New Genomics Software to Determine Ancestry

Computer scientists at Stanford University have developed genomics analysis software that they say appears to be "far more adept than prior methods at unraveling the ancestry of individuals."

Known as HAPPA (HMM-based analysis of polymorphisms in admixed ancestries) -- also, from "hapa," the Hawaiian word for someone of mixed ancestry -- the new computer program compares the DNA of an individual to all of the individuals in the International HapMap database to determine distinct haploblocks derived from different populations. For now the program is limited because the HapMap database only includes the genetic record of 270 individuals of Western European, West African and East Asian ancestry. The hope, however, is that with enough individuals and populations for comparison, the program will be able to make fine distinctions in ancestral makeup - hypothetically differentiating Greek from Italian, or Russian from German. Perhaps it will even be able to sort out my "mongrel" background of French, German, Welsh, English and Polish ancestors...

A paper detailing the research appears online in the April issue of Genome Research.