Finding Our Roots

DESCENDANT OF WOLVES OR THE UPRIGHT CAVEMAN?

There is a TV program Finding Your Roots  hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.  I began watching this season. Here is the link.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/finding-your-roots/about/
What drew me to it was Derek Jeter. The season opener was cleverly timed to air the week after his  retirement. Derek Jeter was one of three celebs profiled. Public and private records are used and after those are thoroughly explored the researchers go to DNA to validate leads and resolve questions. The show is supported in its efforts by Ancestry.com. Surprising, emotional, unexpected ancestral information comes out. The guests experience disappointment and shock as well as pride and connection. All seem to be grateful to have participated.

Here is the link for Ancestry
http://www.ancestry.com/

Liam has traced his roots and it was a surprising and happy outcome...what we thought were lab/ basset hound genes turned out not to be. Our vet at the time was curious as he was sure that Liam's narrow jaw and short ears were not indicative of a Labrador retriever/basset heritage. Liam did not have the perpetual smile of a lab or the sad droopy face of the basset hound...and so we did the sample and waited. The results were delivered by phone and the caller was thrilled with the surprising outcome, delivering the news as if we had won the lottery "Guess what, Liam is four dogs in one, all equal parts!" My little rescue's DNA showed him to be a beagle, dachshund, dalmatian and Irish setter. Ancestry's origin pie chart would place his roots mostly in Europe.

Beagle 
British
We would place this breed in the UK on the ancestry map
Advanced sniffing is the beagle trait, as well as the love of all food, successful locator of bed bugs

BEAGLE LIAM, the flip tail

Dachshund 
Germany
Observed breed traits-willful, independent, heavily muscled, food lover. My mother's quote "He is his own person" comes to mind

DOXIE LIAM, long and low to the ground

Dalmatian
Yugoslavia, maybe originally India
speed, leaping, running

 and the white markings in the shape of a bone on his chest

DALMATIAN LIAM, loyal

Irish Setter
Ireland
affectionate, handsome, ready to hunt for squirrels, rabbits, birds

IRISH SETTER LIAM, regal

Info from The Complete Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds  Juliette Cunliffe

http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Encyclopedia-Dog-Breeds/dp/1405443898

Liam's ancestral mix is a big slice of Europe...
On the show they do a pie and slice it up to show the percentages of your roots...

my journey begins...

I order the DNA kit. It is $99.00 from Ancestry
http://dna.ancestry.com/
ordered November 6, 2014.

Arrives November 12, 2014.

ANCESTRY DNA KIT

I have to provide a saliva sample, send back and wait. Will do that today. The amount of saliva seems daunting though the instructions say it is easy, only a quarter of a teaspoon. I am sure no ballplayer would blink at this requirement since the spitting that goes on during games is prolific. And one cannot eat, drink or chew gum 30 minutes prior to giving the sample.  I'll have to wait until my chestnut praline latte vacates the premises.

I expect to have mostly Ireland and United Kingdom on my ethnicity pie. My cousin did a family tree on my mother's maternal side and it is all Ireland, with an unexpected mention of England (which my Mom Ruth would vehemently deny)

Would welcome a surprise like Liam received. A Labrador (Newfoundland) Basset (France) hound mix- a fine guess; yet later revealed to be British, Yugoslavian, German and Irish by DNA.

WHAT WILL MY MOM BE? LIKE ME?

Woof, Woof