DNA testing - genetic genealogy

[acorngen]

Tisy,

Are you sure you didnt mean MtA testing which is predominently for the female line? 

For those thinking about this and in particular Clayton Bradley please remember if you are a male with a different surname to the person you are looking for then it is impossible to be found using YDnA testing.  So in Clayton's case he could use the YDNA for Clayton and yes I am assuming his surname is Clayton and not Ball.

On the Ball connection I have BALL from South Normanton and these move to Clay Lane ( Now Clay Cross) if you have any connection there please contact me

Rob

[LizzieW]

It's all too complicated and at the end of the day it won't find my g.grandfather's birth date and his parents for me.

Lizzie

[RJ_Paton]

It's all too complicated and at the end of the day it won't find my g.grandfather's birth date and his parents for me.

Lizzie

This probably sums up quite neatly the views of many people simply because we know so little of the process and any benefits it could bring.

In addition to this the procedure was partially discredited in its earlier days by reports of some American celebrities having their data "re-interpreted" by various experts until they obviously got the answer they were looking for.

[coombs]

I did hear that you can do recombinant DNA for example maternal fathers such as mums, mums, mums, dad. How true it is I am not sure.

[acorngen]

Coombs,

I am not sure how that works because MtA only passes down the female line.  I personally think DNA within genealogy is a tool that at present is an expensive waste of time because without a paper trail it proves nothing.  I personally believe it should only be used in genealogy where there is a chance of proving illigitimacy.

On that point what happens for a male who can show say 5 generations of having the same surname but then finds there is a child out of wedlock and you have the maternal name?

[coombs]

I think DNA testing is a waste of time myself if we only can use it for the paternal or maternal lines only.

[Redroger]

It does look as though the only way that I shall ever confirm my descent and the identity of my paternal 3XGGF is by a Y chromsome DNA test, likewise, over 2/3 of the bearers of my surname are in North America, a quarter in the UK, and the rest, 80 individuals in the rest of the English speaking world, so as I have so far failed to cross the Atlantic by documentary methods it looks likely that DNA might be the only solution. Have had more success with Australia though, thanks to the transportation records.

[nickgc]

I have to say that those pooh-poohing DNA genealogy testing here appear to be very short-sighted regarding the possibilities.  Remember that the people who are getting DNA tests are also doing classical genealogical research.  So they may well have details about your ncestors that you have not yet found.

Let's take an example:  you are in England and stuck at your 3rd great gpa; you can't find his parents or siblings and are at the proverbial brickwall.   You get a 37 marker DNA test done and find a very good match with an individual or two in the US or Canada.  You contact this person and find that the eldest sibling in this family emigrated and took the family bible containing 2 or 3 generations back from your 3x ggrandfather with him.

If you never have your DNA tested and put into the worldwide mix, you stand no chance of turning up such a (admittedly Panglossian) circumstance.  The more people who have their DNA tested, the better it is for all genealogists.

I have had 37 markers done (Y-DNA) and so far it has only led to some intriguing "possibles".  I am sorely tempted to get the autosomal (family) DNA as done by 23andme and ftDNA, but it is more money ($289) than I want to commit (two kids still at university) until I see some positive results from others.  Plus it is very new technology.

I hope some of you will reconsider your bias.

Nick

[Tisy]

Hi all,

No, I didn't mean the mitachondrial testing when I referred to the "family test".  I don't know too much about it except that it is something new being offered by Family Tree DNA - I will go online tonight and get the full description.  Incidentally, Mitachondrial DNA testing can be done on both the male and female lines, because all of us inherit our mother's X-chromosome;  males have the Y-chromsome from their father, and the X-chromosome from their mother.  Females have one X-chromosome from their father (i.e. his female line) and one X-chromosome from their mother.  Female mitachondrial DNA testing is done only on her mother's mother's (ad infinitum) line.  This would also be her brothers' female line, so only one mitachondrial test is needed, and can be done on the male's sample, so no need for further samples to be given.  This means, (as I understand it) that your father's female line DNA stops with you (the male).

Have a look at the ftDNA site for further clarification - there is some interesting reading.  Also have a look at "Eupedia" which has heaps of info.

I agree that this sort of tool is more effective where there is illegitimacy (as in my case), but there is also the question of adoption, and there have been many success stories in this case.

I am not sure about the statement that Y-DNA testing is not effective if you are looking at a different surname.  We have in our group people by the name of Rhodes and its variations, Brindley and other names who have tested positive to the main surname DNA (Wood/Woods);  Surnames are a fairly new construct, and there is also the possibility (in addition to those listed above) where a child is not the child of their legal father.  I am not for one moment suggesting that we all rush out to be tested to prove that our fathers were really our fathers, but just making the point that a piece of paper just does not guarantee anything necessarily.

Tisy