New York City student ancestry project to analyze DNA

“I’m part Neanderthal,” Rachel Bruton, a member of National Geographic’s Explorer Programs team, told Medical Daily. “I consider it bragging rights.”

Well, hello to you, and welcome to the New York City Student Ancestry Project! The event took place in the American Museum of Natural History, where nearly 200 college students milled around the grand gallery, waiting to submit a DNA cheek swab in order to participate in a human population genetics project. Their excited voices resonated within the stone and marble hall, while steps away random bones from Australopithecus and Peking Man lay enclosed in glass.

“I thought it would be a great idea to bring students together to learn how to analyze data,” said Dr. Michael Hickerson, assistant professor of biology at City University of New York.

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Read the full, original story: DNA Testing For New York City Student Ancestry Project Reveals Migration Patterns Out Of Africa