Familial DNA Testing Used to Solve Cold Cases

Genealogists love DNA. Many, if not most, of us have tested with more than one DNA company. Why? Because DNA not only allows us to learn about our early ethnic origins, it also allows us to match with other genealogists who share a common ancestor. Like crowdsourcing, this permits us to help each other, to share information that may help us in our ancestral quest.

Familial DNA is now being used by police to hopefully solve cold cases. Familial DNA  is defined as

"A familial DNA search is a search by law enforcement in DNA databases for genetic information indicating a relative of a person they seek to identify."

Rockne Harmon, a forensic cold case specialist, defines familial DNA as "a two-phase process to develop investigative leads to potentially identify close biological relatives of the source of a DNA sample that carries an unknown forensic profile."

Familial DNA is being used in UK and some states in the USA, and Harmon hopes to apply familial DNA to solve some Canadian cold cases. There are legal obstacles regarding current laws governing Canada’s DNA databank which would have to be studied first.



The Ottawa Citizen has the full story at  Familial DNA searches could help crack Canadian cold cases

Image: http://www.slideshare.net/ThermoFisher/familial-dna-searching-technology-to-provide-investigative-leads-51740417 

Prosapia Genetics - Worth the Money?

Yesterday I decided to check out a website that has the genealogy community buzzing. The Examiner called it a "Groundbreaking GPS tool [that] finds your ancestors, genealogy, family tree and history" 

Basically it is being touted as a Geographic Population Structure (GPS) tool, created by Dr Eran Elhaik from the University of Sheffield's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences and Dr Tatiana Tatarinova from the University of Southern California, which can locate your actual ancestor's home from 1,000 years ago.

According to the creators "What we have discovered here at the University of Sheffield is a way to find not where you were born – as you have that information on your passport – but where your DNA was formed up to 1,000 years ago by modeling these admixture processes."

That sounded fascinating but I was somewhat sceptical. How can a GPS tool (or any tool for that matter) take all your ancestral lines as shown by your DNA, and come up with ONE "ancestral village" of origin? As my good friend Jennifer Zinck mentioned, that's akin to taking the average of all your ancestors instead of the sum.

Prosapia Genetics Website

To help people find their roots, the researchers  developed a site called  Prosapia Genetics to make this DNA tracking available to the public. They claim that “Anyone who has had their DNA genotyped (an estimated one million people in the USA) can upload their results and use GPS to find their ancestral home."

The site indicates that it is as "easy as 1, 2, 3" Basically you either purchase their DNA kit or you pay for a GPS map and upload your raw data file from a DNA company where you have already tested. Then you view a GPS map showing your ancestral home.

I had to try it. It looked like fun and I was curious as to whether or not my skepticism was well-founded or I was being too critical.  I decided to go with my brother's DNA instead of mine. Once you decided to upload your DNA you pay for the GPS map. There are 3 choices ranging from $29.99 (U.S.) to $42.99. I decided to go with the Super Test at $42.99 because it used the most reference populations. According to the online FAQ, the more reference populations used, the more accurate the result (which is only common sense).

The Map of My Ancestral Home?

After uploading my DNA data it only took about an hour before I got an email from Prosapia Genetics stating his map was ready. To my surprise all it showed was one red marker in a wooded area in Yorkshire England near Driffield. This was supposedly his "ancestral home". 

My mother's lineage is solidly British from Kent England until the 1600s except for one family - the Stead family, who left Yorkshire in the mid 1700s for Kent. Okay at least we do have a known Yorkshire connection. But it's only ONE family out of hundreds of other ancestors.

My father's lineage is Ireland, Holland, Germany, Native American, a bit of French, a smattering of England from Cheshire and Suffolk. I have researched these lines back to the 1600s and there is not a trace of any ancestor from Yorkshire.

There may indeed be other Yorkshire ancestors in our lineage. But Prosapia's result is NOT indicative of my "ancestral home"! That is because there is not just one ancestral home but many when we look at all our ancestors. To my mind the map should have shown me several markers in different countries - in Ireland, in Holland, in Germany, in France, and so on.  I hoped it would show me some specific locations in countries that showed on my Ethnicity results from the different DNA companies I had tested with.

I wish the creators had been more precise and accurate in their wording. The Prosapia Genetics website states "Our first tool, GPS, will tell you where your DNA was forged" but that is inacurate and misleading. It would be more accurate if it said "Our first tool, GPS, will tell you where ONE PORTION OF your DNA was forged" 

Caveat

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not saying this is a scam. I'm not trashing the company. I am saying that I think it's incorrect and even misleading to claim that their technology can find an individual's "ancestral home".  I am saying I paid a lot of money for very little. I'm saying I was extremely disappointed in the resulting map.

I would love to hear from any of my readers who obtained a GPS map using Prosapia Genetics. What was your opinion?

X-Chromosome Matching Explained

Roberta Estes of the DNA Explained blog has written a very nice article about the new X-Chromosome Matching at Family Tree DNA

This is a very exciting new feature and one that should help genealogists to explore their genetic genealogy.

Interested in DNA? See other DNA articles here on Olive Tree Genealogy blog.











Credits: Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Genealogy Baker's Dozen Gift Ideas

Every year I publish a Christmas Wish List for Genealogists. Here are a few of my items from last year plus a few more. Start your Genealogy Christmas shopping now and surprise your loved ones (or yourself!) with a creative Genealogy gift.

1. Ancestry.com World Subscription (or any other genealogy subscription-based site you like)

2. Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner to take to Archives, Libraries and on field trips. Read my first review from November 2010 at Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner, Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

3. RootsTech Registration. Ask your loved one to register you for RootsTech 2014 coming up February 6 - 8, 2014

4. Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 Scanner for PC and Mac (PA03656-B005)  I recently bought one of these and I am loving it! It's a wireless document feeder scanner. I can scan up to 25 items at once and they appear automatically on my computer in one file (or in Evernote or Dropbox or many other choices!)

5. Evernote Moleskine notebook. I don't have one and am pretty anxious to try it out! Apparently you write in the notebook and with a click of your smartphone camera, can transfer your notes to Evernote. See The New Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine

6. DNA Test Kit from Family Tree DNA (or any other DNA Testing company you prefer)
 
7.  Livescribe 8 GB Echo Smartpen for recording Family Stories and Memories. I love my SmartPen. I use it to record my 89 year old auntie's stories of her childhood, then I plug it into my laptop and the digital record transfers. Using the pen while auntie speaks, I make jot notes in the special notebooks. Then I can play the recorded stories by touching any word in the notebook. Very cool!

8. Don't miss out on this great opportunity. Byron Rempel of IDrawZombies.com can turn a photograph of you (or anyone else) into a zombie portrait. Rempel has been featured in Undead and Loving It in The National Post for his Art project 1000 Zombies. You can also obtain his Zombie Colouring Book to release your inner artist. The cost for the colouring book "Scrapbook of the Dead" is whatever you decide to pay - how cool is that?

9.  A subscription to the Genealogy Magazine of your choice. I'd like Family Tree Magazine, but the one you drool over could be very different

10. Jawbone JAMBOX This tiny powerful speaker allows you to connect via bluetooth to any other bluetooth enabled device (laptop, computer, iPhone, iPad etc) and play your favourite podcasts or listen to any audio with much better quality sound. I have one and I love it.

11. A beautiful journal for writing your own memoirs. I love Iona Handcrafted Books and have asked my hubby to buy me another one this Christmas as I'm on my last one. Tip: If the checkout won't accept a non-USA order, just email or phone as they do accept international orders.

12.  A Shutterfly gift certificate  I love Shutterfly for creating family photo books or calendars. It's also great for simply getting copies of your family photos so you can share them with family members

13. And in blatant self-promotion, how about asking for one of the genealogy and history books I have written and published?

Credits: "Santa Pushing Gift Bag" by digitalart on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Black Friday Online Genealogy Specials

* Family Tree DNA:

Free $100 Gift Card

Every Family Finder purchase comes with a free $100 Restaurant.com gift card. You can keep it for yourself or treat someone to a meal!  It's our way of saying thank you.

10% OFF 2+

Give the perfect gift this season to a loved one. Genealogy helps bridge the gaps in your Family Tree and assists in learning more about your roots. This applies when you order 2 Family Finder tests from Family Tree DNA

*Fold3
Upgrade to annual membership. 40% off on Fold3

* Shutterfly

10 free Holiday Cards. Promo Code BLACKFRIDAY at Shutterfly 

Credits: "Black Friday Sticker" by Iamnee on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

DNA Specials! Great Chance to Test Your DNA

My readers know how excited I am about DNA testing for genealogy (and other reasons). So far I've had results for my own DNA tests from  Family Tree DNA, 23andMe.com and the now defunct DNA-me.

I loved that 23andMe told me how much Neanderthal DNA I had! 

I've also submitted a DNA kit to Ancestry.com for testing and my results should be in any day now. Testing with more than one company is important as each company runs a different algorithm to test your sample. So combining all the results gives you a much better and more detailed look at your DNA.

So I'm excited to tell you that Ancestry is currently offering Free Shipping with Coupon Code: FREESHIPDNA on all DNA kit orders. Just use the link below to order your DNA Kit today!

Free Shipping with DNA Kit Purchase at Ancestry.com! Use Code: FREESHIPDNA



Caveat: Ancestry does not ship DNA kits to Canada.  I happened to be visiting a friend in New York and had mine shipped there.

Special! DNA-me 15% Off Coupon Code for Olive Tree Genealogy Readers

Recently a new DNA company called DNA-me wrote to OliveTreeGenealogy offering a free DNA kit so that I could try their service. I was delighted to accept!

Readers of my blog know that I have had my DNA tested through Family Tree DNA and 23andMe.com but it's always a good idea to test through different companies.

Each has their own algorithm they run for the results and each tests to different degrees. So while your overall results such as your Haplogroup should be identical, your detailed results will vary slightly and you will gain a better understanding of your ancestral origins. 

DNA-me also asked very nicely if I might consider writing a review after I tried their service and I happily agreed. Perhaps best of all they have offered a 15% discount to my blog readers! See below for the coupon code for this great discount. 

UPDATE: As of Sept. 29th the company has not changed the status on my kit from "Pending". No tests have been done after more than 2 months and now their Facebook and Twitter pages have apparently been taken down. I do not want my readers to use the coupon code until we have it straight as to what is happening. See comment section for another user's complaints.

Here is a bit of information from DNA-me about their services.

I'm writing to you today on behalf of DNA-me, a newly formed DNA testing service that allows keen genealogists to discover more than just their immediate family tree, and go back to the roots of their very existence for just $85. The newly-launched DNA-me service tells those people looking to know more about their background beyond their recent history, where in the world their ancestor originated, the journeys they made across the globe, the clan they were a member of and how they contributed to the global evolution of man thousands of years ago

DNA-me not only provide a DNA testing service, but want to be viewed as a hub of information. We regularly add new articles to our website (www.dna-me.co), with these articles covering a wide range of subjects from the complex science behind the genetic genealogy test, to the story of how humans came to migrate various continents around the world. As a result, we are continually building our knowledge of genealogy and DNA.

Friday my kit arrived from Virginia! I was too busy with my annual Family Fun Day on Saturday to scrape the inside of my cheeks but I plan to do that today and mail the kit back tomorrow. The return address is in Massachusetts so it shouldn't take long to get there.

I'm quite excited about seeing my results and will be posting here on my blog as soon as they are in.

Here is the coupon code you need so you can start your DNA journey:

We'd love to offer your followers a special discount of 15%. Provide them with the voucher code (CODE DELETED) and they'll be able to take advantage of that offer and begin the journey of their ancestors with DNA-me.

So stay tuned and as soon as I have results I'll post them here and you can follow me on my own DNA journey

Sizzling Summer Sales at FamilyTreeDNA!

Join the Genealogy Revolution. Search for your surname in the largest DNA database of its kind! My Surname Begins with Equals Contains Ends with Sounds like

Summer is once again upon us and it is time for Family Tree DNA Sizzling Summer event! Our successful summers over the last two years have led us to offer you great values again this year.

We have been working with Illumina to offer our Family Finder autosomal test for only $99 during our summer event. In fact, if we receive enough orders at $99, Illumina may be able to help us keep it at this extremely low of rate of $99!

As you take advantage of our summer event, remember that the permanency of the $99 Family Finder test is actually in your hands!

Beginning on Thursday, June 27, 2013 and running until Friday, July 26, 2013, we will offer the following:
        

• Family Finder    was $289    Now $99
• mtDNA Full Sequence    was $289    Now $189
• Y-DNA37    was $169    Now $129
• Y-DNA67    was $268    Now $208
• Y-DNA111    was $359    Now $308
• Family Finder + Y-DNA37    was $368    Now $228
• Family Finder + Y-DNA67    was $467    Now $307
• Family Finder + mtDNAFullSequence    was $398    Now $288
• Comprehensive Genome (Y-DNA67, FMS & FF)    was $666    Now $496

REMEMBER: ALL ORDERS FOR THIS Family Tree DNA SALE MUST BE PLACED AND PAID FOR BY 11:59pm CST, JULY 26, 2013, TO RECEIVE THESE SPECIAL PRICES.

Did the Vikings Bring Native American Women Back With Them?

"Centuries before Columbus, a Viking-Indian child may have been born in Iceland" [National Geographic]

Through DNA tests, scientists have found 80 living Icelanders with a genetic variation similar to one found mostly in Native Americans. 

Experts believe that the DNA mutation entered the Icelandic population around A.D. 1000 with one Viking-Native American baby being born. 

It is known that Vikings reached Greenland before that year and Newfoundland on the East coast of Canada where they formed a small settlement. That settlement lasted about 10 years.

the study team concluded that the Icelanders who carry the Native American variation are all from four specific lineages, descended from four women born in the early 1700s.

Those four lineages, in turn, likely descended from a single woman with Native American DNA who must have been born no later than 1700, according to study co-author Ebenesersdóttir.

All in all it's a fascinating glimpse into Viking history and a new (although not surprising) concept which had not been proven before the DNA testing. 

DNA tests are a wonderful new tool for genealogists as well as archeologists and historians. I've had my autosomal and mtDNA tested at two labs - Family Tree DNA and  23andMe.com. I highly recommend it for all genealogists. You can read various blog posts about the process and the results of my testing at DNA Journey

Big Sale on Upgrades of mtDNA from FamilyTreeDNA

Great News! Family Tree DNA is offering a really good deal on upgrading any mtDNA to full sequence. For a limited time, whether you’ve tested HVR1 or HVR1+2, you’ll be able to upgrade to the Full Sequence for just $129! 

Please note that orders must be placed and paid for by 11:59PM on Monday April 22, 3013, to receive the promotional rate. As with all promotions, orders need to be placed by the end of the sale and payment must be made by end of this sale. 

I'm off to Family Tree DNA to order my upgrade right now!

Exciting Find Through FamilyTree DNA Find Dates Back 338,000 Years

A DNA test on an American hoping to trace his family tree has come up with a stunning result - the roots of the human tree date back much further than previously thought.

Researchers were shocked when they analysed the DNA of Albert Perry, a recently deceased African-American from South Carolina.

'This lineage diverged from previously known Y chromosomes about 338,000 years ago, a time when anatomically modern humans had not yet evolved,' said Michael Hammer of the University of Arizona.

Either interbreeding with Neanderthals or other populations led to the unusual genetic makeup, he said, or humans evolved far earlier than the extant fossil record suggests.

The new divergent lineage - which was found when Mr Perry contacted Family Tree DNA, a company specializing in DNA analysis to trace family roots - branched from the Y chromosome tree before the first appearance of anatomically modern humans in the fossil record.

The DNA analysis proves last common Y chromosome ancestor lived 338,000 years ago, even though oldest fossil of modern man is only 200,000 years old

Read more at The family tree that rewrote human history: Researchers stunned to find DNA submitted to online project dates back 338,000 years 

Credits: Photo of Chromosomes by Victor Habbick on FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Family Tree DNA Special - Now is the Time!

Family Tree DNA special until Feb 28, 2013!  $39.00 for a 12-marker Y-DNA test.

This helps make DNA testing affordable so if you've been putting off ordering your DNA kit, now's the time. The beauty of this is that you can wait until you see a sale for an upgrade and then start getting more and more markers tested.

See my other blog posts about testing my brother's Y-DNA and the upgrades (67 markers, Family Finder, etc) I've ordered by going to my posts under DNA JOURNEY

I've had my own mtDNA tested through Family Tree DNA 

And I've ordered my brother's and my DNA tested through 23andMe. It's been an interesting DNA Journey and it's not over yet!

DNA and Native American Heritage

I'm a recognized Metis in Canada. I have my official Metis card. But I have always wanted confirmation of my Native American heritage through DNA testing.

Now perhaps it is just me but for the life of me I cannot figure out on Family Tree DNA how to do this! I have my brother's Y-DNA testing done and have the Family Finder upgrade. I have my mtDNA done. I've been willing to pay for whatever upgrade or test I need. But what one?

I wrote to one of the partners in Family Tree DNA a week ago to ask for assistance. No response. I should add that I'm linked to him on Facebook and I've seen him online several times since I sent my message. I'm sure he's a busy guy but c'mon - a week goes by and he doesn't answer a customer and someone he's linked to on Facebook as a friend?

So on the weekend I posted on the Family Tree DNA Facebook page, and asked for advice.  Again my post was met with silence. No official response at all.  Thankfully one person responded and gave me advice and a contact name of someone not involved with FamilyTreeDNA who might be able to help. I plan to follow that up as soon as I figure out how to download my raw data from FTDNA site!

In the meantime Roberta Estes was recommended as the person to consult. She responded to me with a link to her blog post called Proving Native American Ancestry Using DNA According to Roberta I need to order an upgrade to test at D9S919. Her article went on to explain exactly how to order this upgrade on FTDNA. I am so impressed! That's the kind of help I like - a clear explanation and set of instructions that are easily followed.

So I've ordered the upgrade on my brother's DNA and on mine. We'll see what happens!

But I must add that I'm very disappointed in Family Tree DNA's lack of response to a customer. It's not only bad customer relations, it's bad marketing! I want to spend money with them and they are not bothering to help me do so.

Thank goodness for the willingness and kindness of strangers who jump in and try to help! 

SALE on Family Tree DNA Kits

The following announcement was sent to Olive Tree Genealogy from Family Tree DNA concerning their current sale on DNA kits.

 The list of kits with sale prices is below

New Kits Current Price SALE PRICE Y-DNA 37 $169 $119 Y-DNA 67 $268 $199 mtDNAPlus $159 $139 mtFullSequence (FMS) $299 $199 SuperDNA (Y-DNA 67 and mtFullSequence) $548 $398 Family Finder $289 $199 Family Finder + mtDNAPlus $438 $318 Family Finder + mtFullSequence $559 $398 Family Finder + Y-DNA 37 $438 $318 Comprehensive (FF + FMS + Y-67) $837 $597 Upgrades Current Price SALE PRICE Y-Refine 12-25 Marker $59 $35 Y-Refine 12-37 Marker $109 $69 Y-Refine 12-67 Marker $199 $148 Y-Refine 25-37 Marker $59 $35 Y-Refine 25-67 Marker $159 $114 Y-Refine 37-67 Marker $109 $79 Y-Refine 37-111 Marker $220 $188 Y-Refine 67-111 Marker $129 $109 mtHVR1toMega $269 $179 mtHVR2toMega $239 $179 mtFullSequence Add-on $289 $199
To order this special offer, log in to Family Tree DNA to your personal page and click on the Order An Upgrade button in the upper right corner. ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED AND PAID FOR BY MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2012 11:59:00 PM CST TO RECEIVE THE SALE PRICES.

Family Tree DNA 3 Day Sale!

Family Tree DNA 3 Day Sale! At this time these are the only two options, and they are geared specifically for newcomers. This sale will end on Saturday, August 25, 2012 at 11:59PM.

New Customers Only Current Price SALE PRICE Family Finder + Y-DNA 12 $339 $249 Family Finder + mtDNA $339 $249

As with all promotions, orders need to be placed by the end of the sale and payment must be made by end of this sale. Family Tree DNA

 

Family Tree Huge DNA Sale!

Family Tree DNA is having a huge Sale! I didn't hear about this until this morning so you've already missed a day. But you've still got today to take advantage of these great savings

The sale will begin at 6PM Thursday April 19th and will conclude at 11:59PM on Saturday April 21st. There will be no need for a coupon - all prices will be automatically adjusted on the website.

New Kits

	Current Group Price	SALE PRICE
Y-DNA 12	$99	$59
mtDNA	$99	$59
Y-DNA 37	$149	$129
Y-DNA 67	$238	$199
Family Finder	$289	$199
mtFullSequence (FMS)	$299	$249
Y-DNA 12 + mtDNA	$179	$118
FF + Y-DNA 12	$339	$258
FF + mtDNA	$339	$258
FF+ Y-DNA 37	$438	$328
FF + mtDNAPlus	$438	$328
Comprehensive (FF + FMS + Y-DNA 67)	$797	$657
Upgrades
Y-DNA 12	$89	$59
mtDNA add-on	$89	$59
Y-DNA 12-37 Marker	$99	$69
Y-DNA 37-67 Marker	$99	$79
Y-DNA 12-67 Marker	$199	$148
mtFullSequence upgrade (HVR1 to Mega)	$269	$199
mtFullSequence upgrade (HVR2 to Mega)	$269	$199
mtFullSequence add-on	$289	$219
Family Finder add-on	$289	$199

Just use this link for Family Tree DNA to order your kit at these sale prices

More DNA Testing Choices: MyHeritage brings DNA testing to the global community

The following Press Release came to Olive Tree Genealogy Blog today:

PROVO, Utah & LONDON & TEL AVIV, Israel – February 16, 2012: MyHeritage, the
most popular family network on the web, announced today the integration of DNA
testing into its core family history offering. The move adds genetic genealogy to the
company’s suite of tools for researching family history, used by millions of families
around the world.

With more than 62 million registered users and 21 million family trees, MyHeritage
has become the trusted home on the web for families wishing to explore their family
history, share memories and stay connected. With the new biological layer added to the
MyHeritage experience, users can now enjoy a service combining science, intuitive web
features and social networking for discovering and sharing their family legacy.

“DNA testing provides a fascinating new way to discover one’s origins and
find previously unknown relatives”, said MyHeritage Founder and CEO Gilad
Japhet. “Offering the highest quality DNA tests to our tens of millions of users around
the world in 38 languages, and providing DNA matches with hundreds of thousands
of people who have already had their DNA tested, significantly advances our mission
of bringing family history to the masses. By combining DNA with our innovative Smart
Matching™ technology, families will be closer than ever before to constructing a more
complete picture of their history”.

DNA is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. By
purchasing a simple cheek-swab DNA test, users can now use information contained
in their DNA to find present-day relatives who share a common ancestor up to many
hundreds of years ago. A DNA test can also reveal ethnic origins such as Native
American, African or Jewish descent on paternal or maternal lines, as well as uncover
ancestral information for those who were adopted. While DNA tests can break through
brick walls in family history research by revealing biological relations, MyHeritage’s
flagship Smart Matching™ technology then steps in to help piece together the paper
trail by uncovering how the family trees of related people actually connect. In addition,
people with the same paternal surname can get together via MyHeritage to see if
they’re related by DNA.

MyHeritage is introducing today a wide range of DNA tests to meet different research
objectives and budgets, with special discounted prices for MyHeritage subscribers
starting from as low as $84. Users can identify the deep ancestral origins of their direct
paternal line (Y-DNA), of their direct maternal line (mtDNA), find relatives across all
lines via autosomal DNA (Family Finder), receive a percentage breakdown of their
ethnic roots and confirm or disprove whether someone is a close relative. View the full
list of the DNA kits on MyHeritage and a list of Frequently Asked Questions about
DNA tests on MyHeritage.

For the analysis of users’ DNA tests and the DNA matching, MyHeritage is working
with long-time partner and global leader in genealogy DNA, Family Tree DNA. Pioneers
of genetic genealogy and with a state-of-the-art laboratory, Family Tree DNA has
established the world’s largest DNA database for genealogy and is well known for
its work with National Geographic on the Genographic Project. All information is kept
strictly confidential and is never shared.

Bennett Greenspan, President and CEO of Family Tree DNA said “We’re proud to
work with MyHeritage to bring DNA testing to a much wider, global audience. The
phenomenal size and reach of the global MyHeritage family network will create new
horizons in collecting DNA data, helping many more people discover their ancestral
origins”.

FamilyTreeDNA Sale! Ends Today

 FamilyTreeDNA has a 36-HOUR SALE!

Start: Monday, September 26  at 12:00pm CDT (sorry I didn't know about this until today but you still have time)

End: Tuesday, September 27 at 11:59pm CDT

For Newcomers:
Y-DNA 12 . . . $59 (was $99)
mtDNA . . . $59 (was $99)
Y-DNA 37 . . . $129 (was $149)
Family Finder . . . $199 (was $289)
mtFullSequence (FGS) . . . $229 (was $299)
Y-DNA 12 + mtDNA . . . $118 (was $179)
Family Finder + Y-DNA 12 . . . $248 (was $339)
Family Finder + mtDNA . . . $248 (was $339)
Family Finder + Y-DNA 37 . . . $328 (was $438)
Family Finder + mtFullSequence . . . $398 (was $559)
Comprehensive Genome (Family Finder + mtFullSequence + Y-DNA67) . . . $597 (was $797)

Upgrades & Add-Ons:
mtDNA add-on $59 . . . (was $89)
mtFullSequence upgrade (HVR1 to Mega) . . . $199 (was $269)
mtFullSequence upgrade (HVR2 to Mega) . . . $199 (was $239)
mtFullSequence add-on . . . $219 (was $289)
Family Finder add-on . . . $199 (was $289)

Prices will be automatically adjusted on the FamilyTreeDNA website -- no coupon code needed!

Finding More Details From Y-DNA Test Results

12 Marker Matches

Family Tree DNA has a new Map section. It's really very cool and very interesting.

As many of my readers know I tested my brother's Y-DNA a year or two ago. I'm always learning and finding out something new and this morning I found these  Maps in Family Tree DNA reports section.

The map on the left shows location matches at the 12 marker level. There are 71 for my brother's Y-DNA. There are 8 colours of pushpins showing exact matches, 1-step matches, 2-step matches and so on to 7-step matches. You can see that my brother has a lot of red (exact) and orange (1-step) matches at this level.

25 Marker Matches

At the 25 Marker Level the  matches are mostly further removed, being 2-steps and higher. But there is one exact match hiding behind the yellow pushpins. I can click on that red pin to see the match and can email the person whose DNA gave that match.

My brother's most distant ancestor is showing as a white pushpin which represents our Joseph McGinnis born ca 1827 in Co. Down Ireland.

37 Marker Matches

At the 37 Marker level our matches are even more removed. This doesn't always happen, you may be lucky enough to have a good match with someone else at this level. I'm just showing you my brother's results.

67 Marker Matches

I recently upgraded to the 67 Marker test so we also have results for this level. My brother had 18 matches, but a lot of steps removed.

However there was one match that was yellow (2 steps removed) and that piqued my interest so I chose the "View Name List" tab to see all the matches at this level, but in particular that orange one. It looked like it was in Ireland which is where our most distant McGinnis ancestor was from.

2-step Match at 67 Marker Level

Now I saw that the surname matched (McGinnis = Guinessey and other variants) and it was indeed in Ireland and someone born around the same time as my most distant ancestor's father.

I'll write to the person whose DNA this was and see if we can find a shared ancestor. Even if we can't, it was really fun to see the matches and their geographic location.

One thing that threw me were two matches in the area of China and Mongolia! But a click on the pushpins revealed people whose most distant ancestors were born and died in the USA. Apparently they weren't very careful when submitting their most distant ancestor and pinpointing his location on the maps provided. So if you are submitting yours and updating your personal map, be sure that the correct location is displaying before you click to update it!

If you haven't taken a DNA test yet, check out Family Tree DNA You might be surprised at all the new testing available.

FamilyTreeDNA is Having a Sale!

Family Tree DNA is having a sale. If you've been thinking about getting your DNA tested, now's the time! Here is their official notice

Y-DNA37 for $119 (Regular price would be $149)

Y-DNA67 for $199 (Regular price would be $239)

Family Finder for $199 (Regular price would be $289)

Family Finder + Y-DNA37 for $318 (Regular price would be $438)

Family Finder + mtDNAPlus for $318 (Regular Price would be $438)

mtDNA Full Sequence for $219 (Regular Price would be $299)

SuperDNA for $418 (Regular Price would be $518, includes Y-DNA67 and mtFullSequence)

Comprehensive Genome for $617 (Regular Price would be $797, includes Y-DNA67, mtFullSequence and Family Finder)

In addition, existing Family Tree DNA customers may order the Family Finder add-on for $199

Place orders at Family Tree DNA

The promotion will start today, Friday the 15th at 6PM CDT and will end Thursday, July 21, 11:59PM CDT. Kits need to be paid for by the end of the promotion.

Prices will be changed across the website, therefore no coupons are needed