The ancestor cannot be identified by DNA testing

Commercial DNA testing tests determine whether a person is a descendant of famous historical figures or communities, not just ' genetic astrology' , scientists warn.

The program introduces the 'Who Do You Think You Are?' Service. (Who do you think you are?) Recently taken place on the streets of London, England, customers are invited to various forms of DNA testing to determine if they are related to King Richard III or after. the granddad of Roman warriors or not.

Each customer has to pay up to £ 300 (about US $ 452) for a one-time use of the service despite the fact that many tests do not have valid scientific evidence.

Private genetic testing services have become a field of business
lucrative business in the last few years. (Artwork: Alamy)

Many experts voiced skepticism about the accuracy of such tests. They think that they are too general and 'meaningless' for each individual or just speculation from very few evidence.

According to scientists, the amount of DNA each individual inherits from his relatives only above him / her a few steps in the tree must be negligible compared to the large amount of DNA we all share. received from common ancestors.

This means, any 'history' of ancestors identified by a simple gene test is just one of dozens of possibilities and attempts to directly trace the lineage through the genes of a People are "absurd".

Private gene testing services have become a lucrative business in the past few years in the West. Many companies are advertising tests that help identify whether they are related to Napoleon, Cleopatra or have certain racial DNA.

Last year, ancestry.com was priced up to $ 1.6 billion. At least 40 companies are trading ancestral gene testing services around the world at a cost of US $ 45.2 - 452 per time.