Can I inherit genes from an ancestor who lived hundreds of years ago?

Question

I descend directly from both Niccolo Machiavelli and King Edward I, the Longhanks, of England. I have 3 lines going back to Edward Longshanks. I am obssessed with military theory, I look exactly like a younger Edward Longshanks, I am tall like Longshanks, I have the long nose like he had, I think the only meaning of life is to make history, and I like warfare. I heard with all the inbreeding that occurred in royal families that genes have been preserved for a long time in these families.

Answer 1

lol no. it's too long of a gene line.

Answer 2

of course you have genes from your ancestors... it's where you come from! with that being said, it's not as though a very high percentage of your genetics would be the very much the same as the ancestors you are talking about... but you will still share some of the same genes.

Answer 3

Of course you inherit genes from you ancestor.  Thats where you get them.

Answer 4

Characteritics like nose shape, and height can indeed be past down from generation to generation if they are the dominant gene.

Some traits alternate generations.

Facination with military history isnt likely a genetically transferable trait.

Answer 5

sure, but it's unlikely the comibination of genes that come down through your lineage would result in any substantial similarities in any way.

Also, there is no "warring" gene, so this is all moot.

Answer 6

no.  god doesn't like genes

Answer 7

Its Really Possible! I Don't Know A Whole Lot About Genes But If There You Ancestor Its 25% Possible Hope I Helped!

Answer 8

It is inevitable that you inherit genes from ancestors who lived hundreds of years ago.

But their effect will be weakened by the contribution of all the other genes you inherit.

Answer 9

it is possible depending on how the genes were expressed as in the succeeding ancestors.  This Longshanks guy may have had genes that were more dominant than those of other family members in which they would mask the recessive genes.  Or, there might have been a codominance amongst them evolved after many offspring were procreated.  I think you are asking if it's possible that his genes are present or being expressed by you today...?  The answer is yes depending on whether or not he had dominant traits (as, again, opposed to recessive ones).

Answer 10

Possibly, but I don't think they wore jeans back then.  You may inherit some sweet armor though.

Answer 11

Yes, you are carrying their genes, along with those of thousands of other people who weren't so infamous, but do you want to live your own life or be some shadow from the past? Just because you may exhibit similar physical traits doesn't necessarily mean you got behavioral traits along with them. While you may inherit the proclivity or propensity for certain likes or attitudes; hopefully you will join us in this century and make your own choices based on this life, not theirs. It's like my godmother said about presents: "just because somebody gives you something doesn't mean you have to keep it".  Do you really want to be a slave to someone else's past, even in your head?

Answer 12

Yes you can. A skeleton was found in Cheddar caves,It was thousands of years old,through DNA samples a relative was found in the village of Cheddar.

Answer 13

yeah there is a possibility, I mean i descend from Alexander the Great and at the same time i am obsessed with Logic and the discipline of the phalanx formation, strangely enough, lol

Answer 14

I don't think they made jeans back then, so no.

We will always be a part of our ancestors.  That is who we are.

Even the Bible tells of this with the first man.  We are all born in Adam's sin.  We are all sinners.  Jesus even said that there is no good man.  For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.

Yes, you have their genes.

Answer 15

I believe that I have seen a show on the discovery channel that said that we possibly can.

Answer 16

I would imagine its highly likely as your DNA is passed down through the ages and gets altered a bit to make you unique but I would imagine the basic DNA of your ancestors is in there somewhere, I must stress I am not in anyway qualified on the subject but its my guess based on what I read and hear about it

Answer 17

You can inherit them, but there is a tax on it.

Answer 18

i really dont think so ..but u might have a 1 in a 100 chance

Answer 19

This is the best caucasian humor don't you think when not sarcastic and done properly!

Answer 20

Only if he took really good care of them.  They're probably way out of fashion anyway.

Answer 21

Levis or Wranglers? haha! Just kidding, I don't know hehehe

Answer 22

A king can't be king without a kingdom.By now your genes have been so diluted by marriage into other families that it's not enough left to prove nobility as a blueblood.I've traced my family tree back 6 generations and found only that my family the Saxons;ruled England from 800 to 1200 AD,only to lose the Throne at the battle of Hastings to a Frenchman.Most of them lived around Nottingham,England and legend has it that they were protected by a Saxon Nobleman named Rob Roy or Robin Hood.My family has Barrelmakers,Leather Harness Workers,Farmers,Coal Miners from Cornwall,England and Irish fleeing the Irish Potato Famine,a Postmaster of Clare,Michigan,some Germans from Pennsylvania in 1750,and a World War one veteran.That doesn't make me next in line for the throne,I don't want to be assasinated or die of inbreeding.

Answer 23

Check this out- mtDNA (mitochondrial)

The little 'powerhouses' that fuel cellular processes contain their own DNA that gets passed down from mom to child (in other words, you get Mom's mtDNA from her sperm. So, unless your boys there had sisters that had children, determining you are an ancestor may be more difficult, but there are other ways to see if your genomic DNA has any unique sequences that may help you determine if you are genetically related- but you'd need a sample of their DNA first. In conclusion, yes you could inherit genomic DNA from Nici and Ed.

Answer 24

longhanks ran away that is why he is not talked about at court

Answer 25

I dont know... but it would explain a lot.

Im related to Napolean Boneparte! :D

Congrats on your family lines!

Answer 26

Can you inherit the genes of your ancestors?  I'm sorry this question confuses me.  If you didn't inherit their genes they wouldn't be your ancestors.

Answer 27

OF COURSE!  

You're made up of genes and DNA from your earliest ancestors, and link you to everyone on earth in some way.  

Being a decendant of Niccolo Machiavelli, I'm sure you'll find some way to make this benefit you!

Answer 28

it is very possible.

and are you referring to Longshanks from Bravehart? AH good movie.

Answer 29

yes, you can inherit the genes of ancestors, especially in cases of inbreeding where dominant genes can be expressed much more so.

Answer 30

If you can conclusively prove that you are related to the Longshanks then yes you could quite possibly carry some of their traits. DNA is not always a predominate feature but may be recessive for many generations.

Answer 31

yepp :]