Interesting email from an Irish fellow about Irish kilts.

[gilmore]

I have an American friend who was adopted. He never knew his real parents; he doesn't have brothers and sisters and cousins. His adoptive parents have recently passed. He is white but he doesn't know from where.

Before I learned of this, I asked him what his ethnic ancestry was and he just didn't know.

He wants to wear a kilt (he's seen mine) and I will make him one.

You might suggest that he go to www.familytreedna.com and take a look at their FAQ if he is interested in his biological ancestry. They have projects for adoptees. Testing his Y chromosome DNA is quite likely to reveal his biological father's surname, and even more likely to reveal his father's ethnicity. He could also test his mitochondrial DNA and probably discover his biological mother's ethnicity, though it would be less likely to find her surname.

It costs a couple of hundred dollars, is simple and painless, and takes about 6 weeks to get the results.

[meinfs]

You might suggest that he go to www.familytreedna.com and take a look at their FAQ if he is interested in his biological ancestry. They have projects for adoptees. Testing his Y chromosome DNA is quite likely to reveal his biological father's surname, and even more likely to reveal his father's ethnicity. He could also test his mitochondrial DNA and probably discover his biological mother's ethnicity, though it would be less likely to find her surname.

It costs a couple of hundred dollars, is simple and painless, and takes about 6 weeks to get the results.

Excellent. Thanks for the suggestion.