DNA testing for Spurling/Sperling family research
DNA research to answer the big Spurling genealogy questions
Have you readers seen the recent advertisements from Rootsweb about DNA testing?
A friend of mine recently sent me an article called "The Tree of Me" by John Seabrook, The New Yorker March 26, 2001, p. 58.It details the reporter's family history quest and his decision to have DNA testing done to help tell how close different branches of the Seabrook family are in both England and the USA.DNA testing is not for the faint hearted because it can turn up what researchers call "non-paternity events."The comparison of gene markers can turn up people that are not likely to be truly related even if they share the same surname.In the article Seabrook explains more about the process of testing, sending results off to England, and how markers may be passed on both through Y chromosomes of men and mitochondrial DNA of women.In the end his DNA had significant similarities with those in divergent Seabrook family lines.
Reading this set off some thoughts in my mind about the big questions of Spurling genealogy in the USA.Were the NJ Sperlings of the 1700's linked to the Fairfax Co. VA Spurlings and the New Hampshire Spurlings of the 1700's?Was the line that derived from Jesse Spurling of West Virginia linked to the Virginia Spurlings or some other line?Were all of these lines linked to early English lines or to German or East European Sperling lines or both?Many of us have been hunting for any documents that would help answer these big questions for a long time.I am in my fifties now and I am beginning to wonder whether documents will provide the answers.
DNA testing still sounds very expensive.Maybe the price will come down in time.I only share these thoughts with you because I feel it is time we started thinking and learning more about the process.It could provide fabulous new information towards understanding where we came from.For it to resolve issues, enough Spurlings/Sperlings would have to participate to build up conclusive evidence, and that means a number of people would have to pay significant amounts of money.Still, it is intriguing and we should study itmore and hope the price comes down.
Norman
More Replies:
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Re: DNA testing for Spurling/Sperling family research
3/21/02
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Re: DNA testing for Spurling/Sperling family research
Paula Sisson 7/27/09
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Re: DNA testing for Spurling/Sperling family research