A family tree reaching 10 metres wide and 2 metres high was unveiled in Evolène in canton Valais on Sunday afternoon. It shows the origins of the families in the Val d’Hérens back to their common ancestor more than 230,000 years ago. This scientific work has made it possible to demonstrate the presence of the Walser branch before the known date and, more generally, to show a rich genetic diversity. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The didactic and interactive tree contains QR codes that can be used to trace the lines of each family back to the common ancestor, the genetic Adam. The tree will be on display from August 24. A third with Walser ancestry The phylogenetic tree, led by genealogists Charles-Albert Beytrison and Hervé Mayoraz, is the result of years of research in various archives, supplemented by 173 Y-DNA tests to create a comprehensive genetic basis for the Val d’Hérens. “At first, some of the population was reluctant, but then they were won ...
