The advanced science used to create this feature was over a decade in the making as scientists, including those at 23andMe, leveraged new technology for extracting and sequencing ancient and historical DNA from bones found at archeological sites, and then comparing living individuals’ genomes to the historical and ancient DNA.
Among the historical genomes included in this feature are a number of enslaved and free Black and African Americans who toiled at an historic
23andMe is the first leading DNA ancestry service to offer this level of genetic matching to relatives of historical people based on peer-reviewed, published methods and deep data analysis.
"23andMe's Historical Matches is a technical breakthrough in our ability to accurately detect genetic connections between customers and historical individuals." said
The new Historical Matches feature leverages the same science applied in a more consumer-friendly and approachable way to making these connections. The connections to historical individuals like those in
23andMe plans to add additional historical genomes to the Historical Matches feature over time, offering 23andMe+
To create this new feature and connect members to Historical Matches, 23andMe identifies segments of DNA that individuals share with the genetic sequences of historical individuals. The feature relies on publicly available data, scientific publications, and the 23andMe relative matching technology to link to these historical individuals. Most members will have a match to one or more of these individuals, offering them a connection to specific individuals from a particular time in history.
While most matches reveal very distant connections, some matches may be closer. Some of these genomes are from individuals who lived thousands of years ago, while others are just a few centuries old. Almost all are relatively anonymous, except one of the more recent figures,
The Viking Age — Seafaring people of Scandinavia, the Vikings made their indelible mark between the 8th and 11th centuries, called the Viking Age.
Catoctin Furnace Ironworkers —
Iron Age Taiwan — The Iron Age in
The Ancient Eurasian Steppe — The Eurasian Steppe encompasses the massive grasslands and plains stretching from modern-day
The First Peoples of the
The Genomic Formation of South and
Late Stone Age and Iron Age South Africa — Many archeological studies in
Ancient Northern Chinese Millet Farmers — The fertile basin between the Yellow and the West Liao rivers was once the home to the world's earliest complex agricultural societies. The communities there grew millet and human migration from and through the region helped spread the cultivation of millet, which eventually became the staple crop of
The Ancient City of Beirut —
About 23andMe
23andMe is a genetics-led consumer healthcare and therapeutics company empowering a healthier future. For more information, please visit www.23andMe.com.
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2024 GlobeNewswire, Inc., source