DNA testing

[richard_s]

Hello all,
Has anyone used a DNA service to trace family members? If so what did you think of the results.
Also which company did you use?

Richard

[The Geneal Geologist]

Yes - FTDNA. Highly recommended, and the company the majority of genetic genealogists will recommend based on service, quality, support and ability to integrate results.

More on www.isogg.org

Regards,
Mark

[MarkyP]

There's quite a long discussion on DNA Testing here 

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,235674.0.html

[Nick29]

Well, I looked up my surname on the FTDNA site, and my name is quite common in the UK (it's actually the most common in France), and found 508 matches for the surname, from a database of just under 250,000 records.

This leads me to conclude that (at the moment) I would get nothing meaningful from paying US$169 for a DNA test.

I want to be able to see the wood from the trees, and 508 matches from a database of 250,000 looks to be just the opposite.

[The Geneal Geologist]

If you're testing for potential genetic relatives with the same surname, you will be need a minimum number of markers (say 37-marker test). Irrespective of surname, few markers will just provide lots of matches with others of the same distant regional ancestry. You need to match 40 or more markers with the same surname to have a 50% chance of having a common ancestor within 6 generations (for example, sharing a 3xGGF).

As an example (FTDNA database) I have 67-markers tested, no close genetic matches with anyone of the same surname, with the nearest match at only 25/37 for a non-related surname. A 37-marker comparison to all those matching French surnames should provide the differences you seek, Nick29.

Regards.

[Nick29]

My predicament is that I have no idea where my g.g. grandfather was born, or whether the man who married his wife's sister was his brother, or not.  Since there is every likelihood that my g.g. grandfather was born in London, my main problem is with finding one man amongst thousands with the same christian and surname.  With only 250,000 people currenly in the DNA database, and over 5000 people with the same surname in it (many of whom I suspect are Americans), I very much doubt whether DNA testing will be of any real use to me.

[robbo43]

With the current state of play, I don't think DNA testing is of great use in trying to trace ancestors.  It can show if two people are closely related and share a reasonably recent ancestor, or probably it is better at showing they are not.

My problem with FTDNA is that if you have had tests done elsewhere, it does not seem to allow you to plub your results into their database or let you join one of the groups.  Most of the other testing organisations do.  Not going to pay for a second test with them just to join the two projects that interest me.

Robert

[msallen]

FTDNA has a special offer on at present for a 37 marker Y-DNA and standard mtDNA tests, both together for $119.

I've been waiting until DNA testing reached a price I thought was reasonable, and so I orded a kit yesterday. I have no particular need for or interest in the mtDNA test, but if its included free in the deal why not eh! (My understanding is that if I wanted to use mtDNA to research my maternal origins then I'd need to upgrade this test to what they call the mtDNA-plus one)

As for whether its useful, I guess I'll have to wait and see, but as my direct paternal line has been one of my most difficult, its worth a try. It presently stops in the early 1700s, in a village which appears to have two distinct family groups who share the surname, but are at opposite ends of the social spectrum (one living in the manor house, and one paupers - hence my ancestor who farmed a small amount of land could be descended from either), so if anyone else descended from either of these two families tests their DNA, then that could be a great help. Even if not, I may get clues as to where the family came from prior to that.

[nickgc]

There are several things one should consider before getting a DNA test in my opinion.

One is to determine if there is a group of people with your surname who maintain a website with the results of others who have had the test done.  This can be more helpful than simply trying to compare to hundreds of others on sites like FTDNA, since they are often separated by haplogroup which further narrows the number of possible relations.

Another consideration is to understand that, unless there are a substantial number of people with your surname (direct male line) who have submitted their DNA, positive results are decreasingly likely.  My surname is consistently in the top 40 most common in the US; the project I am involved with has about 150 DNA test results and pedigrees submitted.  Only one of these is likely associated with my line, pre-1800, and neither of us have enough detail for the family  before this time to determine how they were related - although they almost definitely were.

Finally, one has to put on a completely different "hat" when considering relationships suggested from DNA results as opposed to the normal research we are accustomed to.

Nick