DNA Age: Stalking strangers' DNA

New York Times writer Amy Harmon has released another article in her DNA Age series. This one is a bit darker and recounts what people will do to get unwilling relatives' DNA to test for genetic genealogy.

"They swab the cheeks of strangers and pluck hairs from corpses. They travel hundreds of miles to entice their suspects with an old photograph, or sometimes a free drink. Cooperation is preferred, but not necessarily required to achieve their ends.

If the amateur genealogists of the DNA era bear a certain resemblance to members of a “CSI” team, they make no apologies. Prompted by the advent of inexpensive genetic testing, they are tracing their family trees with a vengeance heretofore unknown."

As family history researchers know, paper records may contain errors, but a DNA match is a DNA match, no matter what the paper documents may say or not say.

However, not all relatives are interested in participating. I have tested several branches of our family, but my own branch remains untested because of reluctance on the part of the few remaining male relatives.

Why are they reluctant? It may be the price, it may be family secrets, it could be fear of the unknown or suspicions.

While I have not resorted to guerilla DNA tactics, it appears that others have, according to Harmon, and turned our hobby into an extreme reality show.

"Seeking to expand their family trees, thousands of amateur family historians have begun asking people with the same last names to compare genes, even though most are total strangers. That is where the free drinks come in."

You'll enjoy retired banker Georgia Bopp's story about grabbing a relative's glass in a restaurant.

Adoptees are searching for biological families, proof of Native American heritage, and links to the famous.

Although testing companies prefer cheek cells, DNA can be extracted from other genetic material, including toothbrushes, hearing aids, nail clippings and postage stamps.

Family Tree DNA's Bennett Greenspan is quoted, referring to a bioethicist who spoke at the November 2006 conference in Houston. I attended both sessions that the bioethicist presented and listened to some of the cases attendees presented. It was an eye-opener, although the woman said "Don't do anything you wouldn't do in broad daylight."