Thursday, August 1, 2013

DNA and me


This past winter, I decided to delve into Genetic Genealogy.  One of the reasons I wanted to begin testing was to prove or disprove stories in our family about Native American roots.  See blog posts about RebeccaMorgan and Martha Ann Wilson.  

First, I hired a genetic genealogy consultant to pull my results from a DNA test I had taken years ago when the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF.org) was collecting DNA samples.  After the Genetic Genealogy Consultant obtained my mtDNA results, they prepared a very thorough and easy to understand report.  That spurred my interest and soon I found myself having DNA tests with all three of the major DNA testing companies:  23andme.com, FamilytreeDNA.com and dna.Ancestry.com.  You could say I've become a genetic genealogy testing junkie!
Here are several blogs that I have found helpful:
The Legal Genealogist click DNA link on right side of blog
The above Your Genetic Genealogist blog has some informative articles about Getting Started in DNA testing for Genealogy.  Scroll down on right side of blog until you see the Getting Started section, with links to articles on Y-DNA, mtDNA and autosomal DNA.  I printed off each article and read through them several times.

SMGF (and the University of Utah) has some great animations about how we inherit our DNA.  Easy to understand for the newbie.   To view their animations, go here.  I especially like the Autosomal DNA animation

Another great site for an introduction into genetic genealogy is found on the Wheaton Surname Resources blog.  Kelly Wheaton  has written an excellent "BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GENETIC GENEALOGY."  There are 15 lessons that will help you understand the basics of genetic genealogy.

Hopefully, more cousins will participate in DNA testing.  It is easy and painless, and does NOT require needles or blood.   Depending on the company, DNA testing requires spitting into a collection tube or using a cheek swab to rub inside your cheek.  After collection, the sample is simply mailed back to the company.  Easy and fast.  Autosomal testing at the companies mentioned above have dropped to $99.  The Legal Genealogist has a great blog post comparing the three major companies.  

I've already met new cousins across the country.  And hopefully, as more cousins test, our genealogy brick walls will come tumbling down.😊  But, I still don't have the answer to the Native American question? :(

More to come....

***New DNA Blog posts:
New DNA Ethnicity Estimates
A Gypsy? Who Me??
FM Baldwin DNA Project
Painting my Chromosomes

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a great post ! I will look into doing a few more and we can see what I come up with.

Anonymous said...

Which DNA test would you recommend to take first?

Anonymous said...

If you have used all three testing companies, which do you feel has helped the most and which is the most user friendly?? I can't afford all three and wondered which I would be the "biggest bang for my buck"??

Anonymous said...

Why test with three companies? Aren't the results the same? I don't understand.

Wade Mitchell said...

I found this as a descendant of Alice Lake. I'm also on 23andme and wondering if we are a match there? wademitchell@gmail.com

Nikki said...

Different companies focus on different Single nucleotide polymorphisms, frequently called SNPs (pronounced “snips”). They are the most common type of genetic variation among people. I, too, have tested with 2 (currently) I tested with Ancestry and 23&me.
I uploaded to gedmatch as well, and had them combine both tests- they call them “super kits”.

I’m a Samuel Medlin and Rebecca Morgan descendant thru their daughter, Amanda Medlin.