Mennonite Genealogy with Michael Penner

Penner DNA

A new tool is being added to the genealogist’s toolbox: DNA testing.

Those tiny strands of DNA that live in your cells contains a record of your ancestry. How effectively we can extract information from DNA remains to be seen, but some general information is discernable at the very least.

My DNA has been tested and found to be type E3b2, also called M-81(related article, Wikipedia article). This subtype is the most common subtype found in North West Africa. It is also common in the Iberian peninsula (Spain & Portugal), possibly due to centuries of Islamic domination of this region.

My link to Africa may date back 500 years or to prehistory. This emerging field may not be researched enough yet to tell.

The Penner DNA project (see below) has to date shown that all Penners tested to date have the same Y chromosome type. If you’re a male Penner, chances are you’re type E3b2 too! Why not get tested for free and find out...

Penner DNA Project

Professor Glenn Penner of Guelph, Ontario, is conducting DNA research on the Penner ancestry. He is inviting Penner males who can trace their ancestry back 150 years and who are not already represented in the sample set to participate. A swab of the inside of your cheek is all it takes and the test is free of charge. The study operates under the premise that the Y chromosome passes from father to son unchanged (aside from mutation). One goal of the study is to see if the Penner surname originated from a single Penner patriarch. You can find my results on the FamilyDNA Mennonite web page under kit# 23578 [Peter Penner (c1765-<1803) GM45847].

Click here to visit Glenn’s website.

 

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