Origins going back 10,000 years from MyHeritage

 https://blog.myheritage.com/2025/02/introducing-ancient-origins-trace-your-origins-back-10000-years/

If you obtain enough DNA information from enough people, it is possible to draw conclusions about ancient origins. Here is the promotional video for the MyHeritage.com new Ancient Origins.

https://youtu.be/LlRKBp_YUp4?si=n4jjD7d8X2FaGyFM

Here is a link to the blog announcing the new DNA feature. https://blog.myheritage.com/2025/02/introducing-ancient-origins-trace-your-origins-back-10000-years/

I have had both my MyHeritage.com and Ancestry.com DNA on MyHeritage.com for some time. I currently have 18, 502 matches. My matches span the globe. 

If you think that projecting DNA matches back 10,000 years is a gimmick or imaginary, you don't know what is going on in the world-wide DNA community. Here are some links to articles explaining other long DNA projections. 

https://www.templeton.org/news/revising-human-history-through-ancient-dna

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43586-020-00011-0 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096098222100436X

There are probably hundreds more articles along the same lines. 

Now what about my own ancient DNA? There is a lot to explore on MyHeritage.com.

Each of the areas have futher analysis (I think I look just like the person used as an example except for the hair)

You can continue to explore more with the links given to support the conclusions. Here is one link.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aat7487 

Have fun learning about this new extension to your DNA origins. Of course, you have to have a family tree and a DNA test on MyHeritage to get the full results.

Google Gemini's Deep Research does genealogical research like a pro

 

RootsTech 2025 is only back one week when AI to a larger than life leap in its ability to do "real" research. This screenshot shows the product of Gemini Deep Research prompt to tell me about my great-grandfather Henry Martin Tanner. This lengthy bio is supported by more than a hundred relevant and accurate source citations. The whole process took about ten minutes. 

I am still in the process of learning about the options and any problems with using this new tool, but initially it looks like a major advancement. Here is the link to the Google explanation about this new AI development. https://gemini.google/overview/deep-research/?hl=en

I will be doing a online presentation about using AI to do Family History Research on 30 March 2025 for the BYU Library Family History Center. This will include some of my observations about using Deep Research from Google Gemini. See https://familyhistory.lib.byu.edu/learning for the link to our Virtual Family History Classes. After the class has been presented, the video will be uploaded to the BYU Library Family History ¥ouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@BYULibraryFamilyHistory

More later.

23andMe files for Bankruptcy two weeks after RootsTech appearance

 https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/24/23andme-files-for-bankruptcy-anne-wojcicki-steps-down-as-ceo.html

For sometime now the news about 23andMe.com has not been good. Because I read the news, I was surprised to see their booth at RootsTech.org this year. 23andMe.com was a Gold Sponsor. 

Quick Google search indicates that customers of 23andMe.com can download their raw DNA data. Here is link to Accessing Your Raw Genetic Data from the webiste. 

What can you do with your raw DNA data for free? There are several options: FamilyTreeDNA.com, and MyHeritage.com are two examples. Just ask the question about uploading your raw DNA data in a Google search. 

All about Greek Genealogy with the Hellenic Genealogy Geek Facebook page

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/118224528189671

In the past few weeks, the subject of Greek or Hellenic genealogy has come up. At the recent RootsTech 2025 conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, I met Historian and Genealogy expert Gregory Kontos. He has a website at greekancestry.net. 

I met him in conjunction with talking to MyHeritage at the conference. MyHeritage is building a collection of Greek records. 

FamilySearch.org also has a sizable collection of Greek records. See the Research Wiki for Greece: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Greece_Genealogy

From the map of Greece in the Research Wiki and the list of Regions (Perifereia) and Counties (Prefectures), it looks like Greece is one of the more complicated places to do research including learning the alphabet and language. 

I am now interested in learning more about Greek genealogy.

Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Genealogy at RootsTech 2025

See CRAIGEN.org

The Coalition for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Genealogy will have a panel discussion at RootsTech 2025. The presentation will take place Friday in Ballroom B at Salt Palace and will also be live-streamed at 4:30 p.m. MT. There is a link for submitting questions.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQmg3ZefeLMDbYt85OCZJGQCWGo_Dp67KmVNpp2p6Xqv6qQg/viewform

Here is the link to the panel discussion. 

https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/guidelines-for-the-responsible-use-of-artificial-intelligence-ai-in-genealogy 

The panel discussion will be broadcast live.