The Genographic Project : Track Your Ancestry with National Geographic

The National Geographic Society, IBM, geneticist Spencer Wells, and the Waitt Family Foundation have launched the Genographic Project.

National Geographic and IBM are embarking on a landmark five-year study that will assemble the world’s largest collection of DNA samples to map how humankind populated the planet.

Over the next five years, The Genographic Project will attempt to collect and analyze DNA blood samples from over 100,000 indigenous people making it the world’s largest study of its kind in the field of anthropological genetics. The resulting data will map world migratory patterns dating back some 150,000 years and will fill in the huge gaps in our knowledge of humankind’s migratory history. Read the FAQ.

The general public around the world can participate in the study by purchasing a Genographic Public Participation Kit. By sending in a simple cheek swab sample, a participant can learn about his or her own deep ancestry while contributing to the overall Project.