homo Sapien Sapiens, they were Homo Sapien Neanderthalensis (or Homo Neanderthalensis). We have tons of neanderthal fossils. And by 'we', I mean scientists that know what to do with such things. Not too terribly long ago - only a few years - it was discovered that modern humans have a touch of neanderthal DNA in them.
I will say that there seems to be quite a bit of dissention over how that DNA got into us humans. Some say hey maybe only the males of one species were able to mate with the females of the other and only the female offspring survived. Some say, if it happened, it was rare. And some insist it never happened and instead, the Neanderthal DNA that we have in us is actually the DNA from a third, common ancestor.
At any rate, only this year, the first fossils thought to be a hybrid of neanderthal and modern human was found. Cusp of science and whatnot and 23andme is able to analyze for it. So the first cool thing I found out is that I have 2.8% Neanderthal DNA. By whatever means neanderthal DNA made it into my DNA, I can now reasonably explain my eating habits and my son's bedroom.
But even cooler was to discover that my mitochondrial haplogroup is T2f1. Ta da! Exciting, right? Those four characters tell me how my ancient ancestors migrated across the earth so that I, Carrie, wound up here, where I am. You know exactly what those four characters mean. Right? Hah. Neither do I. I'm still piecing together my specific history - but in the mean time, here is some stuff about Mitochondrial Haplogroup where it intersects with ancient history.
So, one of the most compelling reasons I wanted to get my DNA tested was to find out what my mitochondrial Haplogroup is - and, in turn, to have some idea of how my ancient ancestors migrated across the earth's surface, and in turn, what their lifestyles were like. Its one thing to know, in general, that some male and female somewhere got together to have babies, who had babies etc and that's how our species came to be - but something else entirely to know where my ancestors specifically, fit into the advent of agriculture or the use of iron or how they helped carry their culture from one place to another.
I got my dna analyzed via 23andme.com. They do two forms of analysis that was applicable to this particular research into myself. They will tell you how much of your DNA is neanderthal as well as what your maternal haplogroup is.
Neanderthals were these humanoid folks that were really closely related (although not ancestors) to modern humans. We are Homo Sapien Sapiens, they were Homo Sapien Neanderthalensis (or Homo Neanderthalensis). We have tons of neanderthal fossils. And by 'we', I mean scientists that know what to do with such things. Not too terribly long ago - only a few years - it was discovered that modern humans have a touch of neanderthal DNA in them.
I will say that there seems to be quite a bit of dissention over how that DNA got into us humans. Some say hey maybe only the males of one species were able to mate with the females of the other and only the female offspring survived. Some say, if it happened, it was rare. And some insist it never happened and instead, the Neanderthal DNA that we have in us is actually the DNA from a third, common ancestor.
At any rate, only this year, the first fossils thought to be a hybrid of neanderthal and modern human was found. Cusp of science and whatnot and 23andme is able to analyze for it. So the first cool thing I found out is that I have 2.8% Neanderthal DNA. By whatever means neanderthal DNA made it into my DNA, I can now reasonably explain my eating habits and my son's bedroom.
But even cooler was to discover that my mitochondrial haplogroup is T2f1. Ta da! Exciting, right? Those four characters tell me how my ancient ancestors migrated across the earth so that I, Carrie, wound up here, where I am. You know exactly what those four characters mean. Right? Hah. Neither do I. I'm still piecing together my specific history - but in the mean time, here is some stuff about Mitochondrial Haplogroup where it intersects with ancient history.
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