It could connect you to a long-lost cousin or give you a surprising glimpse into your past.

New “do-it-yourself” DNA tests allow anyone to answer the most fundamental question: Who am I?

Have you ever wondered if your ancestors sailed with the Vikings?

Perhaps you cometh from the iceman himself?

Or maybe you’re just curious about that pesky family secret.

Forget science fiction, ancestral DNA testing is fast becoming scientific fact.

You can go to a testing lab, or some companies offer a free home test kit.

Just swab your cheek, put it in the vial and mail it in.

So what exactly are you mailing?

Think of it as a tree leaf, full of genetic information.

The goal is to figure out which branch of the human tree you come from.

By examining specific chromosomes, scientists can begin tracing your father or mother’s line.

Your DNA is then compared to others across the world.

“They’ve seen similarities and differences and they’ve been able to attribute to geographical regions,” said Dr. Jack Anderson of Andergene Labs.

The end result is a good guess at your ancestral roots.

Albert Gutierrez took the home test.

“It was just a shock,” said Gutierrez.

Going into it, he thought he was Spanish and maybe French.

Not quite, according to the results.

According to the test, Gutierrez is likely of Spanish and Jewish heritage.

He is also about 50 percent East Asian and Native American.

“My reaction was ‘Are you sure? It can’t be,’” said Gutierrez.

Unconvinced, Gutierrez went to New Mexico to investigate his roots and discovered an ancestor kidnapped by the Zuni tribe.

When she was finally rescued 12 years later, she had three children.

“Now my children and grandchildren will now what we are and were we came from,” said Gutierrez.

The hope for answers also compelled Fred Spong, of La Jolla, to submit his DNA.

Written on a 30-foot paper is his known lineage.

He’s hoping to add to it by putting his ancestral profile online and waiting for matches.

“I like to find out not only who my ancestors are, but what the times were like for them,” said Spong.

10News reporter Michael Chen was curious and submitted his own DNA to Andergene Labs in Oceanside.

After a week of testing, the initial results?

Chen likely hails from north and central Asia, the same lineage that walked the land bridge to America.