Wanted: Benjamin Franklin's DNA Amateur genealogist wants to prove ties to famed statesman

PHILADELPHIA--An amateur genealogist wants to create a way forpeople to find out whether they're descended from Benjamin Franklinand he needs some DNA to do it. One possibility, of course, would bedigging up Franklin's bones, which have been buried for 212 yearsnear Independence Hall. Since that seems unlikely, L. David Roper isfocusing instead on men with well-documented ties to the statesmanand inventor.

Roper says all he needs from the candidates is a simple, $150analysis of their Y chromosomes--genetic material handed down fromfathers to sons.

Y chromosomes change infrequently from generation to generation.Even after two centuries, males related to Franklin would have nearlyidentical ones, Roper said.

"This is as close as we can get to Benjamin's DNA without exhuminghim or finding one of his teeth," said Roper, a retired Virginia Techphysics professor who lives in Blacksburg, Va.

Roper said he doesn't know of any practical use for his research,though it could smash or support a bit of family mythology. Hismother is a Franklin and he plans to test himself.

In the decades after his death, rumors flew that Franklin, aprinter and philosopher who persuaded France to enter theRevolutionary War and helped craft the Constitution, may havefathered several children out of wedlock.

"I got a call from a guy who thinks he is descended from anillegitimate son of Benjamin's," Roper said. "Who knows? Maybe it'strue. This would tell us."

A similar DNA test showed Thomas Jefferson was related to thechild of one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. Donors would have to paythe $150 fee, which would go to the lab for the testing.

DNA sampling is painless, requiring only a few cells swabbed frominside of the cheek, but it does have limitations, said Dr. ScottWoodward, a Brigham Young University professor and expert onmolecular genealogy.

Y chromosomes can tell only whether someone is related to anotherperson, not whether they are directly descended from them, he said.The tests also don't work for women, who have no Y chromosome andwhose X chromosomes change more frequently from generation togeneration.

Roper has already received DNA samples from several possibleFranklin relatives, most of whom share a similar pattern of Ychromosome markers. He is still working on estimating the most likelysequence for the founding father himself.

In the meantime, Roper said he'll also continue looking forsomething that might have Franklin's actual DNA in it--like a tooththat might have been pulled by a dentist, then hidden away.

"We were thinking about placing an advertisement in a dentaljournal, trying to see if someone held on to a souvenir, centuriesago," he said.

AP