SMGF said that individuals researching their family history can visit the foundation's website (www.smgf.org) and search for paternal ancestors after undergoing a DNA test profiling the Y chromosome.
The purpose of this first release of data is to make tools available to the public that help people look back many generations of paternal ancestry," SMGF CEO Scott Woodward said in a statement.
The foundation said that it has thus far collected 40,000 DNA samples and associated ancestry records. "Our first goal is a database of 100,000 samples and each quarter we will release more," Woodward noted.
The initial release announced today includes data from more than 5,000 DNA samples of individuals.