Amelia Island Genealogical Society
Press Release
Submitted by Rob Portegies-Zwart
February 4. 2022
The Amelia Island Genealogical Society will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, February 15 at the Fernandina Beach Public Library, 25 N 4th St. Speaker Medardo Monzon will present The Genealogy of Genes.
For centuries, genealogists have based their studies on ancient records and oral affidavits to establish line of descent. Fifty years after the discovery of DNA, the age of genealogical DNA testing was launched, providing us with scientific methods to prove relationships. But how were DNA and genes discovered? What are their lines of descent? This entertaining presentation will focus on describing the thrills, intrigue and espionage associated with the amazing race to solve the puzzle of this remarkable molecule by three competing scientific teams. The speaker will also describe the different types of DNA genetic testing, and will show how his own DNA test results encapsulate the story of human migration.
Medardo Monzon started his career as an entrepreneur in his native Colombia, moving to the United States in 1981, where he worked for Dow Chemical, Equistar (now Lyondell) and International Paper. He obtained a chemistry degree from the National University of Colombia and a master degree in chemistry from Central Michigan University. He is a graduate of the “Mahler Advanced Management Skills Program” and is certified in neuro-linguistic programming and several personality diagnostics.
Monzon is now retired and is a resident of Amelia Island. His hereditary material shows links to points across the globe: Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Americas.