The Confucius Genealogy Compilation Committee Rejects DNA Testing
See the new article at Seed Magazine “Inheriting Confucius,” which discusses efforts to generate a family tree containing the 2 million+ descendants of Confucius.
Kong De-Yong, a 77th(!) generation descendant of Confucius, has been compiling the tree for the last 10 years. Although the Committee is accepting submissions from women and other previously excluded groups, it is not accepting DNA contributions. According to the article, this “hints at the limits of Chinese engagement with the age of genomics, and demonstrates how high cultural stakes can constrain science.” Unfortunately, as the author of the article suggests, many people might be afraid of the results of such DNA testing: “Given the potential implications of genetic knowledge for long-presumed members of the [Confucius] family, they think it better not to know.”
However, there is of course no need for the Committee’s participation in order to learn more about Confucius’ DNA or Confucuis’ descendants (although it would be nice, of course). A Confucius DNA Project has already been initiated by the Beijing Institute of Genomics, and Confucius descendants can submit a sample for analysis for the price of $125.
September 30th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
to support their own family trees. Many genealogists today will ask why DNA and genetic genealogy hasn’t been used for those people. However, although the committee did accept women and minorities, it did not accept DNA evidence. Blaine Bettinger’sThe Genetic Genealogist blog, included a quote from Seed Magazine’s “Inheriting Confucius,” indicating “Given the potential implications of genetic knowledge for long-presumed members of the family, they think it is better not to know.” However, the Beijing Institute of Genomics
August 14th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Mathematicians have concluded that every man in the world is a descendant of Confucius and Nefertiti, and every European is a descendant of Muhammad and Charlemagne.
August 15th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Love your blog!!!
Emily
If you do not hear from me in a timely manner, just write again…I was buried in email. LOL
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Northwest Regional Coordinator and Speaker for ISOGG (www.isogg.org)
Administrator for eleven FTDNA DNA Projects
Emily Aulicino’s last blog post..Finding Ancestors through DNA
November 28th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
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November 29th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
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December 22nd, 2009 at 1:25 am
I personally doubt that every European is a descendant of Charlemagne and Mohammed–likewise I doubt there is 100% saturation with the others mentioned. I say this because I read a different article on the mathematics that gave an 85% descendancy of Europeans from Charlemagne. Also, it would not surprise me if there was enough isolation in China to restrict the gene pool of Confucius. But just my opinion.
September 28th, 2011 at 8:52 pm
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