Getting serious with Genetic Genealogy

[bmorocco]

Hi all,

All my docs are now assembled for Dual Citizenship, so i've been mini-celebrating by reading more here and thinking about getting into the serious genetic testing.

Also, now that the COSENZA records are completed on Antenati, I have a solution for the original spelling of my own last name: Moraca. I can easily trace all members to Italy, and my cousin, who has done a ton of research on Paternal grandparents, has gotten to the court of the Bourbons... But frankly, I'd like to do more to solidify these ideas/claims.

I've seen some companies mentioned to get Y and mtDNA. Are there recommendations based on what I might be after?

Also interested in what you might have read that spurred your interest?

Thanks in advance,
Billy

[darkerhorse]

Y will give you a haplogroup indicating the ancient geographical origins of your surname line (father's father's father's...) and the mtDNA will give you the same for the line of your mother's mother's mother's...

By using matching tools and/or joining forums for those haplogroups you might find some relatives and/or clues about your ancestry.

For example, my surname line is pure Sicilian by paper trail back to the 1700s but my Y haplogroup suggests ancient origins in Scotland.

[darkerhorse]

By the way, most of the people in my Y haplogroup forum have white bread names, mostly Celtic.

Very few Italians or southern Europeans.

That tends to substantiate origin in the United Kingdom.

Nothing against Scotland, I like the country, but it was disappointing. I was hoping for deep roots in Sicily, Italy, the Mediterranean, or even North Africa.

[MarcuccioV]

I have done mtDNA. The surprise for me is it led to Sicily. It is a very rare haplotype, so I wasn't able to garner much information beyond that, at least thus far.

Good luck on your discoveries..!

[darkerhorse]

I have done mtDNA. The surprise for me is it led to Sicily. It is a very rare haplotype, so I wasn't able to garner much information beyond that, at least thus far.

Good luck on your discoveries..!

Talk about getting serious? This guy is the poster child.

Here's an example of a Y haplogoup project.
https://www.familytreedna.com/public/Sc ... e=yresults

[darkerhorse]

For example, click on Classic Chart.

[MarcuccioV]

Talk about getting serious? This guy is the poster child.

I'm a one-note man, I play it all I can,,,

[bmorocco]

Thanks for all of this fellows!

That's some chart. I'm getting the gist of it. And as a lapsed academic, I think I'm up for the challenge.

Ancestry's relatively simple breakdown follows what I had always thought - There's a small percentage pointing to France with the name ARNAO ->Arnault - the Provencal poet. And of course, any one with a relation in France pre Napoleon has a definite foothold in the U.K. And vice versa.

By the way - The Italy-Scotland connection is intriguing because of the Italian "for-hire" mercenaries in middle ages - some of those descendants, catholic-aligned, must have found work fighting with strictly Roman Catholic Scotland against British rule.

I'm going to get at least one of these tests going from FamilyTreeDNA.
Cheers!

[bmorocco]

I just re-read this thread, and - it must be that I got a flu shot + booster yesterday - I was a bit loopy on my connecting Italy & the armies of Mary Queen of Scots...Sorry about that! I now have a decent follow-up question:

I have now determined that only my father's Mother came over from Sicily. The rest are Calabria, Artena, and Frosinone.

If I wanted to explore that Sicilian connection - I would choose the YDNA - because it contains my father? Or am I still confused?

[darkerhorse]

The Y haplogroup I was speaking of applies only to one specific line, following male ancestors - father's father's father's....... So it likely follows your surname line. I also think it reflects only relatively ancient origins. But I think you can trace it over time.

I don't know if other elements of Y DNA apply more broadly.

[MarcuccioV]

I just re-read this thread, and - it must be that I got a flu shot + booster yesterday - I was a bit loopy on my connecting Italy & the armies of Mary Queen of Scots...Sorry about that! I now have a decent follow-up question:

I have now determined that only my father's Mother came over from Sicily. The rest are Calabria, Artena, and Frosinone.

If I wanted to explore that Sicilian connection - I would choose the YDNA - because it contains my father? Or am I still confused?

Y-DNA will not help with your father's mother's line. Only the direct paternal (surname) line, as Darkerhorse mentioned.

BTW, you mention Artena -- my family has roots in the Artena/Valmontone/Labico area. What is/are the surnames in your family from there..? I also have more distant ties to Frosinone...

[bmorocco]

Thanks again,

I know, - I keep getting this confused with the "paper" genealogy. But this is a whole different type of history search. But the patterns are definitely intriguing. I'll just hav etc jump in and learn as I join groups, as suggested.


Yes Mark, - you reached out to me via PM, and I have to review that.
Maternal GGF - Andrea Talone - from Artena 1893. - That's who I am pursuing citizenship through. His mother's name - Maria Lana (sp?). His wife, Ernestina Castelucci was from Sora/Frosinone.

[MarcuccioV]

Yes Mark, - you reached out to me via PM, and I have to review that.
Maternal GGF - Andrea Talone - from Artena 1893. - That's who I am pursuing citizenship through. His mother's name - Maria Lana (sp?). His wife, Ernestina Castelucci was from Sora/Frosinone.

I re-checked the PM. Yes, we did touch base on that. I, too have some Aegean (including Cypriot) along with the Italian/Sicilian. I'm sure there is a connection somewhere (most likely deeper than is researchable via the paper trail)...