Teacher to talk about genographic project

How did you get to where you live today? Where do you really come from? Who are you related to?

Jim Rogers will discuss these questions at the Mission Mountain Audubon Society’s next program at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, in the Polson Library meeting room. There is no charge and everyone is welcome.

Rogers’ topic is “Deep Ancestry: The Genographic Project and Our Genetic Odyssey.”

The Genographic Project is a five-year study by the National Geographic Society and IBM that will examine 100,000 DNA samples of indigenous peoples from all around the world to help map how humankind populated the Earth and ultimately demonstrate their shared, deep ancestry.

Non-indigenous people also are invited to participate by providing a cheek swab for their own DNA analysis for a small fee. Proceeds will help fund future field research and cultural preservation projects among the participating indigenous groups.

Rogers teaches at Salish Kootenai College and has studied under Spencer Wells, a population geneticist who is the director and lead scientist of the National Geographic Society’s Genographic Project.