Genetic Family Reunion: DNA Reveals Alex Haley's Scottish Roots (VIDEO)

Genetic genealogy has been around for more than a dozen years, but has exploded in popularity over the last few. We're remarkably fortunate to live at a time when we can peek into the past by simply swabbing the inside of a cheek or spitting into a tube.

For some, such as adoptees, this is the very recent past, and for others, such as Alex Haley of Roots fame, DNA testing can reveal information from the distant past that the paper trail never could. Though Mr. Haley is no longer with us, his nephew, Chris Haley, shares his passion for genealogy, so was game to swab for history's sake.

Watch as he meets his unexpected Scottish cousin, June Baff Black, for the first time. June, it turns out, learned about genetic testing by watching an episode of the U.K. Who Do You Think You Are? celebrity roots series. She asked for a DNA kit for Christmas, and got more than she bargained for!