something I came across in the weekend... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rurik According to the FamilyTreeDNA Rurikid Dynasty DNA Project, Rurik appears to have belonged to Y-DNA haplogroup N1c1, based on testing of his modern male line descendants and then also, in these modern times, with people being able to travel long distances and colonialism, lots of people have mixed ancestory. I for example have english, scottish, french, danish and deep dark secret (but possibley chinese is the rumors are true), and my niece is an even greater mix; On her maternal side her mother's father is welsh, her grandmother is polish and her great grandmother is ukrainian
Yes. The name “Russia” comes from the south-eastern Swedish tribe of Russ, (Russia=Russland=Land of the Russ) who conquered first Novgorod and later Kiev in the 10th century. But that was the mere aftermath of the age of migration of peoples in Europe. The Vandals (a Germanic tribe) gave their name to modern day Andalusia (Vandalusia=land of the Vandals) as the Goths gave their name to the modern day Catalonia. (Catalonia=Gotalania=Land of the Goths). France got its name from the (Germanic) tribe of Franks. And the Normans (in the Robin Hood sagas) that Wilhelm the Conqueror led in the battle of Hastings AD 1066 against the Saxons were descendants of Nordic/Scandinavian tribes (norman=northman). On the question of the ethnicity of modern day western Russia, I have no knowledge. I would assume that the numerically small one day conquerors have melted in with Slavic tribes. Carl Grimberg, The History of European Peoples 1989, volume 5 pages112-120. ISBN 951-0-09728-4
To my knowledge descent over several generations via male line is impossible to determine due the high variation rate of tumaic (eukaryotic?) DNA. The only DNA strand that remains almost without variation over generations (thus proving direct line of relation) is mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited from mother to daughter (matrilineal line). Feel free to prove me wrong. (Wikipedia does not suffice, though.)
They were tracking something in Y-chromosome as far as I can understand, if there is no crossing-over between it and X-chromosome, then it should be fine to track it, if not, bad idea. Unfortunately, I could not find if there is a crossing-over between X and Y chromosomes. Probably not, for they are different... I think the bad part is not that, but the fact they claim ancestry by having a certain part of genetic code, yet I think that this very part can be had by someone not related to the Rurik family (because I do not think they tested enough people OUTSIDE the family to prove no one except the family has the code part.)
To the best of my limited knowledge, they support these claims through a statistical analysis of the distribution of the genetic material within and without the population being considered. Nothing is proven, only "likely". Remember: There's Lies, then there's DAMN LIES, then there's statistics.
