I'm not to sure if that would be a very precise test.... I dont think with genetic markers and with the codons they can actually tell that to much, I would have to read up on my cell bio again to find out... my mom did a family tree a few years ago...traced it back all they way down to the 1500's.... I'm proud to say that I'm.... English, Spanish, French, Irish, Mexican, German, Jewish, Bask, and not sure on a few others.....

You have all those in you but you are mostly what? Which box do you tick on hospital forms etc when it asks your ethinicity?

Ive read up on the internet about it and talked to one person who advised me to do it. But im not bothered about all the background stuff like how far back his dads side goes, I just want to know the most recent races....if thats the right way to say it.

From the websites it looks precise since they use your dna. I think it will be worth it because it will be important for him to know about his roots when hes older. And like when anyone comments about his skin being tanned or whatever he will know the answers. He might even want to look into those countries and their cultures, then again he might not care at all. I would like to be able to answer the question for him when hes older though, and right now I only have a vague idea.

I'm half Mexican (my mom, she is pretty light skinned by the way cuz of all the Spanish blood in her), 1/4 German and the rest is a mix... I usually check white (Hispanics are under this catagorization if done by means of color) Sometimes I will check Caucasian and check Hispanic.... let them have to sort that out.... I am fair skinned, but when I go out in the sun I dont burn (unless out there for hours and hours and hours) I just get a nice golden color... alot of ppl get mad... cuz they have to pay for a tan like this...lol


Edit: on that test... do some research on it... I recommend asking someone who is not involved in the testing. I am pretty sure it would be pretty hard to nail what someone is by that... I would see if a local university or college has a genetics or molecular biology field in their biology dept....and ask one of the profs... or even ask a doctor... cuz when I took Cell and Molecular Bio I dont remember anything like that with genetic markers (DNA stuff)....to me it sounds like that internet thing is just a new fad for ppl to tell your family tree/background.

Let me see if I can explain this correctly. DNA can't be used to determine race. There are certain traits that can be linked with certain populations but the genes that determine those traits can't be mapped with DNA tests. Did that make sense. Does you child's father not know his ethnicity?

i agree with K.

There ARE certain phenotypes that are more commonly associated with certain races (i.e., sickle cell is predominantly african american, down syndrome caucasian) but theres no real way to tell since any race can contract any disease.

There is no genetic difference from a white person to a black person. One may have a certain disease, such as sickle cell anemia as Sandra wrote, but there is no genetic marker from blackness. The only way to trace it is to go back through records and trace ancestry

Yup.. just finished reading my Cell Bio book... you 3 are 100% correct... I wasnt 100% sure yet...... but yea..what I said earlier...sounds like a gimmick...or a scam online...

when EVER am i wrong??

never

Biological anthropology does not lie

i love me some Bio.

LUV LUV LUV.

Well yes he does but we have no contact with him.

This is the website for the test. It should be the link to the direct page for "Paternal DNA Ancestry (male) - Y-SNP
Your male heritage and migration patterns"
http://www.dna-worldwide.com/ancestry-test ing/

Are you saying that must be a scam? Ive spoken to 2 people now about it who used the test..or a similar one over in the states and they advised me to do it.

edit-its not the link to the right page, just click on the paternal one, i'll try the link again
http://www.dna-worldwide.com/ancestry-test ing/male-ancestry/male-dna-roots/

You don't want it to be, I see. Please reread my answer, blackcat's answer and sandy's answer. If you really want to know that badly, I would ask him or a relative of his if at all possible.

I could go into a real technical explanation if you all want me to... but the gist of it is... humans, as do all animals share the exact DNA make up... our genes are made up of codons called introns and exons.... there are 3 bases per codon...and different numbers of these make up different genes... genes code for a certain protein that will be produced by. These proteins perform different functions and what not. The only reason the certain races have certain diseases associtated to them is some were down the line when we evolved there was a mutation to a gene, more than likely this happened millions of yrs ago...and it has been passed down.

Basically since all DNA is the same, just the codes are in different orders to code for different things.... so you could get the DNA from a human, bacteria and an insect...put it into a blender and mix if up...and then sort them out... it wont matter if you mix the parts.... as long as the sequences are like the original... you will get your human DNA, bacteria, and insect... and you can put them back into the orginal organism... and it would function fine... even though parts from on organism are inside the other.... its all about the sequence codons within the genes and sequence of the genes....

Are you unable to find out from his family or do you have absolutely no contact at all?

I didnt think it was possible but after reading the websites they say it is, or am I misunderstanding them?

blackcat34 did you look at this link? Can you explain what they are saying they can do?
http://www.dna-worldwide.com/ancestry-test ing/male-ancestry/male-dna-roots/

I do remember there was something about a test to find out what your heritage was years ago probably at least 5 it was for adopted people mostly though. I saw it on 60 minutes 48 hours something like that.

you are misunderstanding it. Once again DNA does not reveal race it only reveals who youre related to. You can never know what race or races your child holds from past generations, unless you ask them personally.

just looked at that site and I Googled Y chromosome DNA testing and what I found was alot of these companies saying the same thing... even found it on Wiki (wiki cant be trusted alot of times).... I didnt find any truely published scientific papers on this....

I would have to say if they tried to track down what I am they would have one heck of a time doing so... what I read and saw I think its a gimmick...