To think that every one of the almost seven billion people of many different races dwelling on this Earth at this very moment shares a common genetic history is an amazing thing. However, to prove this hypothesis is another almost-incomprehensible thing to imagine pursuing.

But on 4 February 2010 at the Australian Museum in Sydney, Chris Darwin, the great, great grandson of the evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin stood before and captivated a crowd of curious journalists with the story of his own personal genealogy and migratory history – and this idea suddenly became not only viable, but real.

Chris Darwin, born 152 years after his famous forefather, is the champion of a world-first project to map the migratory history of the human race and answer the age old questions: "Where did we come from and how did we get here?”

The Genographic Project, a joint venture between National Geographic and IBM is systematically taking 40,000 DNA samples from people all over the world, including indigenous and traditional peoples, to map the history of the human journey back 150,000 years.

Chris Darwin is part of a team of scientists spruiking and elucidating the non-profit and non-political project to a room full of correspondents who will ultimately share this story with Australia and the world.

"It's been fantastic having my own personal look at my genealogy,” the tour guide and adventurer says. "Not only has it given me an insight into who I am, but it's actually given me insight into the human race.”

After taking a cheek swab test analysing his Y chromosome, it was revealed that Chris Darwin, 48, is from one of the most common European male lineages, the Haplogroup R1B. With this information, the Genographic Project was able to trace his migratory history voyaging from Africa to Asia to Europe more than 45,000 years ago, a far cry from his current residence in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

The voyage of these Cro-Magnon men actually spelled the end of the other human-like species, the Neanderthals as they moved in Europe.

"If we are all 99.9 per cent similar, that really means our genetic differences are almost inconsequential…and when you think about that, we are all one big happy family,” Chris Darwin told journalists.

The big family was first theorised by Charles Darwin when he controversially proposed in his 1871 book The Descent of Man that the entire human race originated from one area, Africa. A scandalous idea at the time, but as the 21st century Darwin now proudly puts it: "It's rather delightful to hear that over 100 years later that it actually appears that Charles was right. That it would take a drop of your blood or a swab from inside your cheek, it would indicate that you all came from Africa.”

Darwin enthusiastically described his own family's journey from Africa and he seemed to take it on as a personal triumph, overcoming challenges and hardship, as the historical expedition was unravelled through his DNA and the advanced technology of the Genographic Project.

"We would've gone across Africa, we would not have known if we were going to make it, we would have gone without food and water a lot of the time and eventually we found ourselves at a cross roads of humanity, Asia. We've got a choice then, of either head South to India, into maybe as far as Australia, or are we going to go East up into Russia, maybe across to America. But something in Charles's line said 'head west my boy!' and he headed west into Europe.” Darwin

His personal take on his family history as revealed through his own DNA, seemed to be a reminder that through our common beginning and genetic connection, we share this history with not only our ancestors but our common day man, as one big family.

"It's been a fantastic project to be involved in. It has taught me stuff about myself, but also stuff about humanity, that we are all one big family. Just like all families, there are tense moments, but it's worth sticking together.”

With the aim of this project focussing on the mysteries of how the human race journeyed around the world, what impact culture has had on genetic variation and how cultural patterns of genetic diversity have been affected by cultural practice, the picture of the family can start to be pieced together.

While this family today, however, begins to merge deeper within itself as globalisation intensifies and traditional practices are lost, it becomes even more important to try to preserve some of these heritages before they vanish forever. It is for this reason that the project has also set up a fund, the Genographic Legacy Fund, which is directed at education, conservation and linguistic preservation and revitalisation efforts to support indigenous and traditional people, their history and cultures.

The project is offering members of the public a rare opportunity to answer questions of their own genealogy by purchasing kits from the Genographic website (www.nationalgeographic.com/genographic) to take part in discovering the true story of humankind.