The 2014 Y-DNA haplotree and special offers on SNP testing

[DevonCruwys]

The new 2014 haplotree from Family Tree DNA in partnership with the Genographic Project has now gone live for those people who have tested with Family Tree DNA. I've put some background information and stats in this blog post:

http://cruwys.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/the-new-2014-y-dna-haplotree-has-arrived.html

The Full Genomes Corporation have announced a limited time discount on their comprehensive Y-chromosome sequencing service and are now offering a BAM file analysis service for people who have taken the Big Y test:

http://cruwys.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/a-new-bam-file-analysis-service-from.html

Single SNPs are also available from Thomas Krahn's company YSEQ and the prices are reduced through until Fathers' Day in June:

http://www.yseq.net/

For SNP testing it's always best to seek advice from a haplogroup project admin or from people on one of the specialist haplogroup mailing lists or forums.

For most people it will be best to wait for a few months until we have the bigger picture from the analysis of the Big Y, Full Genomes and Chromo 2 results. FTDNA are also supposed to be introducing a new deep clade test some time this year which will be much better value than ordering random SNPs.

[helvissa]

Ahhh.... I just got an email from FTDNA saying they've reduced their Y-37 test to (about) £80 until the 29th April.

I'm tempted, as I've had my dad tested with Family Finder and then mtDNA (when they had the discount over Mother's Day). He came back as J1c1c*, and I'm H1g. So testing his Y is the next one I want to do. But I've seen you say before that it's best to do the most thorough test available, which at the moment is Y-111, and... isn't on sale at the moment. Maybe it will be come Father's Day?!

Or shall I wait until different tests come up?

*I got two matches. One of whom is... erm... my 1st cousin, who I didn't realise had done the Y and mtDNA tests at FTDNA. He emailed me saying he thought he was getting in touch with a long-lost relative, only to find out it was just his uncle! Hahaahha!

[DevonCruwys]

Helvissa

The 111-marker test is probably going to be overkill unless you're a complete DNA junkie and are particularly interested in testing for deep ancestry. The 37-marker test is a good starting point. It all depends on how many matches your dad has. Sometimes people test and don't have a single match at any level and at the other extreme they can have several hundred matches at 67 markers. You've obviously got no way of knowing in advance. For deep ancestry purposes the 67-marker test is better because it makes it easier to predict the subclade, and it does help to rule out false positive matches with different surnames at 37 markers. The 37-marker test is on offer in the current sale but the price is not that good and if you're going to get your dad's Y-DNA done it would probably be best to wait for the next sale. There's usually a sale in the summer.

It's funny that you didn't know your first cousin had also tested at FTDNA. For the Family Finder test it is actually quite useful to have a cousin tested, though it's less helpful for Y-DNA, but at least you have confirmation that there has not been anything untoward in recent generations in your fatherline!

[helvissa]

Thank you for your advice - I'll hold tight then! Do you think 67 would be good? There's no surname project for his name, so I spose I could start one. I've traced his paternal line on paper back to a marriage in Suffolk in the early 1700s.

My cousin did his Y and mt tests for the Camulodunum project, where they were testing the DNA of people in Roman Colchester burial sites, and wanted to see if people with recent ancestors from the area are related to them. His Y result is: J-M12 (J2b), which apparently follows the spread of the Roman Empire, so maybe his paternal line is indeed connected to Colchester's ancient history. The matrilineal line, though, I have traced to the mid-1700s on the Isle of Man.

I have suggested my cousin do Family Finder, seeing as he tested with FTDNA originally, so it's not like he'll have to do another swab. Would be interesting, certainly! He's the son of my Dad's sister (hence the match with the mt dna). It was sooo funny getting that email from him!

Until the Y-tests get a better discount, I'll get my mum Family Findered. I did my Dad first because I wanted to have it on file at FTDNA so I could get his mtDNA done and his Y at some point.

[DevonCruwys]

The 67-marker test would be fine though you could always start with 37 and upgrade to 67 at a later date if the need arises. There is an East Anglia DNA Project:

https://www.familytreedna.com/public/east_anglia/

I'm not sure how active it is, but it would at least get you the project pricing if you didn't want to start a surname project. You will get less out of the test if there are no other people in the database with the same surname for comparison purposes.

You can do the Family Finder at any time because it's already at a rock-bottom price and doesn't ever get reduced in the sales.

[helvissa]

Ok, I'll keep an eye out for the 67 getting in the sales!

Thanks for the link to that group - I've requested to join.

I've asked my mum - she has read far too many crime novels not to be suspicious. "Will they find my results in a DNA bank and fit me up for a crime I didn't do?" No... no they will not.... 

[DevonCruwys]

You can let your mum know that the police would not be remotely interested in your mum's test results. The police require a chain of custody for a DNA sample, and the person has to be witnessed taking the DNA test. Also the police use a completely different set of markers for their DNA matches. They use autosomal STR markers which aren't normally used in genetic genealogy tests.

[helvissa]

Maybe when we've tested my mum, we can find out the gene for paranoia!