Announcing the newly formed Malta DNA Project
Replies: 1
Announcing the newly formed Malta DNA Project
 ecalleia
(View posts)
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Posted: 20 Jun 2008 11:57AM GMT |
Classification: Query
I'd like to invite anyone who is Maltese or of Maltese decent to join the newly formed Malta DNA Project on FTDNA:
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/malta
This project has been established to study the genetic heritage of Malta (including the Maltese Islands of both Malta and Gozo)which were first settled in 5200 BC by stone age farmers, who's people built the oldest free-standing structures and oldest religious structures in the world in 3500 BC--and has been the center of Mediterranean trade and civilization ever since. DNA testing, both yDNA for paternal lines and mtDNA for maternal lines, can provide a picture of the deep and recent ethnic background of Maltese and their descendants. This can include Greek, Italian and Sicilian, Arab, Sephardic Jewish, Norman, Spanish backgrounds, among others--perhaps even Phoenician. An added bonus, as more join and the database grows, is the possibility of finding common ancestors in the more recent period. This would allow family researchers to connect with distant cousins more quickly and collaborate more effectively in their research in the records.
Project Goals:
The Malta project has two main goals.
One is to investigate the ethnic and genetic diversity of the Maltese Islands as shown through the DNA of the descendants of those born in Malta and Gozo. In most cases project members will be the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Maltese. But, through the genetic story told in their yDNA and mtDNA, we can discover the heritage of Maltese over the centuries. We hope that some of what we learn through the results of this project can contribute to the knowledge of human migrations being studied by population geneticists.
The second goal, especially as we recruit more members, is to actually establish connections--a common ancestor--between some members. Genetic genealogy is a new tool in genealogy research that can supplement and help make breakthroughs in traditional records-based research. Once that common ancestor has been discovered, then much more productive research in the records can help fill out family trees.
Sahha,
Michael
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/malta
This project has been established to study the genetic heritage of Malta (including the Maltese Islands of both Malta and Gozo)which were first settled in 5200 BC by stone age farmers, who's people built the oldest free-standing structures and oldest religious structures in the world in 3500 BC--and has been the center of Mediterranean trade and civilization ever since. DNA testing, both yDNA for paternal lines and mtDNA for maternal lines, can provide a picture of the deep and recent ethnic background of Maltese and their descendants. This can include Greek, Italian and Sicilian, Arab, Sephardic Jewish, Norman, Spanish backgrounds, among others--perhaps even Phoenician. An added bonus, as more join and the database grows, is the possibility of finding common ancestors in the more recent period. This would allow family researchers to connect with distant cousins more quickly and collaborate more effectively in their research in the records.
Project Goals:
The Malta project has two main goals.
One is to investigate the ethnic and genetic diversity of the Maltese Islands as shown through the DNA of the descendants of those born in Malta and Gozo. In most cases project members will be the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Maltese. But, through the genetic story told in their yDNA and mtDNA, we can discover the heritage of Maltese over the centuries. We hope that some of what we learn through the results of this project can contribute to the knowledge of human migrations being studied by population geneticists.
The second goal, especially as we recruit more members, is to actually establish connections--a common ancestor--between some members. Genetic genealogy is a new tool in genealogy research that can supplement and help make breakthroughs in traditional records-based research. Once that common ancestor has been discovered, then much more productive research in the records can help fill out family trees.
Sahha,
Michael