The Genes of Forgotten Ancestors

In the early 2000s, "The New York Times" published an article with a curious headline: “A Professor of Accounting with a Trace of the Mongol Horde.” A company had analyzed the DNA of Thomas Robinson and concluded that he was a direct descendant of Genghis Khan. The story quickly spread through the media, and plans were even made to turn it into a film. But when another company re-examined the data, the supposed lineage could not be confirmed.

Of course, being descended from someone who once conquered half the world — or having notable ancestors of any kind — is both prestigious and, in some ways, advantageous. For centuries, this fascination has been the domain of genealogy — the subject we explore in this program.