Will Genetic Genealogy Lose Its Place?

Currently legislation is being passed that will curtail the use of DNA testing for genealogy and cause it to be more expensive. Some states have already passed laws controlling companies who market DNA tests to the public and more laws are being established.

As this is a very important topic, I felt it is necessary to share an article written by Doris Wheeler with you so that everyone knows and understands how DNA testing may be jeopardized. Being that DNA testing is the most accurate tool a genealogist has, it is important that all of us understand the impact a few can have on many. There are geneticists that think genealogists do not understand genetics and that we believe everything any company claims (i.e., if you have a certain results for some markers you will get some disease or you can be a track star). There are many genealogists and genetic genealogists who believe that some geneticists as well as people from the medical field do not understand how DNA testing is helpful to genealogy. They wish to protect us from ourselves!

As a result we are seeing government legislation trying to protect the poor, dumb consumer. RIGHT! This type of legislation will greatly harm the genealogist's access to DNA testing thus prohibiting an opportunity to break through their brick walls.

Doris Wheeler addresses this topic clearly and urgest that all of us must become informed. I urge you to take action locally and not let misinformed scientists and legislators control our hobby. Write those editorials, call your legislators. Do what you can to protect the most valuable and accurate source we have for finding our ancestors.


Thank you Doris, for permission to post your article.

The following article was written by Doris Wheeler for her blog Genealogy and DNA at http://genealogyanddna.blogspot.com/



Will Genetic Genealogy Lose Its Place?

A small but vocal group of scientists and legislators are clamoring for government regulation of DNA testing. A few states have already succumbed to this hysteria, and Washington has dipped its toe into the murky waters.

What does this mean to family genealogists like us? It could mean that we would have to have our family doctor submit an order for us to obtain a simple Y-DNA test. And the results would go to him or her. (Could there be a touch of self-interest on the part of the scientific and medical community?) As genealogists, how many of us would be willing to involve our personal doctor in our genealogy quest – and pay for the privilege? What does our family doctor know about genealogy, and does he care? Is he really the best qualified person to interpret results for us? Did you ever think you would have to get your family doctor to approve before you could do genealogy? It all sounds rather silly to me.

One argument in favor of such regulation is that people do not understand what they are getting when they buy a test. But isn’t this true of many things? Isn’t it up to the consumer to research and understand what he is buying? Another is that there are claims being made by some companies that promise far more than they can deliver. But this is a fact of life. It is up to the consumer to evaluate these claims.

I am proud to know that Family Tree DNA (the company I have chosen for all my DNA Projects (see links in the sidebar) is the acknowledged leader in the business of genetic genealogical testing and, in fact, was awarded the Better Business Bureau’s Award for Excellence in customer service. Its website has been designated as the "Best Cutting Edge Web Site" by Family Tree Magazine. Even more important is the fact that Family Tree DNA (and ISOGG, the International Society for Genetic Genealogy) provides references to an extensive library of books, videos and scientific journals for its customers’ edification. It has knowledgeable people on staff (as well as a full complement of scientists) who can and do answer questions in a timely manner. It is deeply involved in scientific research to find new SNPs and STRs that offer new avenues to pursue for those who are interested in both anthropology and genealogy and in getting as much as possible out of their testing experience. (SNPs are the portions of DNA that reflect deep ancestry – thousands of years ago. STRs are the markers used for genealogical purposes.)

Another service provided by FTDNA is its support for “projects.” All project members benefit from that support by having access to significantly reduced prices and special promotions that are only available through projects. Additionally, volunteer project administrators like me are provided with ongoing education so that we can better serve our clients. We seek to educate and to help explain test results so that our clients do understand what they are buying and why, and what the results mean.

While the line between genetic genealogy and genome testing for health reasons is quite sharp, the naysayers are beginning to disregard that line and lump all genetic testing together. That is a sad day for genealogists who are just now beginning to reap the solid rewards of having databases that are large enough to provide answers to sticky questions. Ever larger databases of test results help all of us learn more about our family history and answer the age-old question, “Where do we come from?”. Any disruption of the flow of new testees is a disservice to those who have already tested and to the cause of genealogy for everyone. The jury is still out regarding the viability of genetic testing for disease. Obviously, again, the size of the database is critical and our knowledge will grow only as the database grows. And, in addition to all the reasons given above, there is the simple matter of personal choice that is taken away by increased regulation.

Since the key is an educated public, here are two websites that are highly recommended: www.isogg.org and www.thegeneticgenealogist.com.

Doris Wheeler, 8 Jul 2009

FTDNA -- July Sale!!!

WOW....FTDNA is offering a sale for the MONTH of July! Read the msg below I received today!

Remember, a person must join a project to get these prices, but I have two that anyone can join (male or female) any time and then move to a more appropriate project (or not) at a later date at no cost. There's never any cost to move to different projects.

Email me if you need help with this or need to know about the two projects anyone can join. (Not every surname has a project AND...females CANNOT join a surname project.)

The email sent from FTDNA...

Dear Group Administrator (That's me! LOL)

This message has the double purpose of thanking you, and announcing a July offer.

So, first, let me thank you for helping us make our recent Y-37+mtDNA sale the most successful in the history of Family Tree DNA. While our lower Y-DNA37 prices combined with the free mtDNA test played an important role in this success, your efforts had a significant impact in this achievement, which made some projects increase their membership by a two-digit number.

We expect that the kits will begin to be returned for processing this week and that results will start being delivered to your project by the end of July or early August.

In light of this success and in conjunction with many reunions or events where one of us will be speaking, including the Clans Gathering 2009 and the Highland Games in Scotland, we have decided to offer for the month of July a variation of our recent promotion:

Y-DNA37 – promotional price $119 (reg. price $149)

Y-DNA67 – promotional price $199 (reg. price $238)

mtDNAPlus – promotional price $119 (reg. price $149)

These are the best prices, marker for marker, of any company in the market.

IMPORTANT: since this promotion will run through the month of July, we encourage you to spread the word starting now, as the natural tendency is for people to order at the last minute, and we will not extend it beyond this month.

We thank you for your continued support and look forward to the sustained growth of the Family Tree DNA matching database.

Bennett Greenspan

President

www.familytreedna.com

If you have any questions, just email me.

Emily

If you do not hear from me in a timely manner, just write again...I was buried in email. LOL
http://writingyourmemories.blogspot.com/
http://www.rootsweb.com/~orgco2/speaker/EmilyAulicino.html
http://genealem-geneticgenealogy.blogspot.com/
Northwest Regional Coordinator and Speaker for ISOGG (www.isogg.org)
Administrator for twelve FTDNA DNA Projects

Family Tree DNA Sale Extended!

Greetings!

The following Family Tree DNA sale has been extended to Jun 30th with payment due by July 7th.

This sale is only for new male testers getting the 37 marker with the HVR1 (mtDNA). The 37 marker test is wonderful for genealogy. The price is $119 plus $4 shipping. Usually the 37 marker alone is $149 plus shipping and the HVR1 is $99. So that is a very good savings. We may not see this sale again.

FTDNA just sent this message to all the Administrators, so I'm passing it to you. You can pass the word around the Internet and within your family.

FTDNA wrote:

In the last few days we have received several e-mails from group administrators asking us to extend our "Unparalleled 50% Promotional Discount" Y-DNA37+mtDNA for $119 (the regular project price is $248 – a reduction of more than 50%!!), as many people are only now becoming aware of the promotion.

We have decided, therefore, to extend it until June 30th, 2009. Kits must be paid by July 7, 2009. In order for the most people take advantage of this promotion, we encourage you to post the following link in your family messages boards, blogs, and mail lists, as well as forward to people when they ask you where to place the order.

As always, that you for your continued support.

Max Blankfeld
Vice-President, Operations and Marketing
http://www.FamilyTreeDNA.com
"History Unearthed Daily"

Emily
23 Jun 2009

Greetings everyone!

I wanted all of you to get in on this before it's gone in the case you have been waiting for a DNA test sale. I just received this msg. from FTDNA.... It's a VERY nice sale as the 37 marker Ydna test by itself is normally $149. The mtDNA by itself is normally mtDNA (HVR1) $99. That's a nice savings! The deadline as stated below is June 24th and you MUST pay by June 30th. If you order by credit card it is considered paid. If you order on invoice be sure to send in your payment (Check or credit card is accepted with an invoice.) by June 30th.

REMEBER: This price is ONLY for those joining an existing project. If you do not find your surname listed with FTDNA, then use two (either one) I have set up for any and everyone: GFO or use WVGS (You do not have to be a member of either genealogical society to join it.)

Just click on the FTDNA icon at the bottom right of this blog. Then follow the rest of the directions, putting in your surname or one of the above (GFO or WVGS). The rest of the steps are clear.

IF you have problems or do not see the icon on this page, email me at aulicino@hevanet.com

I can order the test for you via invoice so you won't miss the sale.


Dear Family Tree DNA Group Administrator,

Last summer we offered a pricing special that was the most successful offering of its kind in our company’s history.

Many project administrators strongly supported our recruitment efforts and both their projects and our database grew significantly.
This year we will offer an early summer special with an unparalleled promotional discount.

Offer summary:

• Y-DNA37+mtDNA for $119. (The regular project price is $248 – a reduction of more than 50%!!)
• The promotion will begin on June 9, 2009 and will end on June 24, 2009
• Kits ordered in this sale must be paid for by June 30, 2009

This is your new members’ opportunity to skip past the Y-DNA12 and Y-DNA25 tests and get the best Y-DNA Genealogical test on the market in addition to an mtDNA test for an extremely reduced price!

I should also mention that according to one of our competitors’ method of counting markers our 37-marker test could also be called a “41-marker test” as we do test and report markers 464e, 464f, 464g, and DYS19b. Though we test them, it is very rare that individuals have results for these markers. Therefore, by our conservative counting method, our competitor's “33-marker test” is actually a “29-marker test.” We mention this to make sure that you understand the difference between these tests and are able to compare “apples to apples.”

So... I hope that with this promotion your project can gain many new members.

As always, that you for your continued support.

Max Blankfeld
Vice-President, Operations and Marketing
http://www.FamilyTreeDNA.com
"History Unearthed Daily"

Which DNA Testing Company Fits Your Needs?

In the early years of 2000 there were only a few testing companies that tested DNA for genealogists. In the last few years, DNA Testing has become a household term, especially due to the advent of so many television programs using it to miraculously solve crimes within an hour. Many new companies have now appeared on the scene with a varying degree of services. Some have massive advertising campaigns that entice the public to purchase a testing kit even if the public does not fully understand how testing can help and not help genealogy. Others claim they can give you the location and tribe of your ancestors. And, still other companies claim you can discover the gene that will either make you an athlete or tell you of your health issues. News articles have touted the virtues of testing while others liken it to witchcraft and hocus-pocus. Some articles instill fear that the government will have your DNA profile and tag you for some crime.

In some of my past articles, I have explained how different companies test differently for criminal profiling and for health. I have further explained how DNA testing can and cannot help genealogists and how autosomal testing is not helpful to genealogy for the most part.

So, how does the general public sort out this mess?


The following steps will help:

1. Educate yourself about DNA testing.
Before purchasing any test for any reason, the buyer must understand how DNA testing can help and how it cannot help. My previous blog articles can greatly help with this as well as the listing I offer for online tutorial information and through various Genetic Genealogy books.

2. Establish a goal or reason to test.
Ask yourself what it is you wish to determine by testing. What genealogical problem are you trying to solve. Read books and online tutorials to help you determine what tests can assist with your goal. (Email me, if you can't decide.)

3. Learn all you can about the testing companies.
You do not have to know everything about every company, but you should understand not only the difference between the three top companies, and which companies are not helpful to genealogy and your goals.


As you research the major testing companies for yourself, ask these questions:

1. What is the size of the database? Size is important. You will be compared to other testers in order to find matches. You and those testers who match have a common ancestor. You would want to contact them and share lineage information. Would you wish to test with a company who has over 100,000 testers or one who has 10,000 testers? Which has the likelihood of producing more matches for you?

2. Can you contact the testers you match? Matching others, but not being able to share data on your research makes testing and matching a waste of time and money.

3. Can I contact the company easily? You may have a problem or a question. Some companies list no email or phone number to contact them. Some prefer that the administrator of a project contact them. (What if you are not in a project?) Others will answer your question within one business day whether it be by phone or email.

4. How accurate is the testing? No doubt every company will tell you their labs are accurate, and this has been found to be true for giving you your haplotype (your DNA signature). However, some companies will do testing to determine your haplogroup (your twig on the world family tree) while some do not do this testing, called SNP testing. The companies who do not SNP test do take guesses for the haplogroup and have been found to be totally in error. I can cite several cases of this.

Unknowledgeable testers may not discover this error unless they test with another company or find that they do not match with a known relative for the haplogroup.

5. Will my DNA sample be stored so I can upgrade my testing? DNA testing for genealogy began in 2000 and is still evolving. We do not know what the future holds, but we know that more and more tests are available every year. Some companies do not keep your sample so you must pay for another kit to test further. This would be impossible for a tester’s family to do if the tester dies. Other companies keep the sample for many years and allow you to upgrade using the same sample.

6. What tests are available? Tests vary from company to company. Each company does not test the same markers; therefore, comparing someone who matches you from another company isn’t as easy as looking at the results and often doesn’t test enough of the same markers to get a clear picture of how close your match could be. Some companies only offer a few tests and appear to have no plans for changing that. Other companies offer a wide variety as well as combination tests (Ydna and mtDNA as one test for a person). Some companies are always adding new options to better serve their customers.

7. How is the company’s customer service? This may be difficult to answer unless you know others who have tested with a particular company. However, it is not impossible to determine a company’s reputation from their customers if you attempt the following:

a. Join the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) at www.isogg.org and ask the other members about their experiences. This society is non-profit and requests that you tell others about genetic genealogy. That is their only requirement … to help spread the word about DNA testing for genealogy. This email list is monitored by experts, but can be overwhelming in volume. Consider getting it in digest form or check it online.

b. In some companies you can go to the website and find the administrator of any project. Email this person to see how the company is treating them. Other companies do not provide this service, however.

c. Email me. I have friends who have dealt with all the major companies, and I have met testers who have used these companies. I can provide you with comments about each of the major companies from both testers and administrators.

8. What is the cost of the tests? Many of us are always looking for a bargain. However, the cost should be the last consideration as this is a product that can be very helpful to our genealogy research and is of great use over time. With it we can prove or disprove our lineages and find matches today or in ten years. A wise consumer will seek a reliable company which provides the best of the above points before placing cost as the top priority.

Cost varies from company to company and will change within a company as sales are often available and as over time the prices are falling due to new techniques and equipment that requires less time in the lab to process. The best approach to this concern is to set your goal for testing, select the test that best fits your needs, and then compare the cost per marker for each company that fits your testing needs. Sales are usually unpredictable since you never know when one will happen. Some companies will allow you to test a few markers and upgrade any time later which helps you afford a larger test sections at a time.


REMEMBER:
"There is hardly anything in the world that someone cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price alone are that person's lawful prey." John Ruskin (1819-1900)

(NOTE: This quote hangs on the wall in every Baskin Robbins ice cream store, but sources indicate the author of this statement is not necessarily John Ruskin.)

Emily
©Aulicino, 23 May 2009
Email: Aulicino@hevanet.com

Family Tree DNA - Y-DNA Upgrade Sale

Greetings!

Family Tree DNA is having a sale to upgrade any Y-DNA tester at a nicely reduced price. As these sales are often rather rare, you may wish to take advantage.

If you have questions as to why you should upgrade, please check the archives for this blog as there are articles on the advantages of testing particular numbers of markers and how they help genealogy.

The following message is from FTDNA regarding the sale. Remember only NEW testers can go through the link on this blog. Otherwise, go to your personal FTDNA pages to order an upgrade:


Dear Administrator,
Over the last several years, due to the unmatched growth of our database, numerous people have confirmed and found new connections with others of their surname, and adoptees and descendants of adoptees have even found their biological surname lines. Are there any other individuals among these adoptees looking for their connection to this direct paternal line?

To help answer that question, Family Tree DNA is offering, for a limited time, a discount on all Y-DNA upgrades! We will notify each participant in the database who qualifies for this offer by e-mail, and will provide them a direct link they may use to take advantage of the upgrade. There will be no need for participants to contact us directly in order to receive the reduced price; our prices have been adjusted in the system accordingly.

The offer will last from May 14th through May 23nd . On average, the
reduced prices will be 25% lower than the standard upgrade price.
This is a great opportunity to increase the data in your project. Are there members who have been hesitant to upgrade due to price? This discount is an opportunity for them to upgrade and help both their group and potential lost relatives at the same time. When encouraging members to upgrade, you may wish to note that genetic matches allow people to find their biological lines, and not necessarily a specific individual.

This promotion is for upgrades only and does not apply to new kit orders. It’s our way to thank past customers for their patronage.

As always, we appreciate your continued support.
Family Tree DNA
Max Blankfeld Vice-President

5th Annual Internatonal Family Tree DNA Conference 2009

March 14-15 Administrators of Family Tree DNA projects gathered in Houston to renew friendships, to meet new administrators, to learn more about their craft, and to discover the progress of the company and labs. Attendees from many parts of the US and Canada began to gather on March 12 and FTDNA held its usual reception the evening of the 13th. This always gives everyone the opportunity to see who arrived this year and to rub shoulders with the speakers, the FTDNA staff, and those who came from the University of Arizona. Those of us who attended the WDYTYA (Who Do You Think You Are?) conference in London two weeks before were pleased to relive those experiences.

Once again the programs for the two days were outstanding.


Day One:
Bennett Greenspan, CEO and President, and Max Blankfeld, Vice President opened the meeting with a kind welcome to us all and announcements that FTDNA would attend The Gathering 2009 in Edinburgh, Scotland in July and would return to the Who Do You Think You Are Conference next year in London.

Next was a long awaited speaker, Spencer Wells, the head of the National Genographic Project (a five year anthropological study to help determine the migration pattern of our oldest ancestors), spoke on Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project. Dr. Wells was unable to attend in 2005 when the FTDNA conference was held at the National Geographic Society in Washington DC as he was in Chad. The government gave the crew a last minute clearance to enter so that indigenous people could be tested for the study. Dr. Wells explained that a century ago Charles Darwin had realized all of us had come from Africa, and he was correct. The Genographic Project was launched in 2005 with three areas: Testing indigenous people around the world, allowing public participation and providing a Legacy Fund to assist the indigenous in education and health. The current results include a collection of 50,000 samples from the indigenous and the public. The Legacy Foundation has reached $3.5 million…that’s many grants for the groups tested. The first publications are beginning to appear on the results.

NOTE: See the project at https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html for more details and how the public can join this scientific study. IF you or anyone you know has tested through the National Genographic Project, you need to move your test results to Family Tree DNA before the study ends so the results will be preserved in the case you some day wish to use the information for genealogy. At the end of the five years, in 2010, the public samples will be destroyed. There is no cost in moving your result to FTDNA. Family Tree DNA handles all the Genographic testing through the University of Arizona Lab.

Side note: Dr. Wells attended the FTDNA reception and as I had expected to meet him, I took the two books I own that he wrote in order to get his autograph…and below is the photo that was taken then. (Thank you Max! LOL)

Emily with Dr. Wells

Family Tree’s Chief Technology Officer, Mark Williams, presented a view of the new Administrator pages entitled Group Administrator Dashboard (GAD). This total rewrite of the Web pages will allow Admins to view all their projects through one dashboard and to custom design their site. Admins can elect which windows to view and how to place them. Several new options will allow various charts to track the number of testers within a time period, haplogroup charts within a grouped list of testers and more. An administrator can order their members page according to several columns such as kit number, name, haplogroup, etc. Several of us helped Beta test this over the last few weeks, but those administrators who attended the conference are allow to further Beta test these pages. For a while both the old system and the new one will run independently of each other. This new approach provides more flexibility in tracking our projects and contacting our testers. Having all our projects on one page with one password along with all the new tools will be most helpful.

Dr. Ricki Lewis, a geneticist presented on Privacy & Ethics of DNA Testing. During lunch at my table she commented that she knows little about Genetic Genealogy, but remained for the sessions to learn more for her next novel. From my notes, her comments were that testing the entire genome is not helpful as there is too much junk DNA, but she feels that sequencing subsets of the genome can be helpful. She views those seeking DNA for health issues and for genealogical purposes start with a different intent. Dr. Lewis states that for health testing you get bad news, and it is done in secrecy. For ancestry testing the purpose is good news and for sharing.

My Note: In general, the purpose of testing for health and for ancestry can be the desire of the general public as Dr. Lewis stated, but genetic genealogists have a great depth of knowledge and desire for more information than the average person. Any genealogist knows it is important to gather and record family health issues, and this is especially important for those who were adopted. For these reasons, genealogists seek information on health issues, at least for themselves. Those who do understand that environment is the biggest factor and not inherited diseases. They understand that in most all cases, the DNA shows the propensity of getting a disease if one doesn’t take care of themselves properly. For example, one person who took a personal genome test found he had a very high probability for prostate cancer. He went to the doctor and they found he did have it. He is alive today as a result of testing for health. Granted, science has not determined which combination of genes causes most of our health issues, but in some cases they know. Genetic genealogists know and understand this.

Genetic genealogists vary from knowing the basics of how DNA testing helps genealogy to being actual geneticists, mathematicians, doctors, anthropologists, scientists, and lawyers. That is to say, they come from every walk of life, with every background, and with a wide variety of knowledge regarding every aspect of genealogy and the use of DNA for family research. Over the last nine years genetic genealogy has existed, the knowledge base of the followers has grown tremendously. With these annual meetings and other seminars, with the availability of online resources, technical papers, and published books, with the establishment of various email groups, anyone wishing to understand genetics with regard to genealogy can do so.

Dr. Lewis rightfully mentioned the ridiculous aspects of some DNA companies claiming that children have a gene that determines their sports ability, etc. Genetic genealogists know how ludicrous this is. Unfortunate the general public takes the extremes: DNA testing is totally bogus or DNA testing for such genes is a god-sent. Both are wrong.

After a wonderful lunch, Bob McLaren, dressed in his kilt and manager of the Clan MacLaren project gave an interesting presentation entitled: Lessons Learned from Running a Large Surname Project. Mr. McLaren discussed ways to display DNA results, how to recruit members, and how to keep them informed. Bob’s project is one of the larger surname projects with 327 members as of July 2008.

Dr. Doron Behar, postdoctoral fellow in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and FTDNA’s chief lab technician for mitochondrial DNA, and William R. Hurst, administrator of the mtDNA Haplogroup K Project and co-admin of the Hurst Surname Project discussed Advances in mtDNA Testing for Genealogy and Anthropology. They informed the audience that 5100 full mitochondrial DNA records were in GenBank with over 250 of those from Family Tree DNA and that FTDNA has over 4100 completed mtDNA. They clarified that Dna Ancestry misses 75% of the SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) that FTDNA tests. (SNPs determine the haplogroup which is a person’s twig on the Phylogenetic Tree which is the world’s family tree.)

NOTE: GenBank is a collection of publicly accessed DNA sequences for many species. An easy explanation of it can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GenBank

The day ended in a Question and Answer panel. We learned that Ysearch will be updated later this year to include more markers; that the Genographic project requires the haplogroup to be known for the Hyper Variable Region 1 (HVR1) so the required SNPs are tested; that Dna Anecestry originally planned to make the DNA they test a part of a paid subscription in the future. (Personally, that’s scary…you pay; they profit via their subscriptions.); and many more topics.

Day two:
Dr. Michael Hammer, Biotechnology Research Scientist at eh University of Arizona and Director of the Genomic Analysis and Technology Core facility, discussed the Advances in TMRCA in a break-out session. TMRCA (Time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor) is a mathematical probability that helps determine the number of generations back to the common paternal grandfather with people who match on DNA testing. Several models are applied and this process can be very useful guideline when the paper trail dead-ends. Of course there is a constant desire to improve this connection and with more testing it will be. FTDNA is currently looking for more males who have tested 67 markers and who are willing to have their male child, parent or grandchild tested. Three male generations, closely related (not cousins) will help determine a better proximity to the time to the most common ancestor. FTDNA is hoping to get volunteers of male halpogroups other than those who are R1b and I. The audience also learned that R1b and I mutation rates are similar and that J should have faster rates.

The other break-out session was Haplogroups: Uses for Your Project by Eileen Krause, Post-Lab Quaility Assurance Manager at FTDNA. Ms. Krause discussed the future of DNA testing and explained how DNA testing has already begun to bridge the gap between the genealogical paper trail, DNA testing and the SNPs that determine haplogroups.

The Ewing Surname Y-DNA Project by Dr. David Ewing, administrator of the Ewing Surname Y-DNA Project and member of Clan Ewing, gave some wonderful examples of how DNA testing solved some genealogical problems, while creating others with further work could resolve. He showed the audience some techniques for analyzing results and how to explain them to project members. Back mutations and Parallel mutations were explained.

Next, Matt Kaplan, associate staff scientist at the University of Arizona in the Division of Biotechnology and doctoral candidate, and Taylor Edwards, Senior Research Specialist at the Genomic Analysis and Technology Core at the University of Arizona and contributes to all aspects of the laboratory work for FTDNA and the Genographic Project, presented on What’s in a Name…the Current State of Y STR Nomenclature 2009. In 2007 John Butler of NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) spoke to the FTDNA conference attendees regarding the standardization of DNA companies. Since that time, Messers. Kaplan and Edwards have worked closely with Dr. Butler to help FTDNA incorporate the changes.

The current rules established by NIST were presented, but the required changes from NIST (below) shows discrepancies in the application of those rules. However, FTDNA will follow the rules.

Currently, three markers that FTDNA test were given as an example of having NIST guidelines.
1. DYS 441 – Add 1 to the current FTDNA nomenclature.
2. DYS 442 – Add 5
3. DYS GATA-H4 – Add 1

These three markers will change on the websites sometime this year. Unfortunately, the certificates previously printed will be wrong after the change.

FTDNA’s goal is to follow the NIST rules, but where NIST has not created a standard, FTDNA must follow the primary literature. These changes will take much time as NIST was created to focus primarily on Forensics and other non-genealogical companies and as more and more markers are being discovered at a rapid pace.

FTDNA vows full disclosure to NIST on their testing process. Their newly found markers are being sent to NIST, and FTDNA will be altering their reports and websites to reflect micro-alleles (partial repeats which will be displayed as decimals. Example: 14.1 instead of 14).

Bennett Greenspan, President of FTDNA, stressed that for all this to work, it is important that ALL other testing labs follow the NIST guidelines. He also suggested that all of us should push for standardization.

After another wonderful lunch, Thomas Krahn, Technical Laboratory Manager of Family Tree DNA’s Genomics Research Center in Houston, presented on A Walk Through the Y Update and NULL Alleles as a break-out session. Mr. Krahn explained that a NULL is the absence of DNA results in a particular marker. The audience learned that there are many possible locations for NULLs, namely, DYS 439, 437, 391, 565, 448, 389, 425, and 448. Some of these appear in particular haplogroups more so than in others.

We also learned the outcome of what tests have gone through the Walk Through the Y program. This testing was geared to finding more SNPs by testing parts of the Y chromosome, with the hopes of finding SNPs particular to family and even in establishing a private SNP. As of now, the project is open to the public through an application available by contacting FTDNA.
Challenges to the Genetic Genealogist by David Ewing and Bob McLaren was another breakout session answered questions regarding how your projects’ genetic information can be integrated with traditional genealogical data. Their presentation included who to test, how to recruit, what marker level to use, and how to make sense of your project results.

The last session of the conference was Updates to the Y-chromosome Tree by Dr. Michael Hammer. We learned that there are 600 SNPs which have been mapped, 20 major haplogroups (A-T), and that the R haplogroup acquired most of the new mutations although seven other groups received new mutations and subclades.

At every conference, Family Tree DNA gives the attendees some gift. At times it is a newly published book, but this year we received an updated Y Phylogenetic Tree. The best part of this tree, besides including the new subclades and SNPs, is that it uses the “short-hand” for subclades, but gives the longer version in the last column. For example, as the current subclades are getting much longer (R1b1b2) many genetic genealogists use the last SNP to indicate the twig (R-M269). However, it is easier to see the route of the twig back to the R branch by seeing the longer version. This Phylogenetic Tree is viewed at Family Tree’s website by clicking on SNPs R Us.

The conference closed with a period of questions and answers.

Various photos from the conference:


Dr. Hammer's TMRCA Presentation

Bennett

Elise and Max




















Spencer and Doron

Elise and Thomas















Alice, David and Terry after the conference

Doug Mumma, the first project manager at Family Tree DNA. He began in 2000.