And because men are less likely to take on this role, you may not connect with your paternal relatives as much. Another reason why your maternal side could be more comfortable for you is because ...

Homologous chromosome pairing is a process where maternal and paternal chromosomes of the same type are aligned, resulting in a partial exchange of genetic information through meiotic recombination.

In PEOPLE's exclusive first look at the Jan. 14 episode of 'Finding My Roots', Joy Behar discovered just how close her family members were in their ancestral home of Italy ...