Ultimate selfie
tics in our embryonic development, highlighting the limb structures and organs we have in common with creatures such as octopuses, birds and fish.
I was most intrigued by the concept of mutation. As McKay explained, our cells include DNA. Occasionally, mutations in those cells occur. These mutations are the ones used to track our ancestry.
Dr Rajeshree Mahabeer, of the National Health Laboratory Service, then led us into a deeper conversation about DNA. She began by saying that the earliest evidence of Homo Sapiens (the species to which all modern humans belong) was found in Ethiopia. I thought it was now common knowledge that humankind began on our continent, so I had a hearty chuckle at some of the disgruntled faces around me when she said this.
We were given a short but rich look into how migration from Africa occurred more than 70 000 years ago, with many of our ancestors following animals and vegetation, whereas others may have been driven by curiosity.
Having given a brief take on how humankind has been studied, through art and culture, archaeology, palaeontology and linguistics, Mahabeer then took us into the study of genetics. She explained everything from genome pairs, the haplogroups (a group of people who share a common ancestor) used to determine the tracking of our ancestors’ migration across countries, as well as which DNA we inherit from our parents: mitochondrial from our mothers and the Y chromosome from our fathers.
“Yup, dads determine the sex of their children, so don’t blame your wife when you don’t get the son you wanted,” she joked.
As interesting and informative as these sessions had been, I was eager to get on with the test, not to mention that we had been told not to eat or drink for at least an hour.
We were all there for our own reasons. I was sandwiched between an older couple and a white man in a dashiki who seemed charmed every time there was a mention of Nelson Mandela. Some came because they had received the test as a gift, whereas others were simply curious.
After signing our consent forms, we spent a few minutes swabbing our cheeks and inserting the little brush into a labelled container. The process took less than 10 minutes.
Mahabeer said that our samples would be sent to a lab to be analysed, and our results would be sent back to us in a report that includes genetic matching that may sometimes include celebrities.
The limitation of the centre’s test was that we would only receive information about our direct lineages. She warned us that ancestry tests had been used as a way to discriminate against certain groups — and that we couldn’t use these ancestry tests to apply for broad-based black economic empowerment opportunities.
The deep dive into all aspects about ancestry was an incredibly absorbing process. The eight weeks for my results to be sent could not pass fast enough. But what is eight weeks, or millions of years, between ancestors?