Family Tree DNA Father's Day Sale

Family Tree DNA Tests on Sale for Father's Day with 20% and higher savings!

The sale starts today, June 6th and ends at midnight June 18, Central Time.

Family Finder is only $69 (Reg. $89)

Y-37 is $139 (Reg. $169)

For the same test taker you can bundle these two together for only $199. (Reg. $258)

If you are attending Southern California's Genealogy Society's Jamboree in Burbank this week, Family Tree DNA's booth is in front of the expedition hall at booths 401-402.  AND...don't forget to attend some wonderful presentations:

Janine Cloud, Groups Project Manager, will speak about privacy concerns on Thursday at 10:00 a.m.

Michael Sager, Y-DNA Haplogroup Specialist will speak on the past, present and future of the Y-DNA haplotree.

Jim Brewster, Groups Project Assistant Manager will speak Saturday at 10:00 a.m. on Understanding DNA for Genealogy and on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. on The ABCs of Y DNA.

SO, check out the Family Tree DNA website to order!

Living DNA - Launches Project in Germany

Living DNA has launched a project to determine identifying patters of DNA within Germany and surrounding regions.  They have partnered with Germany’s largest genealogical society, Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (CompGen) which has 3,700 members.  Living DNA, a European based company is seeking individuals with four grandparents all born within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of each other.

Comments from the two companies:

David Nicholson of Living DNA:

“It’s a great honour to work with CompGen on this project, they have a vast understanding of the complex population structures of Germany and surrounding regions and we are all excited to see the results of the project”.

Dr. Tobias Kemper, genetic genealogist working for CompGen, says:

“We are thrilled to be working on this project which will show how the history of middle Europe – from the Roman Empire through the middle ages and the early modern period – until now has left traces within German DNA and their regional distribution.

The press release further states:

               The project’s aim is to map the genetic structure of contemporary Germany and surrounding

eastern regions (Silesia, Posen, Pomerania, East and West Prussia), which have been part of

Germany prior to WWI, with a special focus on the former eastern provinces (now part of Poland and Russia).

Those who qualify with the location of their grandparents would receive the test for only €89 + return postage (RRP €159), which includes lifetime membership to Living DNA.

Those who quality, but have already had their DNA tested with another company can transfer free of charge and have a complimentary lifetime membership to Living DNA.

For more detail see:  https://www.livingdna.com/en-gb/press-releases/255/new-dna-project-aims-map-germany-s-genetic-history

So, let’s get to testing!

Best wishes,

Emily

Family Tree DNA's National DNA Day Sale

The National DNA Day Sale has begun!  Spread the news!  Order today!

The promotion ends at 11:59 pm Central Time on Thursday, April 27th.




NOTE:  Upgrades are not included.

Remember:  The more people who test, the more cousins we find!

Happy DNA Day!

Best wishes,
Emily

Family Tree DNA Updates myOrigins

Family Tree DNA has exciting news! The long-awaited update to myOrigins is now available. 

The major points include:

1. Increased reference populations from 18 to 24, including the long-awaited Sephardic population, which is under the Jewish Diaspora category (see below). 

2. Updated design that includes an interactive landing page with the tester's percentages, which when clicked will display a description of that population. There will also be a separate list of all populations with those present highlighted in addition to the map with the Trace percentages are now available. Those populations found to be less than 2% of the person's makeup show as<2 nbsp="" span="">

4. The page resizes to be compatible with mobile devices. 

5. The database has already been re-run, so when the switch is flipped, customers will be able to see the updates. 

24 myOrigins Population Clusters

African          
            East Central Africa
            West Africa
            South Central Africa

Central/South Asian 
            South Central Asia
            Oceania
            Central Asia

East Asian

Northeast Asia

Southeast Asia
            Siberia

Europe
            West and Central Europe    

            East Europe
            Iberia
            Southeast Europe
            British Isles  

            Finland
            Scandinavia   

Jewish Diaspora

Sephardic Diaspora
            Ashkenazi Diaspora
Middle Eastern
            East Middle East
            West Middle East 

Asia Minor
            North Africa
New World   
            North and Central America

South and Central America

FTDNA is working on a piece for the Learning Center about the update, including detailed descriptions of the populations on the list above. 

Enjoy!
Emily

Living DNA - New Testing Company

Originally there was one direct to consumer DNA company who stood out, namely Family Tree DNA.  Then came 23andMe and finally AncestryDNA.  These were the three major DNA testing companies for the genealogist and other interested parties for years.  However, new kids are moving to the block, and with a new focus on bio-geographical comparisons (admixtures) and one of those players is Living DNA!

Living DNA, a British company, does have an office in Louisville, Kentucky.  You order a test kit with two swab samples (no fluid) and mail it back to Eurofins Genomics (a partner) in Kentucky.  The testing is done in Denmark.

Testing results is an admixture (those “ethnic” percentages based on your autosomal DNA).  The company also provides the mitochondrial haplogroup and the Y-DNA haplogroup.  Although there is currently no matching feature nor chromosome browser, those will be provided in the near future.

What is unique about this company is that they provide testing to 80 world regions, and their focus is to test enough customers so they can pin-point locations within a country for your ancestors.  It allows you to see percentages and map locations for just your mother’s line, father’s line or both as well as some information on your haplogroup, a migration map and phylogenetic tree for each parent. Of course, this means it will be fine-tuned as more people test.  This test is especially helpful with those who have ancestors in the British Isles and Ireland.  You can view these 21 regions (so far) on their website going back in our ancestor up to ten generations. 

I know 38 of my 64 fourth-great-grandparents (which is 6 generations from me), and I only know about ten of those who are immigrants prior to 1800.  As all but one of my KNOWN ancestors were in the US by the early 1800s and that one arrived in 1838, I know a few general locations from where those immigrants came.  This type of test can help me determine where to search outside the U.S., but there are no guarantees that my ancestor lived in the specific area listed by any company’s bio-geographical comparison until I find that ancestor in the location.  However, it is interesting and may be most helpful to see what detailed variety my DNA sample can show.  I know my admixture will vary over time as more people test and more analysis can be made.

Know that this admixture (being compared with bio-geographical populations) has been the very reason some people test; that is, many who are not necessarily genealogists, but who may become interested in their lineage.  The more detail that a company can provide for the customer, the greater the interest by the public.  The more testing, the more advances we will see in the genetic genealogy field and that will benefit us all.

I always recommend that everyone test with a variety, if not all companies, in order to find matches in different databases.  As soon as this company gets its matching feature and its chromosome browser (to view the individual segments we share with our matches), the more this company will be able to compete with the others.

Click here to order a test.  

Jump in the new gene pool!  You may be my cousin!

Emily

Family Tree DNA - Updated Transfers from other companies!

It is always wise to play in more than one gene pool, and Family Tree DNA is making it easier for you to do that by allowing more transfers from other companies.  YEAH!!!!

Customers can now transfer their results from their 23andMe V4 chip and from their AncestryDNA
V2 files in addition to the 23andMe V3 and AncestryDNA V2 files to Family Tree DNA!!!!

In the coming weeks, those who tested at MyHeritage and Genographic will be also able to transfer.

Family Tree DNA still does not accept 23andMe results prior to November 2010.

Those transferring with the 23andMe V3 and AncestryDNA V1 results will receive a full list of matches and the ability to use the Matrix feature at FTDNA FOR FREE.  For only $19, the customer can unlock the Chromosome Browser, myOrgins, and ancient Origins.  (Frankly, all this is definitely worth the $19!!!)

23andMe V4 and AncestryDNA V2 results receive all but the most speculative matches (6th to remote cousins) for free.  If the customer wishes the speculative matches, they will have to submit a sample to FTDNA and have the Family Finder run at the reduce price of $59 (reg. $79).

Matches for transfers would take from one to 24 hours to appear, depending upon the volume of tests waiting to be converted.

More wonderful news....

myOrigins will be updated in the coming weeks.  Until then transfers will include only broad populations.

All previously transferred files that have not been unlocked will receive their matches and have access to the Matrix feature for free as long as the release form is signed.  This can be signed online from your personal webpages.  AND...these kits will also be able to unlock the other Family Finder features for $19.  IF the transfer was on a kit with another product where the release form has already been signed, then the matches will appear with not additional action necessary.

The Autosomal Transfer webpage now includes a new image and a FAQ section at the bottom of the page.

If a person tried to transfer the same autosomal file a second time, there will be a message with the kit number of the original kit.

See the Learning Center (bottom of an FTDNA page) and put Autosomal Transfer into the search box to see the most current information.


Know that if you transfer results to FTDNA and you wish to purchase an additional test (Y-DNA or mitochondrial DNA), you will need to order a kit, but be sure to use the same kit number you are given at your autosomal transfer.  One person; one kit number ALWAYS!

Hope you transfer...you may be my cousin!

Best wishes,
Emily

2017 SCGS Jamboree Webinars

Although the bi-monthly Jamboree Webinars have already begun (started in January), there are plenty more to come!

These presentations are free when first aired and for SCGS members the 100 sessions are available at any time free.  Register at : http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/webinar/jes-index.html
Details can be seen at the Jamboree Webinar website.

For a small taste of those coming soon:

Wednesday, February 15   6:00 PM - 7:00 PM PST

Hot DAM! Seven Simple Steps to Manage Digital Image Files  

Presented by Denise Levenick, MA

Saturday, March 4   10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST

Family Browse: Finding Unindexed Records on FamilySearch 

Presented by Mary Kircher Roddy

Wednesday, March 15  6:00 PM - 7:00 PM PDT

Get Excited About your Pre-1870 African-American Research

Presented by Diane L. Richards

**Special Webinar rescheduled from 2016**

Wednesday, March 22  6:00 PM - 7:00 PM PDT

What's In a Name? Every Surname Tells a Story

Presented by Tessa Keough

AND...does anyone look familiar in that poster?  LOL

Enjoy!

Emily