tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.comments2023-10-02T00:59:44.651-07:00DNA - Genealem's Genetic GenealogyGenealemhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-83383797737499897822018-02-25T15:21:34.329-08:002018-02-25T15:21:34.329-08:00My follow-up with more clarity on the subject of B...My follow-up with more clarity on the subject of Bio-geographical Comparisons<br /><br />The major DNA testing companies provide a bio-geographical comparison which is more commonly referred to as Ethnic Groups or Percentages. Each company vets their own set of populations and compares your autosomal DNA with those populations. Some companies chose to be more conservative than others. Regardless, over time as more populations are refined, the groups to which you “belong” as well as the percentages will change. This is not something you can “take to the bank” as being firm.<br /><br />This bio-geographical comparison can be used to substantiate family oral history that indicates you are from one population or another. However, to prove or disprove those family stories of being related to an African American, a Native American, or some other group, often more test is required. You may find from your test that you have a small percentage from a particular group. There needs to be enough DNA from that group to give you at least a 1% on the list of populations. However, if you do not see a particular group and you wish to prove or disprove your family story, you need to have siblings and other relatives take the autosomal test.<br /><br />For example, one person I know is said to be from the Wyandot Native American group on his mother’s paternal side and from the Choctaw on his mother’s maternal side. After testing more family members, he found that several cousins and uncles has 4-6 Native American DNA segments on his mother’s paternal line and no segments on his mother’s maternal line. Hence, he is related to the Wyandot, but not the Choctaw. <br /><br />If you find that other relatives do have the targeted population group on the suspected lines for that population, but you do not, that doesn’t mean you aren’t from the population, but it means that you didn’t inherit enough DNA from that ancestor to show on the bio-geographical comparison chart.<br />Genealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-52581361706062947152018-02-12T16:20:11.298-08:002018-02-12T16:20:11.298-08:00The "ethnic" percentages won't help ...The "ethnic" percentages won't help a great deal. I would advise that you search online for DNAAdoption.com and get involved with them. They provide free advise. I would also tell you to do the autosomal test with all the major companies (23andMe, Family Tree DNA, AncestryDNA, and MyHeritage. You can transfer the 23andMe test or AncestryDNA test to FTDNA for $19 and can transfer to MyHeritage for free. ALSO, test your Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) at Family Tree DNA. Many people have found their biological family, so don't give up.<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />EmilyGenealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-78984307055582587352018-02-12T15:39:29.391-08:002018-02-12T15:39:29.391-08:00Thanks for the reply. My issue is I was adopted a...Thanks for the reply. My issue is I was adopted and have no one I can ask those questions to due to A court seal on my records.Andrew Petersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07739765566361332938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-78921038241067985352018-02-11T21:57:58.834-08:002018-02-11T21:57:58.834-08:00Andrew,
No company's "ethnic" perce...Andrew,<br /><br />No company's "ethnic" percentages (bio-geographical comparisons) are 100% correct. Each company vets what populations they think are good and compares you with those. Over time, those populations could change or be refined; therefore, the percentages and areas could change. Also, if your family strongly states you are from a particular population, it is wise to test several family members as each person receives some different autosomal DNA segments. For example, if your family or your genealogical paper trail indicates you are Native American, but your test shows none, that doesn't mean you aren't, but means you may have not inherited enough DNA from that line. This is the reason you should test other family members along the line of what ethnic group you are trying to determine.Genealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-33611779265202556052018-02-06T22:30:52.379-08:002018-02-06T22:30:52.379-08:00I've done a fair amount of research into these...I've done a fair amount of research into these "Internet DNA tests" and I can't seem to find a definite answer.<br /><br />Is it possible via a saliva/cheek swab DNA test to determine with 100% accuracy the Racial Profile of a human?<br /><br />My parentage is uncertain due to being adopted and there being a Court Seal on the parent information (Michigan Laws on adoption in the 70's favored parental anonymity.).<br /><br />I have anecdotal information on what my racial makeup is from what my mom and dad say they were told by the Adoption agency.<br /><br />And my parents just recently got me a competitors DNA test kit. But the results are regionally wide spread.<br /><br />Does a DNA test by your company provide enough detail to Know if the donor is American Indian, for example. If yes, is it detailed enough to know what specific Tribe?<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Andrew P.Andrew Petersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07739765566361332938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-9002279789621821702018-02-06T12:15:32.912-08:002018-02-06T12:15:32.912-08:00My favorite My Heritage feature is the ability to ...My favorite My Heritage feature is the ability to search by country- very useful.Frank Kelchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00803396243369055545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-21034441533501389552017-10-14T19:42:49.409-07:002017-10-14T19:42:49.409-07:00Thank you for reading my post, and I'm pleased...Thank you for reading my post, and I'm pleased you have found it helpful to some degree, at least. A Y-37 used to be the standard, but now the Y-67 or higher is better in many cases. It depends upon your goals and the haplogroup. If you are only upgrading to an additional test or level of test, there is no need to swab again at Family Tree DNA providing there is still enough sample left. Usually, you can take several tests before you run out. You can always email and ask FTDNA if there is enough.<br /><br />The fewer genetic differences you have on a higher level of the Y tests (i.e., 67 and 111), the closer you are in time to the matches. The Big Y is more ancient than genealogical time frame, but if the haplogroup for your men is on the R1b tree, it can be helpful. I suggest that you should learn more about that later rather than try to do it now.<br /><br />For any male on your father's line, definitely do the Y-37 or higher and an autosomal test (Family Finder at FTDNA). If you must chose only one test for each of the men you mention, know that you can add or upgrade later. Also ask yourself what you want to know. Do you want to find matches on the all-male line (then do a Y test) or do you want matches anywhere on the pedigree chart of these men (autosomal test). The atDNA test goes back at least 5-6 generations and sometimes more. I do have a blog on each type of test. Just google the test to find them.<br /><br />You might consider ordering my book as I do explain the basic tests. The info for ordering is on my blog.<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />EmilyGenealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-21881455724034689872017-10-08T17:34:22.118-07:002017-10-08T17:34:22.118-07:00Hi Emily,
I've just stumbled onto your blog a...Hi Emily,<br /><br />I've just stumbled onto your blog and I'm exploring it, thank you for the wealth of information! :-) My mother and I are considering having my uncle take a Y-DNA test and we're still confused on what test to do. My mom, me, my sister, and grandfather (mom's father) have already taken the autosomal with Ancestry and transferred results to Family Tree and GEDmatch so I don't think we need to have him do that. Grandpa has now passed away which is why we want to test my uncle going forward. I'm thinking the Y-DNA 67 after seeing a previous post of yours about the tests and what the differences are (which I'm still confused about to be honest but so far your blog has done the best job of explaining). I see that lots of people later upgrade from 37 or 67 to 111 or Big Y. Does upgrading require another test be taken or just another fee be paid to have them reexamine the sample? Also, with this line (Robinson) we go back on paper to my 8th great grandfather but he's a brick wall. There's no trace of his parents or where he came from. My grandfather always said we were Scottish on that line but I still have no proof of that. I'd love to be able to figure that out.<br /><br />For my father's side, he was of Japanese ancestry. The only male relative who might be willing to test is my first cousin (our father's were brothers). I'm also wondering what test would be best to have him do. We have significantly less information on this line.<br /><br />For both of these men, if we could only have them take one test each, what would you recommend and why? <br /><br />Also as a side note, I've looked at tons of explanations and comparisons for these tests and just cannot make heads or tails of them. Even the sites that sell the tests do not do a great job of explaining in layman's terms exactly what they do and what an individual should expect. Is there a post you can point me to that accomplishes this? I would truly be gratefulmsstarlitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15340504212111744330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-19725892101836528532017-08-29T12:42:20.483-07:002017-08-29T12:42:20.483-07:00Barbbfly, Family Tree DNA has tested Jewish popula...Barbbfly, Family Tree DNA has tested Jewish populations all over the world. They also offer more types of tests than any other company. Their tests are on sale until August 30th, also. However, know that AncestryDNA has more testers, but they do not offer the really necessary tools to see the particular matching segments you have with matches. It only offers one test, as well. Frankly, you should probably test at both and perhaps 23andMe as all have a different database of testers. BUT, know that 23andMe only provides one test, also. AND, Family Tree DNA tests anywhere in the world, the others do not. Best to you. Lastly, each of these companies provide a bio-geographical comparison (what the lay-person calls ethnic percentages), but each company uses different populations. Over time, each company will add new populations with whom to compare you as well as each has their own algorithm so the percentages will be different with each and change over time. If you aren't showing a percentage of a certain population, you may not have inherited enough to meet the threshold for the company. This doesn't always mean you aren't related to that group, so you may need to test cousins and close relatives to test to see if they show the group.<br />EmilyGenealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-48918856652512684752017-08-29T12:13:49.777-07:002017-08-29T12:13:49.777-07:00thx for sharing your expertise . my dear . i would...thx for sharing your expertise . my dear . i would like to know if i have Jewish roots in me since i have become a Messianic christian . ---do you know which co. i should choose for this ?barbbflyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07756627282846417782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-19632430328831224232017-05-23T16:27:37.858-07:002017-05-23T16:27:37.858-07:00Thank you for this update.Thank you for this update.Genealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-18641033332748554542017-03-11T13:33:12.311-08:002017-03-11T13:33:12.311-08:00Interesting! The center of attraction on the "...Interesting! The center of attraction on the "Jamboree 2017 Webinars logo" is Portland very own resident Genetic Generalist. Way to go, I knew you were famous and now so will everyone else.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05575348961372259789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-2335199231680871422017-01-17T19:42:51.862-08:002017-01-17T19:42:51.862-08:00I am not totally clear on your question. If you a...I am not totally clear on your question. If you are telling me that you have an exact match on a Y12, but your match has taken a Y37 and you have taken the Y67, then what it means depends on what you are seeing. If you are still matching this Y12 match at a Y37, then your common ancestor is closer in time than only if you matched on a Y37. I'd ask the tester to upgrade to a Y67 to see if you still match. If the match has a small genetic difference, then, again, your common ancestor is closer in time.<br /><br />Depending upon your haplogroup, matches testing only 12 loci (locations) can be hundreds to thousands of years ago...or your father/brother/son. If you are matching someone at 12 markers perfectly and that match does not appear at a Y37 or higher, you are not closely related. Each grouping of markers (Y37, Y67, Y111) have their own thresholds. If the genetic difference is above that threshold you won't see a person as a match.<br /><br />In the case your questions is really asking what does the Y-37, etc. mean, that is the number of places tested on the Y-chromosome.<br /><br />There are many sources to aid your learning. Family Tree DNA has free webinars with a link at the bottom of their homepage, there is my book Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond, and the ISOOG Wiki.<br /><br />Hope this helps.<br />EmilyGenealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-51216987910054852232017-01-17T16:52:27.754-08:002017-01-17T16:52:27.754-08:00I get confused with all of this. I have an exact ...I get confused with all of this. I have an exact match at 12 markers. He has taken Y-37 and I have taken Y-67. What does this mean?Undisclosedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00655129324726772694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-68200211552565277562016-09-10T01:25:13.411-07:002016-09-10T01:25:13.411-07:00wimom
Thank you for writing. A Y-12 (12 marker le...wimom<br /><br />Thank you for writing. A Y-12 (12 marker level) is too few to draw conclusions about matches, especially if the male haplogroup is a very common one, such as the R1b (R-M269) haplogroup. AND, it does no good to compare a 12 maker test with someone who has taken a Y-111 as only the first 12 markers are matched/compared. It would be best to upgrade to a Y-67 at least. If your Keller male is still matching only Joyner/Joiner men or men who do not share the Keller surname and if your male is an R-M269, the matches could be very long ago. Join the haplogroup that is relevant to your tester and confirm with the administrators of that group. Many of the haplogroup administrators have a view of what surnames tend to match each other longer ago. <br /><br />For example, my cousin is R-M269 and matches six other surnames even at a Y-111. Granted he does match some with his own surname, but that is because I have actively recruited them to determine if they are related. After having my cousin do some extensive SNP testing, including the Big Y, the haplogroup admins determined that he and the other six names are actually members of the Seven Septs of Laois (a county in Ireland). This group was in that area in 1641. I have no proof that my line was there then, but this also gave me an alternative spelling of the surname used at that time.<br /><br />Now, do not do any SNP testing or the Big Y until you upgrade to at least a Y-67 and until the haplogroup people advise you to do so. Sometimes the SNPs aren't needed or just a few are needed if others who would match your cousin in the haplogroup project have done so.<br /><br />Best wishes,<br />EmilyGenealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-3979937260648028132016-09-09T21:25:59.919-07:002016-09-09T21:25:59.919-07:00My male cousin had a Y-67 test. His surname is KEL...My male cousin had a Y-67 test. His surname is KELLER. He shows a 0 genetic distance match to several people but they are all at the 12 marker level. Some of the people have taken Y-111 tests and he still only matches them at the 12 marker level. The surname of the individuals he matches is JOYNER or JOINER it seems many of them have the same MRCA. Does this indicate a significant match or could this be noise? <br /><br />Thanks.TJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254903701549355670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-2094797722976136072016-09-03T16:31:20.080-07:002016-09-03T16:31:20.080-07:00Digitalboost,
The Y-DNA tests can help with surn...Digitalboost, <br /><br />The Y-DNA tests can help with surnames for males. I would suggest at least a Y-37 marker test, but you may have to upgrade, depending upon what haplogroup you are and how you are matching those who also took the Y-37 test. You may wish to search my blog for more on Y-DNA testing (from 2014 to anything current). I would also suggest that you contact DNAAdoption.com as they help with unknown parents. Their advise is free, and they have had a lot of great success stories. How much they could help in Britain is the question, but free is worth a try. You may also wish to take the autosomal test to find close relatives on any part of your pedigree chart back 5-9 generations. You may run into a recent cousin who matches you somewhere on your father's line or who knows something about the situation. Family Tree DNA (familytreedna.com) has just reduced their autosomal test (called Family Finder) to $79 plus shipping. This one is the cheapest price out there, although it can be beneficial to test at all three companies as each has a different database. However, right now, only FTDNA tests more people in Britain than the other two.<br /><br />Best to you...and don't give up!Genealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-81737721106326525162016-09-03T12:05:42.756-07:002016-09-03T12:05:42.756-07:00Hi there,
I have never been able to find out any...Hi there, <br /><br />I have never been able to find out anything about my father in terms of a name, or knowing much about his origins and which part of the country he might be from..just that he was British and a travelling businessman. Would this test allow me to find any close relatives?<br /><br />Many thanksdigitalboosthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01962807685138814056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-60498343504844008932016-01-06T17:24:01.719-08:002016-01-06T17:24:01.719-08:00The Intrepid Adventuress...
Isn't any business...The Intrepid Adventuress...<br />Isn't any business about greed? There are exceptions (some do not charge their customers: Family Search, ProQuest which does now have an Acnestry connection!)<br /><br />It will be more difficult to keep up your AncestryTree as you have to make changes via their system. I don't post my tree, although I have tested there. People need to contact me to share data. I will not give out my entire gedcom under any circumstances. I'm a seasoned researcher and not a "collector" of information that pertains to my family.<br /><br />It will be interesting to see what the fall-out is from this. However, with Ancestry's money, they are seriously targeting the NEWBIE genealogist and have done so for years with ads. They make research sound so simple...Just pick the leaf...just click here, etc. For "genealogists" who are out to "collect" their ancestors, that works. For the seasoned genealogist, that is bunk. When the internet first began (I've researched for over 50 yrs), someone emailed me and exclaimed they had been on the internet for 6 months and couldn't find their family. I told them to get off the Net and get into the court house.Genealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-21142156266115663762016-01-06T16:31:48.869-08:002016-01-06T16:31:48.869-08:00MS2015...
My understanding is that Ancestry didn&#...MS2015...<br />My understanding is that Ancestry didn't wish to put more money into FTM. We know Ancestry has a record of acquiring companies and dumping them; we know that Ancestry does not fix errors and that they outsource their transcriptions to people outside the US. As they say: a leopard doesn't change its spots.<br />..... I've used FTM for decades. I have heard there are some software programs that do allow you to add genetic information. You would have to write the companies to know which. I would, however, be very careful that there is no assumption that a living Y-DNA tester would have the exact result of every male in the Y-line. Mutations as you know do happen, and making assumptions is not accurate. However, you can state that the tester has that particular result, and hopefully, any genealogy software program will not allow you to draw generalizations based on that. Of course, the haplogroup would be correct UNLESS there is some NPE back in time. NPE (my version is: Not the Parent Expected, but geneticists say: Non-parental Event. IMO, every conception is a parental event, so I coined my version years ago). Regardless, there are many reasons for surname changes and basically that is what an NPE is.<br /><br />Emily<br /><br />Genealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-5958323525779207652016-01-06T16:28:48.857-08:002016-01-06T16:28:48.857-08:00If I understand the implications of Ancestry dumpi...If I understand the implications of Ancestry dumping FTM -- it be much more difficult for customers (especially newer ones)to efficiently transfer their research/trees from Ancestry's server -- so, they'll be less likely to discontinue their subscription. My interpretation of their motivation for the move is that it is at least partially about greed. Does that angle hang together? Thanks -The Intrepid Adventuresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09051662866814827407noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-32793906495369572362016-01-06T13:40:27.511-08:002016-01-06T13:40:27.511-08:00Thanks so much Emily. Wow, the offerings grow ever...Thanks so much Emily. Wow, the offerings grow every day. I see a large number of users are unhappy with FTM; might have been a reason they threw in the towel. I had tried a few of the others mentioned in the reviews; only went with FTM because all my trees are on Ancestry, so I thought there'd be less software issues. That being said, I am less and less a fan of the new Ancestry online interface, it's slow and buggy in terms of results (their SQL stmts often don't reflect what the user specified) - they're not a very consumer friendly company, I never got any of my issues addressed. So the larger question for me is also how I balance where I get genealogy content from. I am curious if any of the software suppliers are planning on adding a DNA database addin - so e.g., I can store various DNA results of family members in an interpreted, accessible (family tree) manner. Seems that would require a special genetic genaology interface. Thanks again.MS2015https://www.blogger.com/profile/01219922389195595958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-26595485849641868672016-01-05T19:02:07.798-08:002016-01-05T19:02:07.798-08:00MS2015. I do not make recommendations for specifi...MS2015. I do not make recommendations for specific software or for most everything. I am looking into what I plan to use the in the future. Many people may stick to FTM until it gives them problems. I plan on having a back up program in place before FTM gets so old and crashes. I would suggest you use your browser to view comparisons among genealogy software. Here's a few links in no particular order:<br />http://genealogy-software-review.toptenreviews.com/<br />http://www.gensoftreviews.com/<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_genealogy_software<br /><br />Best to you,<br />Emily<br /><br />Genealemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08862053925857198520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-39425282595323056992016-01-05T15:19:30.235-08:002016-01-05T15:19:30.235-08:00With FTM now on its way out, could you recommend o...With FTM now on its way out, could you recommend other offline alternatives to xfer our FTM files?<br /><br />Thanks so much!MS2015https://www.blogger.com/profile/01219922389195595958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5217578981136853097.post-40153129554810653992015-09-11T18:38:13.050-07:002015-09-11T18:38:13.050-07:00I am new to all this--I am also U5A1H. We are rare...I am new to all this--I am also U5A1H. We are rare indeed! Fascinating stuff here! what a great story. Elisabeth . oldest known maternal name is Lauder.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09613318648033204954noreply@blogger.com