The following news release was written by Ancestry.com staff and distributed via Marketwired News Releases:
PROVO, UT — (Marketwired) — 02/26/14 — Thanks to cutting-edge genetic science from AncestryDNA, African Americans are now able to make new discoveries about their ethnic origins, learning about the people and cultures that have been a part of their ancestral heritage for centuries. With test takers on average having at least three and a half regions in Africa as part of their genetic ethnicity estimate, African Americans are learning more about their own ancestral “melting pot.”
Using state-of-the-art technology developed by the dynamic team of genetic scientists at AncestryDNA, people of African descent are able to identify their ethnicity beyond just a continent. Instead, the AncestryDNA test provides a detailed and personalized estimate of genetic ethnicity for 26 regions across the globe. These 26 regions include a total of 9 African regions, of which 6 different countries/regions are within Western Africa: Benin/Togo, Cameroon/Congo, Ivory/Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal.
“Through the expanded capabilities of AncestryDNA, African Americans can learn more about the many regions that are part of their ancestral lineage. No longer do they have to be content with the blanket ethnicity of African,” said Dr. Ken Chahine, Senior Vice President and General Manager of AncestryDNA. “AncestryDNA is connecting customers of African descent to the people and cultures that are part of their heritage, and that can be a really exciting discovery for those whose family history journeys have been cut short or unrevealing through records alone.”
Additionally, Ancestry.com has collected, preserved, digitized and indexed one of the most comprehensive collections of historical records online relating to the African American community. The records, which include Freedman Bank Records, US Federal Censuses, The California African-American “Who’s Who” and others are extensive, historically-rich and encapsulate the history of African Americans in the country.
Now through the end of February, Ancestry.com is offering a comprehensive package for African American discovery that includes the AncestryDNA test and one-month free access to all U.S. record collections on Ancestry.com, including the African American records. Available at a price of $99, this great offer provides personalized DNA results as well as access to more than 10 billion records, photos and images.
For more information about the resources available on Ancestry.com, or to start uncovering your own African roots, please visit www.ancestry.com/AfricanAmerican.
