This week is the last of a six-episode PBS documentary series called <a href="https://www.pbs.org/show/human-footprint/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Footprint</a>. 



Hosted by the biologist and Princeton University professor <a href="https://www.campbellstaton.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shane Campbell-Staton</a>, Ph.D., the series traverses across the globe from high-tech labs to street markets to farms and restaurants to capture the vast footprint of people on this planet. 



The episodes include topics like invasive species and urban development, and the last episode looks at the science and history of cotton farming. 



For that episode, Shane also visited 23andMe headquarters to interview Steven Micheletti, Ph.D., a 23andMe population geneticist who was the lead author of a 2021 paper on the <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/transatlantic-slave-trade-paper" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genetic impact of the transatlantic slave trade</a>. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/7_HF106_TheGroundBelow_Textless_Broadcast_2160p2398_ProResHQ_EN_Surround_Stereo.mov.01_12_17_06.Still042-topaz-faceai-sharpen-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="Steven Micheletti, Ph.D., a 23andMe population geneticist who was lead author of a 2021 paper on the genetic impact of the transatlantic slave trade" class="wp-image-32069" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/7_HF106_TheGroundBelow_Textless_Broadcast_2160p2398_ProResHQ_EN_Surround_Stereo.mov.01_12_17_06.Still042-topaz-faceai-sharpen-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/7_HF106_TheGroundBelow_Textless_Broadcast_2160p2398_ProResHQ_EN_Surround_Stereo.mov.01_12_17_06.Still042-topaz-faceai-sharpen-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/7_HF106_TheGroundBelow_Textless_Broadcast_2160p2398_ProResHQ_EN_Surround_Stereo.mov.01_12_17_06.Still042-topaz-faceai-sharpen-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/7_HF106_TheGroundBelow_Textless_Broadcast_2160p2398_ProResHQ_EN_Surround_Stereo.mov.01_12_17_06.Still042-topaz-faceai-sharpen-1-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/7_HF106_TheGroundBelow_Textless_Broadcast_2160p2398_ProResHQ_EN_Surround_Stereo.mov.01_12_17_06.Still042-topaz-faceai-sharpen-1-1180x663.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/7_HF106_TheGroundBelow_Textless_Broadcast_2160p2398_ProResHQ_EN_Surround_Stereo.mov.01_12_17_06.Still042-topaz-faceai-sharpen-1.jpg 1350w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Steven Micheletti, Ph.D., a 23andMe population geneticist who was lead author of a 2021 paper on the genetic impact of the transatlantic slave trade.</figcaption></figure>



“The demand for cotton in the US increased the demand for an enslaved workforce. The continued enslavement of people of African descent throughout most of the 19th century is embedded in the genetics of Americans today,” Steven said when discussing the upcoming episode.



Titled &#8220;The Ground Beneath&#8221; this last episode explores the history of cotton farming, slavery, and its effect on America today. The story of cotton covers how one group of people enslaved another to power an industry, reshape a landscape, a culture and very DNA of the American people, the producers of the series said.



If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, check out the show and past episodes here.

Steven Micheletti, Ph.D., a 23andMe population geneticist who was lead author of a 2021 paper on the genetic impact of the transatlantic slave trade

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Human Footprint

We don&#8217;t know their names, but a new historical DNA analysis by researchers at 23andMe, <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/news/historical-dna-study-connects-living-people-enslaved" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard University</a>, and the Smithsonian Institution has revealed more about the enslaved and freed African Americans who labored at a Maryland iron furnace just after the founding of the United States. Along with insights into the lives of these forgotten people, the study leveraged 23andMe’s large research database to find connections between these people and more than 40,000 of their living relatives.&nbsp;



The stunning analysis published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.ade4995" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science reveals a hidden history</a>. (You can also find an open access <a href="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Harney-etal-Catoctin-Science-AcceptedVersion_ForSharing-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PDF of the paper here.</a>) Moreover, it provides a technical and ethical benchmark to inform future studies of similar, largely forgotten burial sites.&nbsp;



“Our study demonstrates the power of DNA to uncover important history about the lives of people whose stories are lost to time,” said lead author Éadaoin Harney, Ph.D., a 23andMe scientist on 23andMe’s Population Genetics R&amp;D team. “The study revealed more about these individuals, including identifying familial groups, discovering details of their ancestral origins in Africa, and connecting their history to people living today.”



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="731" height="1024" data-id="31969" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial35_updated-731x1024.jpg" alt="A photo of a facial reconstruction of one of the individuals , a woman in her 30s, found at Cactoctin Furnace." class="wp-image-31969" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial35_updated-731x1024.jpg 731w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial35_updated-214x300.jpg 214w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial35_updated-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial35_updated-629x880.jpg 629w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial35_updated-843x1180.jpg 843w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial35_updated-scaled.jpg 1829w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 731px) 100vw, 731px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Courtesy of Catoctin Furnace Historical Society; forensic facial reconstruction by StudioEIS and artist Jiwoong Cheh in consultation with Smithsonian scientists; photography by James D. Tiller &amp; Miguel Montalvo, Smithsonian.</figcaption></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="731" height="1024" data-id="31970" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial15_updated-731x1024.jpg" alt="A photo of a facial reconstruction of one of the individuals , a teenage male, found at Cactoctin Furnace." class="wp-image-31970" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial15_updated-731x1024.jpg 731w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial15_updated-214x300.jpg 214w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial15_updated-768x1075.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial15_updated-629x880.jpg 629w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial15_updated-843x1180.jpg 843w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Burial15_updated-scaled.jpg 1829w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 731px) 100vw, 731px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Courtesy of Catoctin Furnace Historical Society; forensic facial reconstruction by StudioEIS and artist Jiwoong Cheh in consultation with Smithsonian scientists; photography by James D. Tiller &amp; Miguel Montalvo, Smithsonian. </figcaption></figure>
</figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Connections to Early American Industrial Site</h6>



The researchers looked at the DNA from the remains of 27 individuals, many of them teenagers and children, excavated from a cemetery at the historic site of <a href="https://catoctinfurnace.org/ironworker/">Catoctin Furnace</a>. Among them are 15 related individuals clustered into five family groups, which were mostly made up of mothers, their children, and siblings. The remains of those related individuals were generally found buried near one another.&nbsp;



Their DNA indicates that these individuals had more ancestry connecting to a region now known as Senegal and Gambia and, more specifically, groups from that region, such as the Wolof and Mandinka, than do most modern-day African Americans. Many also had European ancestry, mainly from Britain and Ireland, likely due to the rape of enslaved African American women by their white enslavers and others in positions of power (who had primarily European ancestry). Further evidence of that exploitation was that much of the European ancestry was on the paternal side.&nbsp;



The highest concentration of the Catoctin individuals’ closest living genetic relatives are in Maryland, indicating that some surviving family members of those who labored at the forge remained in Maryland since the late 1700s or early 1800s.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="541" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Heat-Map-1024x541.png" alt="A heat map showing not just where living genetic relatives of the Catoctin Furnace are in the United States but also the ancestral contributions from Africa and Europe." class="wp-image-31963" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Heat-Map-1024x541.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Heat-Map-300x158.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Heat-Map-768x406.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Heat-Map-880x465.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Heat-Map-1180x623.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Heat-Map.png 1522w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Site of Catoctin Furnace in Maryland (star) and locations of deidentified study participants (colored dots). Darker dots indicate more participants related to those at the burial site. Image: Harney et al, Science</figcaption></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reconnecting-to-lost-roots">Reconnecting to Lost Roots</h6>



<a href="https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2022/07/feature-ancient-dna">Harvard geneticist David Reich</a> helped oversee the study along with <a href="https://naturalhistory.si.edu/staff/douglas-owsley">Douglas Owsley</a>, curator of Biological Anthropology at the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is the custodian of the remains, while scientists at Reich&#8217;s lab handled the extraction and testing of the DNA.&nbsp;



“Our study combines for the first time two transformative developments in genomics in the last decade: ancient DNA technology, which makes it possible to efficiently sequence whole-genome data from human remains, and direct-to-consumer genetic databases that contain data from millions of people who have consented to participate in research,” <a href="https://hms.harvard.edu/news/historical-dna-study-connects-living-people-enslaved" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said Reich</a>, co-senior author as well as a professor of genetics in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School and professor of human evolutionary biology in Harvard’s FAS.



“This work demonstrates the power of DNA to provide information about ancestral origins,” he added.



Harney, who completed her PhD in Reich’s lab before joining 23andMe to facilitate this collaboration, and other 23andMe researchers designed and implemented an approach to compare the genomes of the Catoctin individuals with DNA from over 9 million 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. As a result, the scientists identified more than 42,000 living relatives. Most of these relatives are distant, and a much smaller proportion have a closer relationship. The closest matches were likely 5th-degree relatives, equivalent to a great, great, great grandchild.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="873" height="486" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Catoctin_heatmaps.jpg" alt="A Heat Map of the United States showing the geographic distribution of genetic relatives of the Catoctin Furnace Individual. The location of the furnace site is starred in Maryland." class="wp-image-31984" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Catoctin_heatmaps.jpg 873w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Catoctin_heatmaps-300x167.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Catoctin_heatmaps-768x428.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 873px) 100vw, 873px" /></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Ethical Considerations</h6>



Studies like this are extremely delicate, not only because it is sometimes difficult to extract DNA from bones, but also because of the ethical questions this type of genetic analysis raises, especially when it comes to people who lived recently enough that they are almost surely closely related to individuals and communities today. As part of this work, the researchers have outline the ethical considerations &nbsp;<a href="https://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(23)00212-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in a companion paper published in the&nbsp;American Journal of Human Genetics</a>. In addition, there is <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/historical-dna-connection-to-early-enslaved-and-free-african-americans" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">an Q&amp;A published on the blog </a>from study co-author&nbsp;<a href="https://reich.hms.harvard.edu/people/roslyn-curry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Roslyn Curry</a>, a Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences student in the Reich lab and former 23andMe intern.



Typically, before work would begin on a DNA analysis like this, scientists would consult with relatives or local communities. But when this study started, there were no known family members of the enslaved people from the Catoctin Furnace site to consult. Instead, the <a href="https://catoctinfurnace.org/">Catoctin Furnace Historical Society</a> consulted with members of the <a href="https://aarchsociety.org/">African American Resources, Cultural and Heritage Society</a> in Frederick, Maryland. Later, archival researchers at the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society identified descendants of two African Americans who labored at the site, one free and the other enslaved. These descendant families also were consulted and expressed strong support for the project.&nbsp;



“This study represents a step toward meeting our ultimate goal of identifying a Catoctin descendant community using DNA and other tools,” said Elizabeth Comer of the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="614" height="352" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/TimelineFigure.png" alt="A timeline of the Catoctin Furnace from 1774 and 1903 when the furnace closed." class="wp-image-32017" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/TimelineFigure.png 614w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/TimelineFigure-300x172.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px" /></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">African American History and Connections</h6>



Collaborators on the study also included Boston University’s Linda Heywood and John Thornton, who have extensive expertise on African American history and culture. Also instrumental in the work was Harvard&#8217;s <a href="https://hutchinscenter.fas.harvard.edu/henry-louis-gates-jr">Henry Louis Gates Jr.</a>, the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard and host of the genealogy and genetics TV show Finding Your Roots.&nbsp;



“Recovering African American individuals’ direct genetic connections to ancestors heretofore buried in the slave past is a giant leap forward both scientifically and genealogically, opening new possibilities for those passionate about the search for their own family roots,” said Gates who is also a co-author of the paper.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">History Revealed</h6>



Like hundreds or thousands of African American burial grounds across the country, the history of those who were buried at Catoctin Furnace could easily have been lost. There were no inscribed headstones, and many of the stones that marked the graves had been moved. The forgotten burial ground at Catoctin Furnace was first unearthed in the 1970s during construction of a new highway in Frederick County, Maryland, and the remains were placed in the care of the Smithsonian.



The history of the iron furnace is well documented. It was founded near a site that was naturally rich in iron ore with an extensive surrounding forest as a source of charcoal. The first owner of the furnace was Thomas Johnson Jr. —&nbsp; a wealthy enslaver, the first non-colonial governor of Maryland, and a signer of the <a href="https://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/assoc74.html">Articles of Association</a>, a precursor document to the Declaration of Independence. Iron production began in earnest in 1776. It contributed in an important way to the arming of the fledgling Continental Army — supplying 100 tons of shells for the Siege of Yorktown. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="682" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Catoctin_Furnace_in_Cunningham_Falls_State_Park_MD-1024x682.jpg" alt="A photo of the Remains of Isabella, an iron furnace, part of Catoctin Furnace in Cunningham Falls State Park, Maryland, USA." class="wp-image-32020" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Catoctin_Furnace_in_Cunningham_Falls_State_Park_MD-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Catoctin_Furnace_in_Cunningham_Falls_State_Park_MD-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Catoctin_Furnace_in_Cunningham_Falls_State_Park_MD-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Catoctin_Furnace_in_Cunningham_Falls_State_Park_MD-768x511.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Catoctin_Furnace_in_Cunningham_Falls_State_Park_MD-880x586.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Remains of Isabella, an iron furnace, part of Catoctin Furnace in Cunningham Falls State Park, Maryland, USA.</figcaption></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Early Industrialization in the United States</h6>



The furnace grew over time during the early stages of industrialization in the United States. By about 1840, immigrant laborers replaced the enslaved workforce at the facility. While the furnace remained in operation until the early 1900s, the critical contributions of Catoctin’s enslaved and free African American workforce was largely forgotten.



The site serves as an early example of industrialization, and provides an example of the contributions of enslaved people in the early industrial workforce in the United States. Laborers first dug the ore out of the ground, washed it, and then transported it to the furnace on carts. The furnace itself ran nonstop for months at a time. The fires were fueled using charcoal made by burning trees felled nearby, and then burned in large mounds that were tended by “colliers.” Beyond the work related to the furnace, enslaved people also worked in the area as domestic and farm laborers.



In <a href="https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/102025">previous studies</a>, anthropologists at the Smithsonian were able to identify physical ailments from which the Catoctin individuals suffered through examination of their skeletal remains, such as a hip deformity that left one young woman with a lifelong limp, a man with a bent and fused spine, and a teenager with multiple, compressed vertebrae, likely due to heavy manual labor. The scientists also found high levels of zinc in the bones of one individual, likely caused by the industrial process of cleaning accumulated zinc deposits from inside the furnace stack.



In this study, DNA analysis found evidence suggesting that three individuals may have suffered from or been carriers of sickle cell anemia, caused by the HbS variant in the HBB gene.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-connecting-families">Connecting Families</h6>



Connecting these unnamed enslaved people to living relatives, and thereby shedding new light on their ancestral origins and genetic legacy, was only possible with access to a diverse genetic database like 23andMe’s.&nbsp;This study offers additional insight into the genetic legacy of the enslaved and free people who labored at Catoctin Furnace. Combined with a study 23andMe completed in 2020 looking at the genetic impact of the <a href="https://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(20)30200-7">Transatlantic Slave Trade</a>, there is an increased understanding of the impact of slavery on those in bondage, their descendants, and their unacknowledged contributions to American history.

A conceptual image of DNA and a tree with the words A Hidden History Revealed

DNA Connections to Early Enslaved and Free African Americans

A heat map showing not just where living genetic relatives of the Catoctin Furnace are in the United States but also the ancestral contributions from Africa and Europe.

Roslyn Curry

Ethics and the Study of Historic DNA of African Americans Buried at the Catoctin Furnace

Editor&#8217;s note: This post has been slightly edited since being posted in 2013.
By David Tran
Look at your hands. Is your ring finger longer than your index finger, or vice versa?
The length of a person’s index finger relative to his or her ring finger may tell us something about that individual&#8217;s exposure to <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200612/the-sex-hormone-secrets">sex hormones</a> when he or she was still in the womb. But genetics also plays a big role here and recent studies are shedding light on the interplay between all these factors.
<div style="float: right; text-align: justify; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 10px; margin-left: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; font-size: 12px;">
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-18878" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/digit-ratio-histogram-flat11-300x270.jpg" alt="digit ratio histogram flat(1)" width="300" height="270" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/digit-ratio-histogram-flat11-300x270.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/digit-ratio-histogram-flat11-768x692.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/digit-ratio-histogram-flat11-880x793.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/digit-ratio-histogram-flat11.jpg 900w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
This graph shows the estimated distribution of people with different index to ring finger length ratios (X-axis). There&#8217;s a small but consistent pattern where women tend to have larger ratios. 

</div>
While this may seem trivial, understanding how genetics and environmental factors influence finger length may give us insight into important biological functions.
<h2>Finger Length</h2>
It may help us understand not just bone development but also other seemingly unrelated traits and conditions. Recent studies show that people with autism tend to have a smaller index-to-ring finger ratio. In contrast, other studies have suggested associations between finger length ratio and prostate cancer, obesity, ADHD, and sexual orientation.
These findings are still preliminary; however, more research is needed.
Finger lengths have fascinated scientists for a long time.
<h2>Sex Differences</h2>
As early as 1875, researchers knew there was a difference between the sexes. For many women, the index finger is nearly the same length as the ring finger, while in men, the ring finger tends to be longer than the index finger.
On average, a woman&#8217;s index finger is about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=20303062">97-98 percent</a> the length of her ring finger, while a man&#8217;s index finger is about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=20303062">96-97 percent</a>. A ratio of 100 percent means your index finger is the same length as your ring finger.
<h2>Ratios</h2>
One thing to be aware of is that ratios can vary significantly between the left and right hands, so researchers often take the average of both hands.
These are not ironclad rules, so if your index to ring finger length ratio seems different from the average, don&#8217;t worry. Many people have a larger or smaller ratio. (See the accompanying graph for an estimation of the distribution of people with different finger ratios.)
You can see a lot of overlap between the sexes and changes in the ratios. Ratios change from person to person and may also be influenced by <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18433004">ancestry</a>.
<h2>The Genetics of Finger Length</h2>
<div style="float: right; text-align: justify; width: 210px; background-color: #eee; padding: 10px; margin-left: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; font-size: 12px;">
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-18880" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/finger-photo-191x300.jpg" alt="finger photo" width="191" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/finger-photo-191x300.jpg 191w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/finger-photo-653x1024.jpg 653w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/finger-photo-561x880.jpg 561w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/finger-photo-752x1180.jpg 752w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/finger-photo.jpg 765w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 191px) 100vw, 191px" />
Two volunteers from 23andMe allowed us to measure their fingers and you can see in the picture that the man has a 95% ratio while the woman has a 98% ratio. 

</div>
In 2013, a team led by John Mollon at Cambridge University in England <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=23263445">reported</a> that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was associated with a finger length ratio in people of European ancestry.
One genotype was associated with a 0.8 percent increase in finger length ratio. Another was associated with a 0.8 percent decrease in finger length ratio. The SNP lies near the SMOC1 gene, which is known to regulate bone growth and has been hypothesized to control finger length growth. Independent studies have suggested that the activity of the SMOC1 gene is controlled by <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=18794802">testosterone</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=17032503">estrogen</a> levels.
<h2>More Findings</h2>
In 2010, a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=20303062">study</a> found that another SNP is associated with a 0.6 percent increase in finger length ratio. This SNP lies near the LIN28B gene, which is important for the development of the embryo and a key player in stem cell development. However, how sex hormones affect LIN28B is less clear.
Many researchers are interested in finger-length ratios because they may shed light on exposure to sex hormones in the womb. Some studies suggest that exposure to more estrogen than testosterone is linked to larger finger-length ratios, while more testosterone has the opposite effect, leading to smaller finger-length ratios.
<h2>Learn More</h2>
Find out if your <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/genetic-health/">genetics</a> might Increase your risk for any health conditions with 23andMe.

David Tran

A Tale of Two Fingers

A new 23andMe genetic study identified a rare variant among people of Puerto Rican ancestry that confers a more than 12-fold increase in the risk of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/basics/ced/index.html#:~:text=related%20macular%20degeneration.-,Cataract,can%20be%20present%20at%20birth.">cataracts</a>. The rare variant is also associated with a 13-year earlier onset for the condition that leads to clouding of the eye&#8217;s lens and vision loss.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="580" height="235" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mind-in-the-Eyes-Scale_02.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-25383" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mind-in-the-Eyes-Scale_02.jpeg 580w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Mind-in-the-Eyes-Scale_02-300x122.jpeg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px" /></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diversity-in-research">Diversity in Research</h6>



The study, published in the preprint server <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.07.25.23293173v1">MedRxiv</a>, highlights the importance of genetic research in historically underrepresented populations.



Veera M. Rajagopal, Ph. D., a scientist specializing in genetics and drug target discovery in neuroscience and psychiatry, said the study offered hope for leveraging this data for insights into other underrepresented populations.



&#8220;Thanks to the diversity of the 23andMe research participants, the researchers were able to make this discovery without even having to fly to the Caribbean Islands and genotype its inhabitants,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/doctorveera/status/1685735375870820352">Rajagopal said on social media</a>. &#8220;With the rapidly growing genomic biobanks, more such discoveries will unfold in the coming years.&#8221;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-rare-variant">A Rare Variant</h6>



The 23andMe scientists Jingchunzi Shi and Suyash Shringarpure led the study. They identified a variant in the gene ITGA6 associated with cataracts. The ITGA6 gene is expressed in eye tissue.&nbsp;



For this study, the researchers gathered data from about 45,000 23andMe customers of Puerto Rican ancestry. All of these individuals had consented to participate in research. 23andMe’s cohort is among the world&#8217;s largest Puerto Rican genetic research cohorts.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-imputation">Imputation</h6>



Before beginning their genome-wide association study, the scientists conducted whole genome sequencing of 500 individuals from the cohort. They then used that data to create an imputation reference panel. This consists of genome-wide variation discovered through the whole-genome sequencing of these 500 individuals.&nbsp;



Researchers often use such reference panels to perform genotype imputation. Genotype imputation is the process of inferring genotypes at many of the areas in the genome not captured on genotyping arrays.&nbsp; Like a code breaker filling in missing letters in a message, scientists use algorithms and data from a whole-genome sequenced reference panel to predict or “impute” the missing letters of genetic data. This allows large-scale genetic studies to expand the number of genetic variants that can be analyzed.&nbsp;



Data from the remainder of the more than 45,000 23andMe research participants in this study comes from genotyping. But the scientists were able to use an imputation reference panel to improve the power of their research, imputing areas in the genome not captured through genotyping alone. This approach is both a cost-effective and efficient way to increase the power of genomic coverage for populations not currently well-represented in research.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-population-bottleneck">Population Bottleneck</h6>



The researchers looked at the global distribution of the variant. They found it exceedingly rare except among Puerto Rican and North African populations. The paper tracks a possible pathway for the variant. The researchers describe the migration of North African people to the Canary Islands and migration from the Canary Islands to <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-indigenous-caribbean-ancestry">Puerto Rico</a>.&nbsp;



In addition, because a small population initially reached the island, and then that population was isolated over several generations it may have led to what geneticists call a <a href="https://news.berkeley.edu/2022/06/23/bottlenecks-that-reduced-genetic-diversity-were-common-throughout-human-history/">&#8220;population bottleneck.&#8221;</a>&nbsp;



Disease, geographic isolation, migration, or persecution, can all create population bottlenecks. That isolation and a sudden decline in the population limit genetic diversity within a group. Over several generations, in the case of Puerto Rico, 8-12 generations, can lead to distinct genetic differences. This in turn can increase incidences of genetic conditions.&nbsp;



The study still needs to go through a review before publication. Still, the study offers proof of the importance of studying populations of various ethnicities. 23andMe scientists hope that the findings can be replicated in another cohort and that, ultimately, the insights could help <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/cataracts">ongoing research into cataracts.</a>

Genetic Study of Cataracts in Puerto Ricans

23andMe has added finer detail for customers with roots that trace to 19 different Caribbean populations with significant African ancestry.



The update is part of our continuing work to improve 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service reports and features. This new update allows customers with ancestry tracing to one of these Afro-Caribbean populations to see their genetic connections to these communities. The update also helps improve our understanding of the genetic legacy of slavery and the contribution enslaved people and their descendants have made to the rich history and culture of the Caribbean.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="143" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-10-at-10-23-37-Caribbean-Population-Report-23andMe-1024x143.png" alt="Colorful buildings along a street in the Caribbean." class="wp-image-31535" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-10-at-10-23-37-Caribbean-Population-Report-23andMe-1024x143.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-10-at-10-23-37-Caribbean-Population-Report-23andMe-300x42.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-10-at-10-23-37-Caribbean-Population-Report-23andMe-768x107.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-10-at-10-23-37-Caribbean-Population-Report-23andMe-880x123.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-10-at-10-23-37-Caribbean-Population-Report-23andMe-1180x164.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-afro-caribbean-people">Afro-Caribbean People</h2>



Many Caribbean Islands have significant populations or even majority populations of African ancestry or who identify as Afro-Caribbean. 



Much like in the United States, understanding slavery and the contributions of African people is crucial in understanding the history and culture of the Caribbean. Initially, Spanish colonizers used enslaved indigenous people, the Taino, after Christopher Columbus landed in Hispaniola in 1492. But soon after that, enslaved Africans were brought to the islands. Spanish slavers brought the first enslaved Africans there as early as 1510. In 1562, the English slaver Sir John Hawkins brought enslaved people to Hispaniola — now Haiti and the Dominican Republic — according to a history of slavery in the Caribbean by researchers at the University of Glasgow. 



The Caribbean islands — the bigger of which include Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola (composed of Haiti and the Dominican Republic), as well as smaller island chains like the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, the Leeward Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles — were one of the leading destinations for the transatlantic slave trade. Ultimately, about 40 percent of enslaved people taken from Africa, or roughly five million people, ended up on Caribbean islands. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="668" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/05965etching-1024x668.png" alt="An etching from the 1800 showing the holds of a ship with enslaved Africans crowded inside." class="wp-image-31983" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/05965etching-1024x668.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/05965etching-300x196.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/05965etching-768x501.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/05965etching-880x574.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/05965etching-1180x770.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Birth of Afro-Caribbean Culture</h2>



After surviving the horrific middle passage in the holds of slaving ships, the enslaved people wound up on sugar plantations controlled by English, French, Dutch, or Spanish colonists. Many enslaved people did not survive and, once on the islands, <a href="https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/archaeologyofslavery/slavery-caribbean" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">died at alarming rates</a> due to disease and grueling work on those plantations. Primarily, the work involved clearing land, planting sugar cane, harvesting it, and crushing it to extract cane juice. The enslaved people heated the cane juice in large vats in buildings called &#8220;boiling houses&#8221; to form the sugar. 



Over time, people of African descent made up a large proportion of the population of many of these islands. In some cases, they made up the vast majority. African culture heavily influenced these islands&#8217; history, language, culture, and cuisine. 



The brutality of the slave system also triggered revolts. Escaped enslaved people and indigenous people in Jamaica, known as Maroons, revolted in 1730. This led to a treaty with the British that allowed them to establish semi-autonomous mountain communities. Other uprisings and revolts peppered the islands&#8217; histories, including the Saint-Domingue revolution that began in 1791, which led to the formation of Haiti, the first free black nation and constitutional democracy. Haiti, or Hayti, originates from the original indigenous name, meaning &#8220;land of high mountains.&#8221;



Many excellent books on Afro-Caribbean history include The Caribbean: A Brief History, Empire&#8217;s Crossroads: A History of the Caribbean from Columbus to the Present Day, and Slavery in Africa and the Caribbean. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ancestry Composition update</h2>



23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Composition report is a living analysis that improves as we add new reference data. Underlying our Ancestry Service reports are powerful algorithms and analytical tools developed by 23andMe population geneticists and engineers to offer our customers more insights into their ancestral origins.



Over the last few years, we&#8217;ve updated results for people with <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/african-ethnolinguistic-groups/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">African ancestry</a>, <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/ancestry-composition-update-china/">Chinese ancestry,</a> <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-indigenous-caribbean-ancestry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Indigenous Caribbean ancestry,</a> <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-spanish-and-portuguese-ancestry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Spanish and Portuguese ancestry,</a> <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/indigenous-genetic-ancestry/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Indigenous North American ancestry</a>, <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-customers-with-british-and-irish-ancestry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British and Irish ancestry</a>, <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-indigenous-mexican-ancestry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Indigenous Mexican ancestry</a>, and <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-indigenous-central-american-ancestry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Indigenous Central American ancestry</a>.&nbsp;



While 23andMe customers may already see evidence of recent Afro-Caribbean ancestry, this update and the added Genetic Groups represent improved accuracy and detail. The Genetic Groups that are part of this update are also more reflective of the distinct regional populations that link to a customer&#8217;s ancestry.



For this update on Afro-Caribbean ancestry, our scientists relied on reference panels composed of research-consented customers with significant African ancestry who have four grandparents, each born in the same Caribbean country or territory.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Regions in the Caribbean covered in this update</h2>



23andMe&#8217;s new Afro-Caribbean Genetic Groups include 19 distinct islands or island chains with a shared genetic, linguistic, and cultural history.



Below is the list of 23andMe&#8217;s 19 Afro-Caribbean Genetic Groups:



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Afro-descendant Peoples of the &#8220;ABC Islands&#8221; are Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao, the three westernmost islands of the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean Sea.



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Antiguan and Barbudan



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Bahamian



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Barbadian



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Afro-descendant Peoples of Bermuda and Turks &amp; Caicos



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Afro-Cuban



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Dominican (Dominica)



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Afro-Dominican (Dominican Republic)



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Garifuna of Eastern Central America



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Afro-descendant Peoples of the Cayman Islands



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Afro-descendant Peoples of Grenada, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Jamaican



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Montserratian



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Northern Haitian



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Haitian



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Afro-descendant Peoples of the Western Leeward Islands



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Afro-Puerto Rican



· &nbsp; &nbsp; St. Lucian



· &nbsp; &nbsp; Afro-Tobagonian



Around three percent of 23andMe&#8217;s customers who have tested on our <a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/218392668-Upgrading-to-23andMe-s-Newest-Chip-Version">latest genotyping chip</a> will receive a match to one or more of the Genetic Groups listed. About 27 percent of customers with more than 5 percent African ancestry will see a match to one or more of these groups. Three-quarters of those customers with four grandparents from the Caribbean will see a match.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Find Out More</h2>



23andMe customers who want to learn more about their Ancestry Composition can go <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/">here</a>.&nbsp;



Not yet a customer? Find out more about 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service and other services offered to customers <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">here</a>.

A map showing the 19 islands and regions for Afro-Caribbean ancestry.

23andMe Adds More Detail for Afro-Caribbean Ancestry

Welcome to the 23andMe Museum &#8211; home to exhibits where some of our customers share what they discovered thanks to 23andMe, from ancestry to health to wellness. 



Take a look around the museum and see what you might be able to learn with 23andMe, too.



<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://player.adventr.io/index.html?link=https%3A%2F%2Fd252srr1zuysk4.cloudfront.net%2Fclients%2F4475%2F13254%2Fpublished%2F4475-23andme-museum-06127507.data&#038;initial=v3-openingbuilding-ygoo" width="6400px" height="360px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen allow="autoplay; fullscreen; clipboard-read; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; geolocation; microphone; web-share"></iframe>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Learn More</h6>



Find out more about what 23andMe has to offer and the differences between our services <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">here</a>.  



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-share-your-story">Share Your Story</h6>



Have your own 23andMe story to share? You can submit it <a href="https://www.23andme.com/stories/#form">here</a>!

An image of the opening card for the 23andMe Museum interactive video

Explore the Virtual 23andMe Museum

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1400 size-full" title="bloodclot" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/bloodclot.jpg" alt="Blood cells clotting" width="350" height="260" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/bloodclot.jpg 350w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/bloodclot-300x223.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />
Editor&#8217;s note: This post has been edited since it was first published in 2012. 
A person&#8217;s genetics and lifestyle all factor into their risk for developing blood clots in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_vein">deep veins</a>, a condition known medically as venous thromboembolism (VTE).
<h2>More on VTE</h2>
VTE starts with the formation of a <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/deep-vein-thrombosis/DS01005">blood clot deep in the body</a>, usually in the legs, and occasionally escalates into a more serious condition called “pulmonary embolism” if the clot breaks free and travels to the lungs.
About one in 100 people with European ancestry will develop a blood clot in his or her lifetime and in nearly 25 percent of these cases the first sign will be sudden death.
Fracturing your hip or leg, having hip or knee replacement surgery, being immobilized like on a long flight, being pregnant, smoking, and taking <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/a-stroke-survivor">oral birth control pills</a> all increase risk for VTE to varying degrees.
<h2>Genetics and Clotting, And Factor V</h2>
There isn&#8217;t a &#8220;blot clotting gene&#8221; but <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/the-genetics-of-blood-clots">genetics plays an important role in clotting.</a> A study by lead author John Heit from the Mayo Clinic suggests that variants of just three genes – F5, <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/hereditary-thrombophila">F2</a>, and ABO – account for nearly all the possible genetic risk in people with European ancestry. These results imply that researchers are unlikely to discover new genetic factors that significantly impact VTE risk in the general population.
Two of the three major genes have especially large impacts on risk for VTE. The F5 gene encodes the factor V clotting factor, a protein that causes blood cells to stick together.
A specific variant in the F5 gene are at about five times the risk of developing a VTE. The variant is known as “Factor V Leiden,” named after the city in the Netherlands where the role of this variant was first discovered.
The F2 gene encodes prothrombin, another clotting factor. A variant in that gene identified by scientists makes an individual nearly four times more likely to develop a blood clot. The risky versions of F5 and F2 are fairly rare in the general population.
<h2>The ABO Gene</h2>
The ABO gene determines the common blood groups O, A, B and AB. It’s been shown that people with non-O blood types are at increased risk for VTE. A number of variants in or near the ABO gene have been associated with VTE risk. The study by Heit further confirms that the version of the ABO gene that makes someone have a non-O blood type also makes him or her about two times more likely to develop VTE.
In addition to showing that versions of F5, F2 and ABO account for most risk in people with European ancestry, the study also suggested that a variant of the SELP gene further increases a person’s risk for VTE but only if he or she also inherited the risky version of F5 from the same parent. The SELP gene encodes a protein called P-Selectin and it’s already known that increased levels of P-Selectin are linked to VTE. But since less than 5 percent of the population even has the risky version of F5, this new finding only explains risk for a small number of people.
For reasons that are still unclear, VTE is much more common in people with European and African-American ancestry and <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/107/23_suppl_1/I-4.full">less prevalent</a> in Asian and Latino populations. More research is needed to define the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry">genetic risk factors</a> in non-European populations.

Are Blood Clots Genetic? A Look at Three Genes

It started with a tremor in his pinky finger. Within a year, his hand began to shake. Greg’s doctor diagnosed it as an <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/snpwatch-study-identifies-genetic-variant-associated-with-risk-for-essential-tremor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">essential tremor,</a> possibly nerve damage caused by an old sports injury.&nbsp;



Back then, almost 15 years ago now, Greg didn’t let the tremors throw him off. A type-A personality, who focused on his work, he considered himself a “warlord of commerce.” He wasn’t the kind of person who stopped to smell the roses. He didn’t let little things slow him down. He just kept grinding it out.&nbsp;



It wasn’t until 2011, two years after those first little tremors, that he noticed something else was amiss. It was during his daughter’s wedding. The wedding was beautiful. Everyone said so. And many of the guests also repeatedly said how wonderfully fragrant the flowers were, particularly Greg’s daughter’s bouquet. The wedding was his moment to stop and smell the roses, and yet:



“I couldn’t smell a thing.”&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-1024x1024.jpeg" alt="A photo of Greg Ritscher" class="wp-image-31990" width="512" height="512" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-scaled-e1690221242573-150x150.jpeg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-300x300.jpeg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-768x768.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-880x880.jpeg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-1180x1180.jpeg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-scaled-e1690221242573-271x271.jpeg 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-scaled-e1690221242573-372x372.jpeg 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-scaled-e1690221242573-574x574.jpeg 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/GBR-Headshot-RAP-scaled-e1690221242573-980x980.jpeg 980w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure>



Afterward, Greg did a simple internet search using “tremors” and “loss of smell.” The results made him realize there was a good chance it was Parkinson’s disease. Three months later, in April 2011, a neurologist gave him the official diagnosis, he had Parkinson’s.&nbsp;



For many people, a Parkinson’s diagnosis triggers sadness, fear, denial, or anger. For Greg, a confident and driven person, the diagnosis sparked action.



“I don’t have time for whining and feeling sorry for myself. I just said, ‘I’ve got Parkinson’s; let’s figure it out.’”&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-figuring-it-out">Figuring it out</h6>



Greg, a 23andMe Parkinson&#8217;s research participant who has been raising awareness about the disease for years, shared his story with us recently. Like a lot of conditions, Parkinson&#8217;s disease affects people differently.



&#8220;I say if you know someone with Parkinson&#8217;s, that means you know one person with Parkinson&#8217;s,&#8221; said Greg. &#8220;It&#8217;s different for all of us.&#8221;&nbsp;



It&#8217;s heartening to see the recent wave of popular movies that include characters with Parkinson&#8217;s disease. Shows like Shrinking or the crime series Kaleidoscope have included characters living with the disease. And, of course, Greg has been inspired by Michael J. Fox and his work raising awareness about Parkinson’s and money for research. He&#8217;s already seen the recently released Fox&#8217;s documentary <a href="https://www.apple.com/tv-pr/originals/still-a-michael-j-fox-movie/#:~:text=Release%20date%3A%20May%2012%2C%202023&amp;text=Intimate%20and%20honest%2C%20and%20produced,optimist%20confronts%20an%20incurable%20disease.">Still</a> twice. Greg said there are many parallels with his own journey.&nbsp;



Beyond the raw view of what it&#8217;s like dealing with a severe movement disorder, Fox&#8217;s attitude hit home for Greg. Fox, whose Parkinson&#8217;s also started with a tremor in his little finger, has been a tireless advocate for research. And even with the pain and difficulty of living with a slowly debilitating disease, Fox has had the wisdom to see that his Parkinson&#8217;s has forced him to look at the world differently.&nbsp;



&#8220;Sometimes in meditation, I can find … that perfect place of serenity and peace and not questioning anything,&#8221; Fox said in a recent interview. &#8220;I couldn&#8217;t do that (before). That&#8217;s where the title of the movie comes from. I had written in one of my books I couldn&#8217;t be still until I could no longer be still.&#8221;



That resonated with Greg, who has taken up art and writing poetry since developing Parkinson&#8217;s.



&#8220;Trust me, if you knew me as a warlord of commerce in my business days, you would have never expected me to get into art and poetry,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Now I&#8217;m kinder. I&#8217;m gentler. I take more time and look people in the eye. I listen.&#8221;&nbsp;



Some of what he has been able to create, even with a condition that causes his hand to shake, baffles him. One of his drawings, a beautiful image of a hand, a brain, and a butterfly, he did one night when he couldn&#8217;t sleep.&nbsp;



&#8220;Anybody who knows me knows I can&#8217;t draw a lick,&#8221; he said, then holding up his trembling hand, he added. &#8220;If you see my right hand, you&#8217;d say that&#8217;s impossible, but it happened. I drew that in one sitting.&#8221;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Rise Above</h6>



For Greg coming to terms with his Parkinson&#8217;s meant taking stock. After his diagnosis, he understood that one part of his life was over, but another had begun. He didn&#8217;t want to focus on what he couldn&#8217;t do.



&#8220;I wanted to make a list of new things I could do,&#8221; he said.



Although not religious, Greg said he is &#8220;faith-oriented.&#8221; What he means is that he believes in God, and he believes God has a plan for him. He doesn&#8217;t know the plan yet. He&#8217;s still figuring it out.&nbsp;



&#8220;I&#8217;ve accepted I have Parkinson&#8217;s for a reason, but I have no clue what that reason is other than to help people,&#8221; said Greg.&nbsp;



Part of his approach has been to be engaged, whether connecting with people recently diagnosed with Parkinson&#8217;s disease or participating in local or national groups. He&#8217;s applying the skills he honed over the years in business to Parkinson&#8217;s. He wrote a book, <a href="https://gregritscher.com/">Rising Above Parkinson&#8217;s</a>. Whether working as an &#8220;ambassador to the Parkinson&#8217;s community&#8221; or as a &#8220;Parkinson&#8217;s Warrior,&#8221; he&#8217;s following his instincts.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Seeing Signs</h6>



Greg knows that hope is not a plan, but having hope can give you the courage to move forward. For Greg, it also helps inspire him to be engaged in research efforts, even if he knows there is a good chance that he may not benefit from that research. He is active with the <a href="https://www.parkinson.org/">Parkinson&#8217;s Foundation,</a> the <a href="https://davisphinneyfoundation.org/">Davis Phinney Foundation</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.jaxhopeinc.org/">Jax Hope</a> in Florida and <a href="https://parkinsonspointe.org/">Parkinson&#8217;s Pointe</a> in Colorado. He&#8217;s also an active participant in 23andMe&#8217;s <a href="https://www.23andme.com/pd/">Parkinson&#8217;s Research</a> community, even though he does not appear to have known genetic variants in genes associated with the disease, such as <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/preliminary-results-from-the-parkinsons-impact-project-baseline-survey">LRRK2</a> and GBA.&nbsp;



&#8220;I want to do everything in my power to end this disease in my lifetime,&#8221; said Greg.&nbsp;



There was never a doubt that he&#8217;d participate in research, and along with participating in 23andMe research, he has contributed to more than 50 other studies.



&#8220;I want Parkinson&#8217;s to wish it had never met me.&#8221;



He knows that by participating, scientists may learn more about the condition that could help him and others. And he is doing all of this while also dealing with his health issues. The tremors on the right side of his body have made it difficult to eat, shave, and drink.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Hope-Hand-765x1024.jpg" alt="A drawing by Greg of a hand, a butterfly and a brain." class="wp-image-31991" width="383" height="512" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Hope-Hand-765x1024.jpg 765w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Hope-Hand-224x300.jpg 224w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Hope-Hand-768x1027.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Hope-Hand-658x880.jpg 658w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Hope-Hand-882x1180.jpg 882w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Hope-Hand-scaled.jpg 1914w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 383px) 100vw, 383px" /></figure>



Recently he underwent a surgical procedure called Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), which involves placing thin metal wires in the brain that send micro electrical current to the brain meant to help reduce his <a href="https://www.michaeljfox.org/news/dyskinesia">dyskinesia</a>, the involuntary and uncontrolled tremors. It&#8217;s too early to tell if the procedure has helped him as his doctor works at properly calibrating the treatment. That said, since the operation, he has been able to smell for the first time in 15 years.&nbsp;



But beyond the treatment, Greg said there are still things that are revealing themselves about his condition. In the drawing he made one night when he couldn&#8217;t sleep, there were things in the image that he is only now starting to process. On the butterfly&#8217;s wings are little details that he believes represent the procedure he underwent, for instance. And on the hand, in tiny letters, is his name. Not long after drawing that, he saw a verse in the Bible, &#8220;Behold I engraved you on the palms of my hands.&#8221;



&#8220;God is holding us in our hand with our name etched on his fingers,&#8221; said Greg. &#8220;God has given me a gift to talk about this, and I want to reach and inspire people and give them hope.&#8221;

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