It Takes A Family Tree

Does DNA give us much more than we originally thought?

Have you ever looked up certain branches of you family tree and noticed a trend or a pattern of behavior present across three or more generations? Epigenetics just might explain all that.

I have often wondered how it came to be that four generations of men in a certain branch of my family tree (possibly more--I still have a brick wall there to break down) have all had a wanderlust that drove them far from home, by land and by sea, even though circumstances separate these men in ways that make the much more simple idea that this was learned behavior highly unlikely.

Epigenetics--the idea that a grandparents' life experiences can shape who you are--may indeed play a role in such trends. The subtitle for the article claims "Your ancestors' lousy childhoods or excellent adventures might change your personality, bequeathing anxiety or resilience by altering the epigenetic expressions of genes in the brain."

Read the article here, and decide for yourself:
Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes by Dan Hurley, Discover, June 11th, 2013.

Thoughts about this avenue of study? Post 'em if you've got 'em.

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Image above courtesy of rajcreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A wise man once said...

The Post Card

Check out this video about the The Post Card, where genealogical researchers can get free access to a multitude of old newspapers courtesy of the hard work and dedication of the web site's owner, Tom Tryniski:



I have used this site several times for my research, and it has yielded some real gems about my family tree. One thing I discovered there is that my great-great grandmother Vermilyea Krismeyer's older brother, Mettis, was married to a woman named Nettie who apparently went "mad" after finding his stashed trunk full of gold. Upon discovering it, she told a neighbor that she "had to go" and took the booty down to New York City for a spending spree. Crazy? Like a fox, I'd say! You go, girl.

May you find a story as interesting as that in your own research. Happy hunting!