A biotech firm has launched a genealogy service in which Bermudians can trace their ancestry as far back as the 1600s.

CariGenetics said the MyLineage service is available through a “powerful database” of more than 140,000 Bermudians.

The service was launched at the Bermudian Heartbeats lecture series on Thursday, in a talk entitled “Law to Legacy: Unravelling the Narrative”.

Attendees had an opportunity to speak directly with the laboratory’s team, ask questions and sign up for the service.

The service is a strategic partnership with Dane Simmons Sr, one of Bermuda’s leading genealogists.

The firm said it offered clients unprecedented access to deep family history and identity restoration, rooted in a combination of genetic data and a comprehensive Bermudian family database assembled over the course of two decades.

Carika Weldon, founder and director of research at CariGenetics, said: “Tracing your family line back up to eight generations can be a life-changing moment.

“For so many Bermudians, including those of African, Azorean, European or Native American descent, the stories of who we are have been fragmented. MyLineage is about putting those pieces back together.

“For over 20 years, I’ve been piecing together the story of Bermuda — one name, one family, one generation at a time. What we’ve found is powerful: every Bermudian is connected, regardless of background.”

Dr Weldon said the service provided Bermudians with an opportunity to share connections and tap into a rich historical record.

She added: “It’s a pathway for Bermudians to discover where they truly come from and how we’ve always been woven together.

“MyLineage is more than a family tree — it’s a living archive.”