Three Suns by Marilynne Eichinger
Mystery surrounds us; in our environment, with relationships, and within our bodies. Seeking…. we sometimes find ourselves.
My Mysterious DNA
Twice over the past several years I have had DNA tests. The first time was after my daughter asked me to find out if I had a gene that made me vulnerable to breast cancer. Though it cost a bundle, she was so insistent that I decided to take the test.
I went into the geneticist’s office and was greeted by a young man who carefully explained why my background might lead to a positive result. He discussed the odds, wanting to make sure that I understood limitations of the study, and my options. After having my blood drawn there was a waiting period during which I was nervous. Since results could not be given on the phone, I had to subject my self once more to an explanation of possibilities before he presented the findings. His wordiness only added to my feelings of angst. ‘Why was he talking so much?’ In the end the results were negative. I did not carry the gene for cancer that concerned my daughter and her doctor.
The second DNA test was a holiday gift from my partner Ray. He paid for my participation in the National Geographic Genome Study. I would be one among thousands of people tracking their ancient ancestors out of Africa. Since all human-kind is thought to have originated in East Africa approximately 180,000 to 200,000 years ago, DNA stories start there and continue by identifying paths traveled by various tribes as they moved thru North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe.
When studying an individual’s DNA, scientists look for certain genetic markers that result from occasional mutations. Because these variations are passed on to the next generation they become the new line to follow. Markers enable geneticists to plot the evolutionary trail of a particular family, and in my case, identify when my ancestors changed from hunter gatherers to farmers.
It was not long before a kit of cotton swabs arrived with instructions to rub them on the inside of my mouth before placing them in an envelope to be returned for analysis. The promised waiting period of six weeks dragged on for three months before my curiosity could be satisfied, but while I waited the researchers did make it easy to follow their progress online. Finally a notice arrived on my computer that the information was in hand and I could discover my story.
I learned that my family traveled through the Mid-East, stopping in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. My ancestors then went north through eastern Europe, eventually heading towards England. The most fascinating part, though, was to discover that I had minuscule amount of Neanderthal genes in my DNA. This information was certainly up-to date-science, because it has only been a short time since scientists realized that intermingling of Homo sapiens with Neanderthals in the Mediterranean area less than 100,000 years ago. About 2% of most people who descend from Europeans, Asians and other non-Africans is Neanderthal. In an article in Science and Nature last year geneticists speculates that cross-breeding my ave given humans genes that enabled them to live in cooler climates, but they also may have had increased fertility problems.
Ray also had his DNA analyzed, and his results tell a completely different and more thorough story. Because he has an XY chromosome both the female and male ancestors could be analyzed. My tests could only delve into the XX chromosomes that follow the female line. Some of Ray’s ancestors had traveled to Spain, intermarried with the Jewish population and remained there for about 5000 years before moving on. Part of his family went north through Eastern Europe while other traveled through Asia to Micro Oceana (Taiwan, Hawaii).
As a totem pole carver he has always been interested in documenting his native connections and now suspects that he probably has closer ties to Kennewick man than to the Clovis people who traveled in later years through the Bering Straits. This hypothesis can not be confirmed, however, because there DNA testing on Kennewick man is tied up in court battles though non-invasive bone analysis has occurred and Ray looks exactly like an artist’s rendition of what Kennewick man might have looked like. We suspect that Ray’s relatives arrived from Asia about ten to fifteen thousand years ago. It was thousands of years later that east met west, and his Asian ancestors intermingled with European pioneers who settled in Washington.
Anthropologists suggest a northern branch of Eurasians traveled an ice bridge connecting the islands of the Bering Strait, traveling as far south as Chile, 1000 years before the Clovis people arrived. Other scientists believe there were early migrations from Europe to eastern North America. There are still many unanswered questions. But as scientists continue to look for genetic markers, gaps in our understanding will get filled in to more accurately connect recent history with the distant past.
Many exciting developments have resulted from the human genome study. Fields such as forensics, pharmaceuticals, medicine, and agricultural have been impacted. Biology is the new frontier, undergoing major changes since I was in high school studying peas. It certainly is a field to pay attention to.
All art work is for sale: Go to www.eichingerfineart.com to learn more.
For More Information go to:
http://www.nature.com/news/modern-human-genomes-reveal-our-inner-neanderthal-1.14615; About interbreeding of Neanderthal and Homo Sapiens.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/10/23/world/science-health-world/oldest-homo-sapiens-dna-contains-traces-of-neanderthal-genes-suggests-migration-into-asia-60000-years-ago/#.VLXekIs9ei4: about Shomo Sapiens in Asia with traces of Neanderthal genes.http://
www.nature.com/news/ancient-migration-coming-to-america-1.10562 : Arrival of Clovis people verses earlier migrations.
