They have reached this conclusion after studying more than 2,500 men and showing that those who share a surname also show greater genetic similarity. The method they have developed consists of isolating the male Y chromosome – which, like the first surname, is transmitted directly from father to son – and entering it into a database with the genetic profile of more than 40,000 surnames. The identification will be more or less obvious depending on the age of the family. For example, if you have a rare last name like Attenborough or Swindlehurst there is an 87% chance of deducing it from DNA . However, if it is a Smith, it will be a bit more complicated.
The geneticist Turi Kin, responsible for the investigation, assures that the technique will be useful both for genealogists and for the scientific police , who could obtain a possible surname of the author of a crime from a saliva sample found at the crime scene .
