Sometimes history provides us with a situation that is just too outlandish to be false, like this one on mDNA testing for genealogy by using ancient ponytails! In these lucky, true-to-life conditions, clues to help us unravel genealogical mysteries and tell our own crazy stories might just be found.
English Mutineers Create Endogamous Population
By Trailer screenshot (Mutiny on the Bounty trailer) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
And when I say tiny, I mean tiny. 1.75 square miles tiny.
But considering that 9 English mutineers, their Tahitian brides, and a couple Tahitian men were the founding population for this island, it provides an amazing genetic and genealogical view into endogamous populations.
The Proof is in the Pigtails
This fascinating tale is about to get richer, as ten pigtails of hair claiming to be from some of the original mutineers and their wives, have recently been acquired by the Pacific Union College’s (PUC) Pitcairn Islands Study Center in California. The King’s College London has contracted them to perform DNA testing.
Pay close attention to this next part: Researchers are going to conduct DNA testing on the hair samples. But this does not mean you are going to be able to test the locks of hair stowed away from one of your ancestors!
Why, you ask?
First barrier: Cost. This process of trying to extract DNA from a hair sample, especially a very, very old hair sample is meticulous work. It will cost the average consumer a pretty penny. And, you may not be able to find a DNA testing company who wants to do it for you. All major genetic genealogy companies will just flat out tell you “no.” Most paternity testing companies will require your hair has the root attached. In fact, in my quick search, I can’t even find one DNA testing company that will attempt to get DNA from your lock of hair.
Second barrier: Results. Even if you could get a lab to extract the DNA for you, the only available DNA type retrieved from a cut piece of hair is mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The mtDNA will trace a direct maternal line. This is opposed to the YDNA that traces a direct paternal line and the autosomal DNA which traces both sides of your family tree. Even if they do get mtDNA from your sample, it is likely to be damaged and incomplete. Therefore, the best you will likely get is an assessment of your deep ancestral origins.
For you, that might not be quite enough to determine and document your family history. But for those interested in verifying this story of mutineers settling in the Pitcairn islands, it might be.
Will it Work?
If they do get mtDNA from the 10 pigtails, they will get 10 mtDNA lineages represented. Those stemming from the mutineers should have their deep origins in Europe, while their Tahitian brides will have a very different mtDNA signature. Likewise, if an mtDNA signature can be obtained, then the mtDNA of those still living in Pitcairn and nearby Norfolk (where many went in 1857) should match these pigtails. If it does, they can measure how many of the current residents are directly maternally related. Of course, in order to truly verify the claims, some serious genealogy work must be completed.
I will be watching this story closely over the next few months as research progresses. If successful, this will be another victory for the rarely celebrated mtDNA. This study shows that if your goals are understanding deep heritage, or testing out a particular hypothesis on your maternal line, mtDNA can be a useful option.
While the DNA studies you read about in the paper won’t always be something you can learn from, others are. Take for example the stories I shared several months ago on the Genealogy Gems podcast and blog about DNA confirming the love affair of President Warren G. Harding and the story of how experts proved it was King Richard III buried under that parking lot. You can definitely learn about using DNA for genealogy from these very public examples!
More on mDNA Testing for Genealogy
When to Do an mDNA Test for Genealogy
mDNA Quick Guide for Genealogists by Diahan Southard
Hi,
I have my grandmother’s hair that has been stored in a box. She died in 1942 before I was born or for that matter, before my mother even married. For some reason my mother could not part with the round box of hair. It turns out that my hair was the same color as a child. Maybe that is why she kept it. My mother has been dead for over twenty years herself and I am the oldest generation. I have had my DNA tested at both Ancestry and 23andMe, but it would be nice if I could get the DNA from my grandmother’s hair. She died young of Cancer of the Cervix. My mother died of a Pulmonary Embolism after traveling over to England in 1992. By 1998, I had had DVT three times, once when I was pregnant. I got tested for Factor V Leiden, it was being researched at UNC here in Raleigh in 1998, and I tested Positive for Factor V Leidon. I had my two children tested and my son was also positive for Factor V Leidon, so now I know it runs in the family. My son and I will be on blood thinner for the rest of our lives.
It would be interesting to find out which family line Factor V Leiden come from. I suspect the line of the Grandmother that I started this note talking about with the hair in a box. I guess until they can test this hair for a reasonable cost, I will never know where this mutation came into my family history. Thought you might find my story interesting.
RaeAnne Kenderdine Lollar
Raleigh, NC
PS. Hope to see you at the NGS Conference in May in Raleigh, NC
RaeAnne,
Thanks for sharing your story! I agree that tracing your health history is an important and interesting part of your family history.
Please do stop by my booth (right next door to the Genealogy Gems booth!) at NGS. See you there!