LONDON: Tom Robinson had long wondered about his family tree. He never suspected its roots might lie in the Mongolian steppe.

The Florida accountant knew that his great, great-grandfather had come to the United States from England — but beyond that his research drew a blank. So, he turned to the field of `bioarchaeology,' having his DNA tested to see what it revealed about his origins.

He was in for a surprise. According to a British geneticist who pioneered the research, Robinson appears to be a direct descendant of Genghis Khan, the Mongol warrior who conquered vast tracts of Asia and Europe in the 13th century.

Robinson said he was startled when he received a call from the firm, Oxford Ancestors about a surprising ancestor uncovered by his DNA tests.

"My first impression was, `Oh no, who is it' — imagining it was Adolf Hitler or something like that," said Robinson, 48. "So I was actually pleasantly surprised."

Bad press

Robinson thinks his forebear, whose name has long been a byword for violence and cruelty, has had a bad press. "In addition to being a conqueror, he was a great administrator," said Robinson, who has been reading up on Genghis Khan.

Established in 2001 by Oxford University geneticist Bryan Sykes, Oxford Ancestors offers DNA testing to people eager to trace their genetic roots. Women have two X chromosomes, while men carry one X chromosome and one Y, so only men can take the paternal ancestry test.

Circumstantial evidence

Lacking any tissue samples from the Mongol ruler — whose tomb has never been found — the tests are based on an assessment of probabilities. ``This is circumstantial evidence," said Sykes. "I think it means that people who carry this chromosome are direct patrilineal descendants of Genghis Khan. How this chromosome came to be so prominent was that when he conquered new territory, Genghis Khan would kill the men and inseminate all the women."

Proven or not, Robinson's link may well make him a celebrity in Mongolia. Genghis Khan is celebrated by Mongolians as the father of their nation.

Robinson, an associate professor of accountancy at the University of Miami, said he hoped to travel to Mongolia next year. — AP

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail