Episode 322 - Coming Soon: Technology to Test Hats, Hair, Glasses, and Envelopes for Ancestral DNA

Host Scott Fisher opens the show with David Allen Lambert, Chief Genealogist for the New England Historic Genealogical Society and AmericanAncestors.org. This is the first episode fully recorded and edited from Fisher's home studio in isolation. Fish talks about his recent illness that took away his voice for a time. (NOT believed to be coronavirus.) David then makes a fascinating observation about the time we're now living in. Fisher and David then compare the genealogically worthless 2020 census to what was asked in 1920. In Family Histoire News, David shares the news about a fabulous heirloom in an old Bible recently picked up by a collector. Hear what it is and what the new owner has done with it. David reports we have lost another Pearl Harbor survivor. At 98, he had quite a job on December 7, 1941. Find out about his story. An old family graveyard has been uncovered in Maryland. Hear how it was found and what plans are in place for the site. Finally, spell check has led to one genie uncovering a very sad family tale from early last century.

Next, Fisher begins the first of a two part visit Karra Porter, one of the founders of a new lab for DNA analysis. The lab was scheduled to open in April as you'll hear in the segment, but this was recorded before the social isolation began. It will be delayed. Kara explains how we'll soon be able to possibly obtain ancestral DNA from old hairbrushes, envelopes, hats, jewelry, glasses… all kinds of heirlooms. She will explain some of the concerns and how Keepsake DNA plans to address them, and also how we can help her determine the percentages of success for certain items and specific time periods. The potential is beyond exciting!

David Lambert then returns for a couple of questions on Ask Us Anything.

That's all this week on Extreme Genes, America's Family History Show!