The idea of genetic authenticity and origin has been an important issue within genetics for decades for scientific, political, and economic reasons. The question of where species and populations come from, as well as the linking of genetic traits to particular geographical locations, has resurfaced as both a scientific and political site of interest more recently through the study of population genetics in both humans and non-humans. This article explores the ways in which genetics and notions of ‘authentic’, ‘indigenous’, and ‘endemic’ have become intertwined with everyday practices in research. Using the case of human and non-human genetics to compare and contrast the various facets associated with genetic identity, we seek to develop a broader picture of the ways in which genetics plays an important role in stabilizing categories of origin.