I'm seriously thinking about participating in this project ... it sounds right up my street, given that I'm such a mongrel

www.nationalgeographic.com/genographic

Plus, it's a lot cheaper (still expensive though) than going through the other experts in the field http://www.oxfordancestor...iline.html

1. What is the Genographic Project?
National Geographic and IBM are embarking on a landmark five-year study that will assemble the world's largest collection of DNA samples to map how humankind populated the planet.

The Genographic Project will use sophisticated computer analysis of DNA contributed by hundreds of thousands of people—including indigenous populations and the general public—to reveal man's migratory history and to better understand the connections and differences that make up the human race.

The Genographic Project has three core components:
Field Research—The core of the project is the collection of blood samples from indigenous populations, whose DNA contains key genetic markers that have remained relatively unaltered over hundreds of generations making them reliable indicators of ancient migratory patterns. Dr. Wells and a group of 10 scientists from prominent international institutions will conduct the field and laboratory research. One additional research center will focus on analyzing DNA from ancient remains. The Waitt Family Foundation is funding this component of the Genographic Project. An international advisory board will oversee the selection of indigenous populations for testing as well as adherence to strict sampling and research protocols.

Public Participation and Awareness Campaign—The general public can take part in the project by purchasing a Genographic Project Public Participation Kit and submitting their own cheek swab sample, allowing them to track the overall progress of the project as well as learn their own migratory history. These personal results are stored anonymously to protect the privacy of participants. National Geographic will regularly update the public and the scientific community on project findings, including through the website and through National Geographic's many other media platforms worldwide.

Genographic Legacy Project—Proceeds from the sale of the Genographic Public Participation Kits help fund future field research and a legacy project, which will build on National Geographic's 117-year-long focus on world cultures. The legacy project will support education and cultural preservation projects among participating indigenous groups.

The 10 research centers are located around the world and will represent their respective regions. The centers are located in Australia (Australia/Pacific), Brazil (South America), China (East/Southeast Asia), France (Western/Central Europe), India, Lebanon (Middle East/North Africa), Russia (North Eurasia), South Africa (Sub-Saharan Africa), the United Kingdom (Western/Central Europe), and the United States (North America).

2. What makes this project so different?
Most of what we know about anthropological genetics is based on DNA samples donated by approximately 10,000 indigenous people from around the world. While this has given us a broad view of the patterns of human migration, it represents but a small sample of humanity's genetic diversity. Over the next five years, The Genographic Project will attempt to collect and analyze DNA blood samples from over 100,000 indigenous people making it the world's largest study of its kind in the field of anthropological genetics. The resulting data will map world migratory patterns dating back some 150,000 years and will fill in the huge gaps in our knowledge of humankind's migratory history. This data will eventually comprise the largest database of its kind.

In addition to the field research component, the Genographic Project is reaching out to the public. The general public around the world will be invited to participate in the study by purchasing a Genographic Public Participation Kit. By sending in a simple cheek swab sample, a participant can learn about his or her own deep ancestry while contributing to the overall Project.

3. How long will the project last?
The Genographic Project is a five year effort. The goal is to collect and genotype at least 100,000 indigenous DNA samples from around the world over that time frame.

4. What will the end result be?
The Genographic Project will result in the creation of a global database of human genetic variation and associated anthropological data (language, social customs, etc.). This database will serve as an invaluable scientific resource for the research community. Many indigenous populations around the world are facing strong challenges to their cultural identities. The Genographic Project will provide a 'snapshot' of human genetic variation before we lose the cultural context necessary to make sense of the genetic data. Among other things, we hope that the findings from the project will underscore how closely related we are to one another as part of the extended human family.

5. Why is the focus on human migratory patterns?
Scientific evidence suggests that the human species ultimately traces back to Africa. But other questions remain. For example, how did we migrate and populate the world? The Genographic Project aims to uncover some of these mysteries and discover the details of how we journeyed around the world. What impact has culture had on human genetic variation and how have cultural practices affected our patterns of genetic diversity? If we share a recent common ancestry, why do we look different from each other? At the moment, little is known about these topics.

6. What is the purpose of collecting DNA for the Genographic Project?
DNA samples are being collected to analyze specific "markers of descent" in order to probe questions about deep ancestry and historical human migration.

7. How does the Genographic Project differ from the Human Genome Diversity Project (HGDP) proposed over 14 years ago?
While the goals of the two projects overlap to some extent, there are major differences in the clarity of our mission and the way we are carrying out this project.

The Genographic Project is studying the human journey—how we are all related, and how we arrived at where we live today. There is no medical research of any kind in the Genographic Project. Also, we will not patent any genetic data resulting from the project. All the information belongs to the global community and will be released into the public domain.

Ours is a true collaboration between indigenous populations and scientists. Helping communicate their stories and promoting preservation of their languages and cultures is integral. Before any field work begins, we have been and will continue to seek advice and counsel from leaders and members of indigenous communities about their voluntary participation in the project.

In addition to answering questions of scientific interest to indigenous populations and the general public, we feel it is imperative to give something tangible back to the participating communities through Genographic's legacy project, which will include educational activities and cultural preservation projects. Proceeds from the sale of the participation kits will help fund the legacy project.

The Genographic Project will actively involve the public; we want everyone to understand the goals, methods and results.

Fourteen years ago when the HGDP was first discussed, the language of DNA and genetic anthropology was foreign to all but a few scientists. Today that language is more familiar to many of us, and many of the ethical and privacy issues are more clearly understood by the global community.

8. Why would I want to participate?
By participating in the Genographic Project, you will be part of a real-time research effort. In addition, you will have an opportunity to learn something about your deep ancestry and the migratory journey that your ancestors followed. Also, you will be contributing financially to the project. The net proceeds from the sales of the Genographic Project Public Participation Kits will help support the field research, as well as education programs and indigenous cultural preservation efforts.

9. Are any pharmaceutical or insurance companies involved in the Genographic Project?
No. The Genographic Project is supported by private foundations in conjunction with National Geographic and IBM, the project's lead partner.

10. How will the Genographic Project benefit indigenous communities?
In addition to helping to fund the field research, the Genographic Project's net proceeds from the sale of the Public Participation Kits will be directed towards cultural preservation efforts. One of the key goals of the Genographic Project is to raise awareness of the pressures indigenous groups face and to try to empower these groups. The Genographic Project's Advisory Board, comprised of respected leaders in various scientific and other fields, will provide oversight and guidance to foster community/indigenous involvement and representation.

11. Has the Genographic Project received any outside review and approval?
The Genographic Project received full approval from the Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Pennsylvania Office of Regulatory Affairs on April 12, 2005. The IRB operates in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and ethical standards necessary for research involving human participants.

cool! i'd do that...but i ain't got $100.

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

yeah ... that's the difficult bit

Hhmm ... interesting