DNA

Welcome to the DNA sub-section

This sub-section of the Dowling site is to show information about DNA. To make it more interesting, I have merged some anthropology into the beginning of the tree of mankind. This is not the site for a creationist!

One of my favourite sayings is that "documentary records are precise but prone to inaccuracy and DNA results are imprecise but prone to accuracy". You will get the idea when all the technical groups become a blur!

What is important to remember is that most, if not all, of the DNA results will improve with time as more people take the tests. My dream is that eventually the connections between branches will become more precise but, of course, we will not necessarily be able to say what that connection's name is...

For Dowling's it is worth noting, as we go so far back in time, that the ancient Irish would have claimed their surname from a female line as well as a male line. It is nothing to be to annoyed about, as, at that time other communities were not even using surnames yet!

I have recently re-jigged the database, and therefore the website, to accommodate the DNA haplogroups in with the individuals. Haplogroups are groups of our ancestors that shared the same Y-DNA mutation.

This NEW novel approach is being piloted to avoid separating DNA from family history, just remember haplogroups are groups and not individuals! So, if you have tested for Y-DNA, and I know about it, you can follow your line back to the oldest known ancestor at which point you will find a haplogroup placeholder that joins your line onto the known test result haplogroup. There you can see other people who are linked to that haplogroup too.

Thanks for dropping in.

Brian Thomas Dowling (1955 - )

Links to pages dedicated to DNA: