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I loved this project because it actually gives me information that I will use forever and I will tell my children maybe one day who we are. Even though the past couple generations of my family lived in Germany, it doesn’t mean I’m German which was one of the more shocking aspects of this project. But after learning that I am British, Scandinavian, Arabic, and more, it gave me true understanding of who I am which I think is really important for everyone to know. The only drawbacks of this project was that there were no set timeframes, so it became a little scary for myself and others in the class when January came and we only had a couple parts done. I think one thing that should be done differently is that there should maybe be an example project or something to model after (but maybe that’s the challenging part of the project you want to keep). I think Part 8 should maybe be modified because it took my Dad 4 tries to not say anything bad over the recording.

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My story is something that has changed my life and my families because we didn’t know anything about our ancestors and what we thought we knew about our ancestors, turned out to be completely wrong. On my Dad’s side, we are very German and have a lot of German traditions. So when I learned my deep and regional ancestry, I was a little disappointed because it turned out we are not really German at all. I was scared to tell my Dad but I was sure he wanted to know what we really were. It turns out that I am almost half British and Irish, which was a complete shock to my family, but it gave us a cool aspect of our lives that I had no idea I had. This project completely changed my identity because it showed the smaller ancestral components that I had no idea I had. By finding out the smaller ancestral components, I have a more clear view of who I am. For all my life, I thought I was the “basic white guy” whose ancestors came from Europe but after finding my results I know longer feel boring. When you see people of color or people with defining features, usually you would expect them to be more exotic and have a more interesting ancestral history. But even though I am white, I don’t feel like I’m in the “normal category” and I don’t think anyone is for that matter. I believe everyone has their own backstory and ancestral history and one should never feel ashamed for who they are today.

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"We are German 100%" -Dad

"I have no idea what we are because we have ancestors from everywhere but if I had to Guess it would be England" -Mom

"How are we possibly Arabic" -Russell my brother

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The regional component that was most unexpected was that I am 47% British. I knew that I had British roots but what was so unexpected was that I am almost half british and after doing independent research I discovered that my ancestors on my paternal side were leaders of a large Scottish clan and had many traditions. Britain has historically been one of the most powerful regions ever and has done so much even though it’s a pretty underwhelming region in terms of size. These regions were populated by the Celts, which my ancestors have ties to, and were also controlled by the Roman Empire for a period of time. But it was the Britain’s global empire in the 18th and 19th century that they were most famous for. Britain was the leader in global expansion during that time and there most influential expansion was to the Americas. The colonized the Americas which is how our country was founded. Great Britain today has been in the headlines a lot. In 2016 alone, “Brexit” was one of the most talked about topics in the news in one the most eventful year of my lifetime. “Brexit” was arguably one the top events of the year behind the 2016 Presidential Election and the Olympics. Great Britain has been one of the most successful Olympic teams and they are third behind the United States and the Soviet Union in all time medal count. One attribute that interests and connects to my life is how much Great Britain explored. Great Britain was not the first to discover the Americas but once they got to the Americas, they did not stop looking for more land. This mentality of exploring undiscovered land is something that I see in my life today. When driving my car, I refuse to use directions. All I use is a compass to guide me and landmarks. This is something that seems insignificant but i’ve always had a thrill for discovery just like the British Empire when discovering the Americas. The other attribute I see in my daily life is my tendency to be in a “clan”. Similar to the Henderson Clan my ancestors were apart of, I have a small group of people that I trust and consider to be apart of my own clan. I can rely on my clan, which includes family members, teammates, and some close friends. When it comes to being on a team, you have to have that clan mentality because you need to trust one another and you need to do your part for the clan’s overall success. The third attribute I share with my Scottish ancestors is the value of tradition. The Henderson Clan had their own flannel pattern that was different from other clans. Everyone in the wore the Henderson flannel pattern because it was the tradition and the way to honor your family. I have the traditional Henderson kilt but the more exciting piece of clothing I have is a flannel button down that my family found that matched the Henderson kilt pattern. I feel honored to wear the flannel because it holds so much significance to my family history. Similar to the traditional kilt pattern worn by my family is the colors worn by our school, the colors worn by the Washington Capitals, and the Washington Redskins. When I walk out on the field or step onto the ice, I am representing the school and everyone who have ever attended Potomac by wearing the Potomac colors. When I go to Washington sporting events I wear the jersey of my favorite player or favorite team and I root for them because they are the ones that represent our city and I strongly believe in that attribute that is carried on from my ancestors.

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Great Britain and Ireland:

Great Britain and Ireland is 47% of my regional ancestry and it is not surprising due to my paternal side having a lot of history in Scotland and Ireland. Britain, at one point, was uninhabitable and to icey for people to live there. But as the ice sheets moved back, settlers initially survived on fishing and then became able to farm. Today, this ancestral component is seen in people who live in the United States, Canada, Australia, and most of the British colonies. This is not surprising due to the large influence Britain had settling the Americas and claiming it as British colonies.

Scandinavia:

Scandinavia represents 40% of my regional ancestry. This region of Europe was the last part to be settled due to the cold climate harder living conditions. Similar to Britain, the settlers initially had to hunt, gather, and fish to survive before farming was possible. Scandinavia’s is most known today as being the home of the Vikings who were sometimes peaceful but most often violent with their neighbors in Great Britain.

Arabia:

Arabia only makes up 5% of my regional ancestry. My ancestors lived in Arabia for a long time after migrating from Africa. They were apart of one of the first groups to successfully leave Africa and survive but instead of continuing North into the Eurasian Landmass, they stayed in Arabia. Arabia was one of the first places to have plant domestication probably due to its warm climate, and they had some of the first and oldest buildings in the world. Arabia is also the first known region to have evidence of writing and functional civilizations (this was probably the work of my ancestors). Arabia had large amounts of continuous movement due to it being the only solid pathway out of Africa. Today, this regional ancestry is most found in people in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, Yemen, and all the other middle eastern countries surrounding it. But because of Arabia’s location geographically, this component is found in a wide range of countries.

Southern Europe:

Southern Europe only makes up a mere 3% of my regional ancestry. This region goes along the shore of the Mediterranean Coast and is mostly in present day Italy. Southern Europe used to be a huge trading region and it was most likely due to the influence of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire’s influence is seen all over western culture mostly in architecture (most of DC’s buildings are modeled after Roman Architecture) and in government (the US government is modeled after the Roman Empires). Today, this ancestral component is found in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Greece. People with French, British, and Northern African ancestry are also connected to this component including people with Hispanic-American ancestry.

Asia Minor:

The border regions that split southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia is called Asia Minor and it builds up only 3% of my regional ancestry. This was one of the earliest destinations for migrants who left Africa 60,000 years ago and my ancestors lived in Asia Minor for the majority of human existence. This component can be found in people who live in Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and the Caucasus countries. Since Asia Minor is located in the middle of Europe and Asia, this ancestral component is also connected to regions near this crossroads.

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My DNA is only 1.2% inherited from Neanderthals which is below the average percentage of 2.1%. Most humans have neanderthal DNA because our ancestors migrated out of Africa and into the Eurasian landmass. Our ancestors then interbred with the Neanderthals and that is why a small percentage of our gene pool is from Neanderthal DNA. My Neanderthal percentage is lower than the average probably because my ancestors stayed in South Asia instead of traveling to Central Asia and Eastern Europe where the interbreeding occurred 60,000 years ago. My ancestors didn’t migrate to Eurasia until 30,000 years ago when the Neanderthal population became extinct. My ancestors most likely did not interbreed with Neanderthals directly but the DNA was probably passed through breeding with others that came in contact with Neanderthals.

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Between 300,000 and 150,000 years ago my ancestors started in Central Africa. After 220,000 to 70,000 years later (80,000 years ago today), the y-chromosome started to migrate. This branch of my ancestral history, M42, is shared by almost all men alive today. 70,000 years ago the paternal side left Africa and moved toward the Middle East and into current day Saudi Arabia. The man who gave the first genetic marker in my lineage most likely lived in current day Ethiopia. This man’s descendants were the only descendants to ever survive out of Africa and he is the most common ancestor of every non-African man living today. My ancestors most likely migrated due to the better weather and the animals they liked to hunt. This branch is also believed to be one of the first to leave Africa. 60,000 years ago my ancestors were apart of one of the oldest mutations outside of Africa. Branch P143 were also some of the first settlers of Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia. A shortage of water in Africa was most likely why my ancestors left Africa. Branch M89, located in Southwest Asia 55,000 years ago, was the next ancestor in my lineage and the marker found in this branch is 90 to 95 percent of all non-African descendents. These ancestors followed the wildlife that they hunted. From Southwest Asia, my ancestors migrated to South Asia around 45,000 years ago. In Branch M45, this ancestor traveled with groups to Central Asia toward Eastern Europe, and were known as hunters of larger animals. My ancestors stayed in Central Asia and South Asia and didn’t migrate for many centuries. The next migration my ancestors took was most likely to Europe to what is now present day Germany. It is unclear to where they specifically went since my paternal DNA can be linked to a number of different places but looking at my most recent ancestry on my paternal side it is safe to assume that my ancestors eventually migrated to Germany.

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Using your DNA to determine ancestry is very complicated due to the order of your DNA. The simple version of determining ancestry is that they look at your DNA and look for markers. The DNA determines the traits of humans and is used to differentiate every human in the world. A person’s DNA can mutate due to environmental reasons and looking at those mutations can help in determining where you came from before because those mutations happen in certain regions. National Geographic looks at the DNA by looking at the 23 chromosomes and by looking at the chromosomes it can link who someone is related to. The DNA mutations make each generation different from the one before and these mutations are passed on to the generation that follows. Therefore, if two people have the same exact mutation then they share the same ancestor and National Geographic calls this a “marker”. Researchers also look at mitochondrial DNA because mitochondrial DNA only changes slightly and can be easily linked to one’s ancestors. Mitochondrial DNA is the maternal side and the Y chromosome is the paternal side.

The Y-chromosome is the chromosome directly passed from father to son unchanged. The Y-chromosome can be passed on only to sons, but the mitochondrial DNA can be passed onto either gender. The mitochondrial DNA also can only be passed down by the daughter which makes it hard for the mitochondrial DNA to survive. DNA is passed on unchanged from generation to generation. The only way DNA is changed is through a mutation which is a natural occurrence of life. These mutations are known as “markers” and are passed on for many. National Geographic looks for these markers and when the markers first occurred to get a better idea of where you came from. A haplogroup is a group of people who share a common ancestor, either on the paternal or maternal side.

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DNA sequencing determines every trait of your life. DNA is passed on unchanged from father to son but when billions of strands of DNA is passed on, there usually are “typos” or mutations but that will be discussed in part 3. DNA sequencing is a 3 step process that occurs when the DNA is being copied. The first step is the “denaturing” process where the DNA uncoils after applying heat. After the heat uncoils the helix, the DNA splits in half creating two strands. Step 2 is the “annealing” process and this is done at medium temperature. The two disconnected strands connect to new nucleotides in order of the primer direction. The first strands primer goes from 5 to 3 is attached to new strands that go from 3 to 5 and this is done to the opposite strand as well. This creates two identical copies of the original DNA strand. The third step is just the final connection of all the nucleotides which produces the two final products. A picture description is seen here:

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Dad’s side:

I believe that my Dad’s side is German. I know my Grandfather was born in Germany and I know his Dad was born in Germany. I think they were all caucasian with mostly blonde hair. Most of my relatives have blue eyes, so I think most of my ancestors had blue eyes. Most of my family on my Dad’s side takes pride in eating bratwursts and sauerkraut which I believe is a German food. So I think some of those German foods are a traditional food for my family. Most of them were Christian. I don’t get any physical characteristics from my Dad’s side.

Mom’s side:

My mom’s side is mostly from England and the Netherlands. The interesting part is that my ancestors migrated from the Netherlands to South Africa. From South Africa my great grandfather went to California. My family is really tall with intense eyebrows. My ancestors eventually got to England if they hadn’t already been there. I think some were Scottish but most of them were English. My ancestors have mostly been coin makers or blacksmiths.