Questions, doubts, and conflicts stemming from the gaps in biological connections have plagued many people around the world for centuries. Prior to the modernization of genealogy DNA investigations, these issues remained largely unsolved and open to speculation. Over time though DNA testing strategies evolved to result in what we have today which is a very specific and accurate means of establishing genetic connections. The DNA tests on the market today have emerged as a highly reliable means of detecting biological relationships despite the physical and time-related boundaries that have kept people apart.
Understandably, therefore, the modernization and commercialization of Genealogy testing services have triggered an uptick in interest and as a result, many people are grasping the answers provided through genealogy research. Of course, this also means that many problems are being solved through the use of ancestry testing today. We’ll discuss five such problems below.
Paternity and Maternity Doubts
Genealogy research has provided solutions to bloodline related issues that stem from doubts about the identities of test-takers’ parents. This is quite significant since people who suspect or know that they don’t share a biological connection with their parents may find themselves questioning their identity among other things.
Thankfully, Ancestry DNA tests have evolved significantly to meet the needs of people who seek to establish lost family connections. As a result, three major test types were engineered to produce targeted results. Each is therefore designed to suit different quests for proof of a biological connection. Two of them focus on maternal and paternal lineage.
One ancestry test is specifically designed to establish biological paternity. It is called the YDNA test and it detects gene elements passed down from fathers to sons. The maternity version of this test is the mtDNA. Essentially, therefore, people who have doubts about their biological parents can find the answers they seek.
Needless to say, it is through biological genealogy tracing that many people have been able to clear up misconceptions about their parentage. This clarity can be liberating. Most DNA testing services offer clients the option of using individual tests or a suite of tests aimed at producing a more comprehensive result. Of course, this is dependent on what the client wants to discover.
Gaps in the Family Tree
Many families today have gaps in their family trees. Whether it’s an aunt who disappeared suddenly or a sibling who migrated and was never heard from since a surprisingly large number of families have been left with unfilled spaces in the network.
Consequently, these blank spots can be found in family trees around the world. While some people are unbothered by these gaps, others suffer emotionally and socially because they struggle with the knowledge that they have family members somewhere in the world who are out of the circle, and this is why they turn to Genetic DNA testing. Autosomal DNA tests detect genetic connections between siblings, cousins, and other relatives. These tests also help to shed light on a family history stretching up to five generations back. In other words, siblings can find each other and test-takers can connect with previously undiscovered cousins of varying degrees as well as aunts and uncles.
Disconnected Family
When family members find each other, severed bonds can be reconnected. Numerous families have formed tighter bonds and become whole thanks to ancestry DNA. Through ancestry DNA Siblings have found each other and gone on to form powerful bonds, parents have been reunited with their biological children and in the process, family networks have been expanded. Additionally the burden of the unknown is stripped away and, for those who were crippled by it, newfound freedom is enjoyed.
This reconnection has facilitated a deep sense of renewal and completion that many views as priceless. In fact, quite a few of today’s strong family relationships have their roots in the reconnection facilitated by ancestry genealogy research.
Lack of Medical History
A complete medical history is very valuable under normal circumstances, but it becomes even more vital when illness arises. Imagine an adopted individual falling seriously ill and needing an organ or other biological donation from a blood relative. This is a difficult situation to face and yet it is faced by many people who grow up in adoptive families. And this is just one scenario in which biological ancestry data is important.
For people who plan to have children this information is also vital as it reveals pertinent issues such as genetic predispositions to fertility issues as well as ailments that may be passed on to children.
When lost family connections are restored, people are closer to discovering what hereditary illnesses lays in their genes. Discovering a family history of genetically linked ailments such as some types of cancer can be helpful in preventing predisposed people from developing the disease later on in life. This equips health care experts with data that they can use to provide preventive treatment and guidance. In other words, discovering your family background can help you lead a healthier life.
Cultural Identity Issues
Through Autosomal ancestry DNA testing your ethnic background can be discovered. This helps to resolve many identity issues that people face. People whose ancestors faced traumatic and destructive experiences such as the Holocaust or the Transatlantic Slave trade might yearn for clarity since travesties like these led to the separation of millions of families. Many of them may not even be aware of the nature of their ancestry at all.
After confirming their ethnic ancestry, many people immerse themselves in the cultures they discover or at least spend some time familiarizing themselves with them. For people who suffered from cultural and ethnic identity issues prior to discovering their ancestry, the experience can be quite fulfilling.
The role ancestry DNA plays in resolving family lineage related issues is undeniable. These tests have been changing the way people view themselves and their families for the better by illuminating the dark and hidden aspects of family genealogy. And for the millions of people around the world who have experienced its problem-solving prowess, the service has been a lifesaver.