Genealogy's Star: DNA

Showing posts with label DNA. Show all posts

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Things you might like to know in addition to your DNA test

Apparently those who promote DNA testing for genealogical inquiries feel compelled to explain all of the genetic intricacies of the program. Almost every class or presentation I have had on the subject has involved a huge amount of jargon. Years ago I became interested in synthesized music. I took an opportunity to visit a store selling some of the newer keyboard synthesizers in Scottsdale, just north of my home in Mesa, Arizona. The sales person in the store, talked to me about the different models available, but used a huge amount of music/technical language. Since I was just starting out in my interest, I was soon lost. As I left the store I said to myself, in two months I will know more that that salesperson about synthesizers and I did. Much, much more. I set up a complete sound studio and recorded some music.

This example illustrates and interesting point. One thing I learned in law school was that if you wanted to be a lawyer you had to sound or talk like one. Producing the jargon is one of the ways to increase the mystique of any pursuit. Genealogists are just as guilty of using jargon as any other technical pursuit and now genealogy is permeated with computer jargon as well. So here we go again, adding another layer of impenetrable jargon in the form of DNA terminology. If I wanted to impress people with my legal knowledge and promote myself as a lawyer, I would do two things. First, I would write about complex subjects and throw out a lot of legal jargon and a few Latin phrases, such as tort, replevin, etc. But secondly, at the same time, I would try to make all that mumbo-jumbo understandable. As a side note, the latest edition of Black's Law Dictionary has 7,500 terms new to the 10th edition. Talking the talk distinguishes an "expert" from the novice.

Self-styled DNA experts are no different than synthesizer salesmen or lawyers. They impress people with their knowledge of the subject for the purpose of self-promotion or to sell a product. This is also why there is a 10th edition of a law dictionary first published back in 1891. I recently read a scholarly article submitted to a journal by one of my own children. Fortunately I have an extensive vocabulary, but nonetheless, the article was all but impenetrably permeated with medical jargon. I commonly tell people to stop me and ask questions if they do not understand what I am talking about, but they seldom do, even when I know for certain I have lost them with my discussion.

Why is it that we are so afraid to stop someone and ask questions? One of the main reasons is that we do not want to disclose our own ignorance of the subject. Another good reason is that we do not know enough of the jargon to ask a question at all. This is way it is with DNA today in the realm of genealogy.

There is a very important story called The Emperor's New Clothes. The original is by Hans Christian Anderson. When we get into the mode of talking about a difficult subject such as DNA testing, perhaps we need to remember the Emperor and his new fine suit of clothes.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Race, Ethnicity, National Origin and Genealogy

Genealogists, more than anyone outside of the genealogical community, should be acutely aware of race, ethnicity and national origins. Rather than looking at those distinctions as barriers, genealogists should realize that we all come from a mixture and, as is now be demonstrated, all come from a common origin. One of the most pernicious and evil myths of all time is the myth of racial purity. In addition, both ethnicity and national origin are also transitory, ephemeral concepts. The increasingly popular genealogical tool of DNA testing is demonstrating the illusion of all three categories of human existence. Though it may seem like a publicity or fund raising stunt, the Global Family Tree effort is in reality a demonstration of how inter-related the human family really is.

Another serious effort to define the human family tree is the National Geographic, Genographic Project.

To date, over 700,000 people have participated in the Genographic Project. In the genealogical community, the recent RootsTech 2015 Conference pointed out the increasing awareness and interest in the DNA testing as an integral part of genealogical research. All three of the major commercial genealogy family tree programs, Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com and Findmypast.com, all have begun integrating DNA testing into their automated source discovery programs.

For more information to decide whether DNA testing will aid your genealogical research, see the following links:

What I have learned about DNA testing is this: you cannot look at DNA evidence for any accurate research data without supporting historical, i.e. genealogical, research to explain and interpret the test results. If you want to get a general look at your ancestry, you can get differing results from different companies, but if you want to solve an ancestral mystery, do your genealogical research first.

Monday, February 16, 2015

An Additional note on FamilyTreeDNA and FamilySearch

Judy Russell in a blog post entitled "DNA in SLC" reports that there is an agreement between FamilyTreeDNA.com and FamilySearch.org to "provide direct links from Family Tree DNA to the FamilySearch Family Tree — and from that tree back to Family Tree DNA." I suggest you read her blog post for the information. So far, I see no official announcements from either FamilyTreeDNA or FamilySearch online.

DNA Testing and the big online genealogy companies

The large online genealogical database programs are definitely moving towards promoting DNA as an adjunct to research. Announcements of partnerships or agreements between the various genealogy companies and DNA testing programs are proliferating and have been for several years. At the recent RootsTech.org conference, DNA related exhibitors seemed especially busy. Some of these companies may end up being "in house" while others will remain separate entities. Here is the line up so far as I can determine:

Ancestry.com
For some time now, Ancestry.com has had its own DNA testing and reporting company at DNA.Ancestry.com. Interestingly, when I tried to access the website for the DNA testing, it was down today. The website may have been overloaded after the Conference. The Ancestry.com DNA company also known as AncestryDNA is described as follows:

AncestryDNA is a new DNA testing service that utilizes some of the latest autosomal testing technology to revolutionize the way you discover your family history. This service combines advanced DNA science with the world’s largest online family history resource to predict your genetic ethnicity and help you find new family connections. It maps ethnicity going back multiple generations and provides insight into such possibilities as: what region of Europe are my ancestors from, or am I likely to have East Asian heritage? AncestryDNA can also help identify relationships with unknown relatives through a dynamic list of possible DNA member matches.

On February 11, 2015, Ancestry.com issued a press release entitled, "Ancestry Announces 2015 Product and Content Lineup." The key DNA features as outlined in the press release were as follows:

With a database of over 700,000 genotyped members, AncestryDNA has generated over one billion cousin connections to date. In 2015, we project this database to grow to exceed well over one million genotyped members, resulting in even more and higher quality cousin matches.

Following the successful launch of AncestryDNA in the UK, we will soon be bringing the service to our members in Australia and Canada, and in doing so, will connect the major English-speaking migrations and globally connect families like never before.

Building on DNA Circles, in 2015 we will launch a new experience that will use the latest genetic technology to discover new ancestors without the customer having to search records or build a family tree. This new feature will transform how family history research is done by providing valuable hints to help experienced genealogist looking to break through brick walls, as well as open family history to a whole new segment of the population. Through this new experience, AncestryDNA customers will be able to discover new ancestors as far back as the 1700’s by connecting into existing DNA Circles.

MyHeritage.com
The huge online database and family tree program, MyHeritage.com, had already announced a partnership with 23AndMe.com long before the RootsTech conference. The MyHeritage.com Media Kit was updated during the Conference on February 12, 2015. The pertinent part of the Media Kit about DNA testing is as follows:

DNA test for genealogy:

DNA tests are useful for identifying the deep ancestral origins of your direct paternal line (Y-DNA), your direct maternal line (mtDNA), finding relatives across all lines via autosomal DNA (Family Finder) and producing a percentage breakdown of your ethnic roots.

For analysis of users’ DNA samples and DNA matching, MyHeritage has partnered with Family Tree DNA and 23andMe.

Five different groups: Paternal Line, Maternal Line, Family Finder, Comprehensive Ancestral Tests and Combined tests for Paternal and Maternal lines. 13 types of tests. See the complete list here.

DNA projects provide opportunities for people to collaborate with others to explore a common genetic heritage, especially for exploring whether people with the same surname are related. Project membership is free and voluntary. If there is a DNA Surname Project for a last name, it appears in the profile page of the user.

Findmypast.com
At the RootsTech Conference, Findmypast.com, U.K. based genealogy company announced a partnership with FamilyTreeDNA, quoting from the announcement:

An important frontier in family history, DNA testing complements Findmypast’s historical records and family trees, allowing researchers to connect with one another and solve long-standing research questions. As of today Findmypast will now be offering DNA testing services to all its members through FamilyTreeDNA.

FamilyTreeDNA is a trusted provider of DNA testing services. The company offers tests for those who are just getting started as well as advanced genealogists looking to get further with their research.

From today, Findmypast will also be offering a special rate on FamilyTreeDNA tests as part of their premium service for annual subscribers, Findmypast First. This new partnership is just the beginning of Findmypast’s journey into DNA testing for their customers.

Family Tree DNA is the only DNA testing service that partners with National Geographic’s Genographic Project and allows you to add your results to that project for a nominal fee that goes to the Genographic Legacy Fund.

FamilySearch.org is not a commercial enterprise, it is a not-for-profit corporation owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although it has partnered with many different online and desktop software companies, as yet it has not announced a partnership with an DNA testing company and in my opinion, is not likely to do so.

Saturday, January 31, 2015

DNA Wiki -- Find out what the experts think about DNA

Thanks to a comment by a reader, I got a link to the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) Wiki. This resource is billed as a "free genetic genealogy encyclopedia." Quoting from the website,

The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) was founded in 2005 by DNA project administrators who shared a common vision: the promotion and education of genetic genealogy. The society's stated mission is "to advocate for and educate about the use of genetics as a tool for genealogical research, and promote a supportive network for genetic genealogists". The society is a non-commercial non-profit organization, and there are no membership fees/dues. ISOGG publishes an occasional newsletter. As of January 2013 ISOGG has over 8,000 members from 69 countries.

The ISOGG Wiki appears to be an extraordinarily valuable website for those investigating the DNA testing as a tool to extend their genealogical research. The website is current and constantly changing with new material and corrections to existing articles. Here is a list of some sample articles:

Thanks for the valuable website.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Where do I go for accurate information on DNA testing?

I received the following question in a reader's comment:

Is there some reference you could give that will allow us to find accurate information on DNA testing that can show us how this testing can be of help to genealogist? I am especially interested it the mtDNA testing.

There is a flood of information online about both DNA testing as such and its use in genealogical research. I also did a search in my local Provo City Library and found over 1200 books on the subject of DNA. I would certainly suggest a visit to the library. My personal method of answering this type of question for myself, is to read all the books I can find on the subject. Usually, that gives me a good idea about both the details and the perspective of what is and is not accurate information. By the way, I also did a search on Amazon.com and found 400 books on "dna genealogy." It looks like I would be spending a lot of time to investigate DNA Genealogy in depth.

There are 327 classes listed for the upcoming #RootsTech.org Conference combined with the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference (FGS). There are 14 classes that mention DNA as a topic.

There are three very large DNA companies that specialize in DNA testing for genealogists. They are:

Each of these websites have lists of resources for understanding DNA testing. Of course, they are each commercial enterprises and would like to have you use their services, but they are all three well respected in the genealogical community.

I am afraid that anyone investigating this area will be overwhelmed with the amount of information available. But I would suggest just making a start and dive into the subject. FamilyTreeDNA.com has a recommended reading list that might help sort out where to start.

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