This talk by Violette Family Association member was given at our 2008 reunion in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The value of this subject is growing at a very rapid rate, solving many questions in family connections. Nancy was nice enough to allow me to share her talk here with you. Enjoy.... Paul
Good evening COUSINS. I am Nancy Nolette, the daughter of Catherine Violette, who is the daughter of Ralph Violette, who is the son of Paul Violette, who is a descendent of Francois Violette, our common ancestor.
DISCLAIMER: My presentation concerns the scientific discoveries relating to the chemical composition of our bodies. In no way does this conflict with our religious origin or beliefs.
DNA
Are you wondering what DNA is all about? Well, first of all DNA stands for DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID. Basically, it is a molecule inside the cells of your body that carries your genetic code. Your genetic code comes from each of your parents. And, yes, DNA testing is an accepted scientific technique recognized and used in crime detection and in identifying unknown remains.
The human genome was fully sequenced in 2003. Today males descend from Y-Adam who is dated back 60,000-100,000 years ago and for Mitachrondrial-Eve who dates back 120,000 to 200,000 years ago. The Y-Chromosome, Y-ADAM, is traced and tested by surnames; Y-ADAM had to have a son who had to have a son. The testing required for Mitachrondrial EVE and all her descents was to have 2 daughters every generation so the testing could be verified forward and backward. Both Y-ADAM and Mitachrondrial-EVE were originated in Africa.
Y-Chromosome testing allows the scientist to target only DNA left by Male contributors from father to son on the Y Chromosome. Both males and females have Mit-DNA inherited from their mothers on the X Chromosome. The Mit-DNA test looks for profiles from another kind of DNA. Mitochondrial DNA testing profiles are different in that they are shared by people with the same mother and are passed down maternally to sons and daughters.
At first we did not understand how important it was to have DNA testing for genealogy purposes. Since many villages were burned and records destroyed, this is one way to find out where and what ethnic group our ancestors were from. A good way to do this is by having DNA tested from different persons who ascend to the first ancestors. Do not forget, when doing your ancestral research, that family lore and written documents can be wrong.
The Cambridge Reference Sequence (CRS) is the standard used to test all Mit-DNA once it was sequenced. The researchers took the DNA sequencing from a woman in England and tests everyone else against her coding. Any differences from this standard in your mit-DNA shows a mutation. Mutations are used to trace your inheritable mit-DNA.
For instance I have traced my maternal line to Madeleine Avrard, born in 1580 in Perche, Montagne, France. If you had traced your line to her or one of her other descendents, it would be great for the both of us to have our mit-DNA done to see the results. More fascinating is that I also share the same MitDNA from Francoise Charlotte Belanger (her granddaughter) on my maternal lineage and her brother Francois Belanger on my paternal side.
There are numerous web sites to register for testing. The most popular one is the Family Tree DNA. Also some families have established Family Surname DNA testing. A VIOLETTE surname site has been recently setup. Even though this surname site is for Y-chromosome, I joined to add my MitDNA to the research. As an example, there is a question on the parentage of my great-grandfather Paul Violette. I have found his sole living great-great grandson, Jason. I have the names of direct male Y-Chromosome descendents of the great-great-great grandfather—Alexandre, our common known ancestor. In order to verify my claim, I need to get the Y-Chromosome testing done on these male cousins.
There is some question about the relationship of the Francois Violette descendents and the Virginia Violettes. I have the Y-Chromosome testing results from a Virginia Violette—R1b1b2, an Acadian from New Brunswick—R1b1b2 and a French-Canadian—R1b1b2. We have an initial match. More testing is required to verify our relationship.
On the Mit-DNA side, I have the Mit-DNA of a descendent from Great Britian—H1 has 2 differences from the CRS, my Mit-DNA—T2 has 5 differences from the CRS and my (father’s side) first cousin whose mother is from the Netherlands or Holland (known as the Spanish Netherlands)—U5 has 3 differences from the CRS. A close friend’s daughter-in-law from Racife, Brazil belongs to halogroup U3. These 2 share the same halogroup and probably early ancestry.
On another note, many have been asking if they have Native American blood, as there were Native American women who married European men. The results from mit-DNA would tell you whether your maternal line descends from a European, such as France, or was a Native American.
To begin with, develop your pedigree chart to visually determine your descendency. Remember genetic genealogy can be a powerful tool in exposing fiction behind some flawed research spread over the years. Don’t forget to look into the lives of those who surrounded the ancestor you are researching. There is a very good chance that the DNA you need is available through some distant cousins. Prince Philip’s, Queen Elizabeth’s husbnd, DNA was used to identify the presumed remains of Czar Nicholas II and his family.
Let’s define some words we need regarding DNA. . . . The goal of DNA testing was to sequence all the DNA bases, all 3 billion of them.
DNA: composed of 4 bases: Adenine, Guanine, Thymine and Cytosine. The sequence of these bases is important in determining your genetic coding and ancestry.
MITOCHRONDRIA: one of a kind that does not recombine in reproduction making it important in tracking genetic histories.
MUTATIONS: change. . .good, bad or indifferent. They are random. Mutations occur every 10 to 20 generations and less slowly in Mit-DNA than in the Y-Chromosome. A change in the Y-Chromosome of a father will be passed onto his sons.
HAPLOGROUP: cluster of people who share the same distinctive marker inherited from a single ancestor.
HAPOLTYPE: a person’s specific group type Female: 7 Daughters of Eve: Helena, Jasmine, Katrine, Tara, Ursula, Velda and Xenia Males: R1b—most common group in European populations and contains the Atlantic model halotype.
PATERNITY: adoptions (formal or informal), illegitimate births or mother giving her surname to the child. Occurrance 1.3%
FIRST COUSINS: First cousins must both pass on the 4--genes to their children. This is a 1.6% of problems occurring.
INTERESTING FACTS REVEALED FROM DNA
Early man lived nomadic existence based on hunting and gathering. They built almost nothing of permanence, save a few tools and paintings in European caves. Climate change influenced the migratory patterns of early man around the world. Several Ice Ages caused early man to migrate south then north after the ice melted.
Clothing: scientists used the body and head lice to determine when man shed his body hair and progressed to wearing clothing around 72,000 years ago.
Language: Began with sounds about 50,000 years ago. The San people in Africa, one of the oldest family groups, speaks with a click sound. A group of Aboriginees living in Australia speak with a click sound too. “Clicks” were a part of the first language spoken by early man. Our language evolved from the click sounds. There are 6,000 languages spoken today and this number is quickly dwindling. There is a gene for language, FOXP2. Today we speak a Indio-European developed language.
Socialization: Groups of about 150 people living and traveling together were compatible and efficient. A family is centered around the mother and her children. Society is organized along kinship lines.
Neanderthals: Early people who migrated from Africa to Europe. Named after the Neanderthal Valley in Germany where their remains were found and identified. What happened to them is unknown, either killed off by the more intelligent Cromagmum, death by extinction or interbreeding with the Cromagmun.
SLANTED EYES: Epicanthial folds on the eyes are found in the Khoisan people in Africa as well as those descendents living in Asia.
RACES: Emerged 50,000 years ago. Our 5 recognized races arose after population splits. Language diverged into separate tongues when the group goes a separate way.
YELLOW SKIN: Also found in the Khoisan people in Africa and in the Mongolian-Asian peoples.
MONGOLOID: refers to skull shape and a special kind of teeth. These people emerged from genetic drift or natural selection.
PALE SKIN: lets in more sunlight which the body needs to synthesize vitamin D. A stocky body reduces heat loss. Late Glacial Maximum migrations caused those living in the northern latitudes to develop lighter skin.
BLACK SKIN: Needed as protection from the African sun. Those who migrated out of Africa had dark skin as their descendents in Australia and those populations in between.
BOW: invented about 20,000 years ago and never reached Australia.
RELIGION: As old as language that went beyond kinship, used to hold families together to punish freeloaders and troublemakers or uniting them in war.
EXODUS: travel out of Africa to the Arabian Penninsula then northward or west to India.
SETTLEMENTS: from 50,000 to 15,000 years ago when agriculture developed. Seed planting and domesticating the sheep, goat and cow occurred about 10,000 years ago. Settlers learned to live in large groups and temperate climates made agriculture possible. Then towns and cities developed with the gathering of groups living together.
LACTOSE TOLERANCE: the ability to digest milk in adulthood. In the northern cultures it is prevalent. Domestication of the cow was late in the development of the African tribes and is less common amongst these peoples. This is clear evidence that genes respond to cultural changes.
DOMESTICATING DOGS: First used 14,000 years ago as sentinels by barking for the tribe’s protection then became working dogs.
MIGRATION TO THE AMERICAS: Three language groups migrated to the Americas from Siberia. One to the tip of South America 12,000 years ago, another to the Great Plains about 11,000 years ago and lastly those settling in northwest North America. Migration to the Americas required Mitochondria that adapted to cold climates for those travelling from Siberia through the Alaskan land bridge to the Americas.
I hope I have touched your curiosity and given you an insight into DNA and what it can do in genealogy research. DNA is a tool available for you to use in verifying your lineage.
QUESTIONS. . . . . . . . . . .
I ordered my DNA testing kit from National Geographic Genographic Project. The cost was $100 for the first set of tests to determine that I was a member of the T Halogroup. This kit included a map of the migration of the halogroups leaving Africa, a 90 minute DVD on how the DNA is collected around the world—also shown frequently on PBS , two swabs to collect DNA from inside the cheeks and a guide book on the testing process. It cost another $75 to have a more in depth test to determine my Mit-DNA tested placing me in the T2b grouping. Halogroup T is undergoing more indepth testing. I was asked to join this research at a cost of $465. I await these results.
There are several television programs on PBS and the History Channel about early man. They depict what we have been able to discover from archeological digs, written records, DNA and deduce from them how we arrived here today.
Before you leave, I invite you to see my display of the DNA process. I will be around through Sunday morning if you want to discuss DNA further.
DNA REFERENCES
“Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors” By Nicholas Wade, 2006
“The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey” by Spencer Wells, 2004
“Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project” by Spencer Wells, 2007
“The Seven Daughters of Eve” by Bryan Sykes, 2002
“Trace your Roots with DNA” by Megan Smolenyak and Ann Turner
“The Normans” by R. Allen Brown, 1995
“The Descendents of Francois Violet” by Rita Violette Lippe
AUDIO/VISUAL
National Geographic: The Genographic Project Maps of the Human Family Tree and DVD: The Genographic Project, 90 minutes
“The Story of the Acadians” by Crown of Maine Productions, Inc, 60 minutes
ARTICLES
“The Gene Pull” by Richard Rubin, AARP Magazine, March & April 2005, pages 76-92.
“In Our Blood” by Claudia Kalb, Newsweek, February 6, 2006, pages 46-56.
WEB SITES
