Staci Anson ’02 MA, ’05 6th Year is a teacher, not a fighter. Yet when her husband Peter Delano co-founded a genetic testing company marketed toward the world of mixed martial arts, the high school history and anthropology teacher was intrigued.
“I’m not a big fan of fighting, but lots of fighters want their genetic profiles to see what their strengths and weakness are,” says Anson.
Warrior Roots performs ancestral Y-DNA testing for genealogical purposes using samples collected by a cheek swab and kit. The results link an individual to a haplogroup – such as Native American, sub-Saharan African, or West Eurasian – which the company associates with a warrior culture. Going one step further, Warrior Roots provides a profile and information package on each warrior culture – including the warrior’s battle cry, weapons, fighting style, clothing, and body type.
That’s where Anson comes in.
As the company identified warrior cultures, Anson helped provide historical context. With countless civilizations and warriors throughout history, it is a considerable undertaking to research and write the historical profiles.
Now that the profiles have all been written, Anson will bring the genetic test to her classroom for a month-long lesson on genetic genealogy. Working with a science professor, Anson is designing a course for high school students where they will analyze their own DNA results to determine their haplogroups. There will also be a mitochondrial test, since girls don’t have a Y-chromosome.
“They’re going to do their mouth swabs, get their results, start analyzing,” Anson says. “Then, once they determine their haplogroups, they’re going to research the corresponding cultures.”
A section of the Warrior Roots website will be dedicated to teachers hoping to create “a fun activity for kids and a way to learn something about your ancestry.”
To date, more than 20 mixed martial arts fighters have taken the test, sometimes with surprising results – like the African-American fighter with Celtic DNA.
As the family genealogist, Anson enjoys discovering her own past. “On my Jewish side, I’m back to the early 1800s, on my Norwegian side, I can get back to the 1500s. It’s an exciting little hobby that I do on the side.”
