Finding Your Ancient Sources--Cool Stuff

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Many of us who have tested our DNA have done so to satisfy our curiosity about our ethnic origins or to find unknown or elusive relatives.  Some of us learned a little about our ancient origins based on our ethnicity, depending upon the company with which we had tested.

People who have gone further in their genetic genealogy study have had their Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA tested.  Usually these tests are used to confirm surname lineage in the case of Y-DNA or maternal lineage through mtDNA.  One outcome is learning one's haplogroup, either Y-DNA or mtDNA, and they are different!

Judy G. Russell, the Legal Genealogist, posted this:  "Rob Spencer is a scientist who’s developed a set of tools for use with DNA results — visualizing some of our genetic genealogy.

"He calls his website, Tracking Back, a place “for genetic genealogy tools, experimentation, and discussion.” And he offers a lot — to think about, and to play with.

"One tool in particular is really neat for seeing the historical track of our ancestors from the dawn of time forward to modern times. And all we need to use it is our haplogroup — our position on the human family tree that we get from YDNA testing (if male) or mtDNA testing (if female or male, since we all inherit our mitochondrial DNA from our mothers)."[1]


Route of H3g3, mtDNA  Haplogroup of MaryLynn Strickland


By entering my mtDNA haplogroup, I found the ancient path my ancestors most likely followed from thousands of years ago.  And it is probably different from the path taken by my modern neighbors.  While the map is impressive, there are more features and tools that make this free site more fun and infinitely educational.


At the Tracking Back homepage, http://scaledinnovation.com/gg/gg.html?nm=tools, choose Tools, then SNP Tracker >  Discussion.  This will take you to instructions for using all the features available with the tracker.





Follow the animated man as he marches through thousands of years on his path to your modern day group.  Along the way you will see event and ancient DNA locations noted on the map.


The animated man follows the ancient path of a Haplogroup with the ages counting down as he moves.


The SNP Tracker is only one tool available; there are many others to explore.  And, the tools are only one part of this website; there are Research Reports for those rainy afternoons when you have time to concentrate.


I agree with Judy, this is cool stuff!


I hope people will look forward to using this site for a deeper understanding of genetic genealogy and population genetics.  Please post comments about your discoveries.



MaryLynn Strickland

[1]Judy G. Russell, “Tracking back…,” The Legal Genealogist (https://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog : posted 1 August 2021).



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