This is a good summary, but regarding autosomal DNA, "Most people use these tests to
see their ethnic heritages" is certainly debatable. Ancestry DNA claims to have 1.5
million atDNA test results, and my observation is that genealogy is the primary reason.
Also, many people are using GEDmatch to supplement their genealogy research.
-----Original Message-----
From: carpenter-bounces(a)rootsweb.com [mailto:carpenter-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of
John R Carpenter via
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2016 4:53 PM
To: Rootsweb Carpenter
Subject: [CARPENTER] FTDNA sale & which type of DNA test is best?
Hello List,
Family Tree DNA (FTDNA) is having a sale on 25 Apr 2016. Many different types of DNA
kits are on sale. They wrote the following.
Dear Valued Customer,
We are excited to announce that our 2016 DNA Day Sale is starting now!
As you may know, National DNA Day is April 25th and commemorates the day
in 1953 when a paper detailing the structure of DNA was published in Nature magazine. It
also recognizes the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003.
At Family Tree DNA, we celebrate those accomplishments by having a sale
on DNA tests for genealogy! Our much-anticipated DNA Day Sale is now under way and will
extend through Tuesday, April 26, 2016 (11:59 PM U.S. Central).
Sincerely,
The Family Tree DNA Team
Shop Sale Now
The Carpenter Cousins Y-DNA Project is focused on Y-DNA. And I will focus on
those.
The 37 marker is on sale for $129, the 67 is on sale for $199 and the 111 kit is on
sale for $289. I believe the Shipping & Handling is now $14.95 which includes free
return postage.
The question that I hear very often is: Which DNA test should I take?
For the purpose of a surname project like the Carpenter Cousins Y-DNA Project, I say
the 37 marker kit as a minimum. Later you can upgrade to more markers. If price is not an
object, go for 111 markers. In some cases when buying tests for others, sometimes less
markers will do. Let me know if your are in the latter category.
Below I list the various common types of DNA tests, a brief and a link for more
info.
John R. Carpenter
La Mesa, CA USA
Carpenter Cousins Project
http://carpentercousins.com
There are different types of DNA tests. And some companies only do one type of test
while companies like FTDNA offer many types of tests.
Y-DNA Tests
As you know the Y Chromosome is passed from father to son virtually unchanged over
the generations. This makes it ideal for surname testing.
Many companies used to have Y-DNA tests, but now only a few provide it. See
comparison chart link below. And these companies test some but not all of the same DYS
markers. And a few use different values (numbers) for the same DYS marker. Knowing when
the test was done and by whom will allow us to convert the values into a standard format.
http://isogg.org/wiki/Y-DNA_testing_comparison_chart
Mitochondrial DNA tests
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is passed from the mother to her children, but only her
daughters can pass it down to the next generation. This is your mothers mothers DNA.
Traditionally the female assumes a married name each generation which makes it harder to
track genealogically. See comparison chart at:
http://isogg.org/wiki/MtDNA_testing_comparison_chart
SNP Tests
Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP pronounced Snip) testing is a shotgun approach
toward the Y-Chromosome. Most Y-DNA tests can estimate the basic haplogroup. SNP testing
confirms the haplotyping of the Haplogroup. FTDNA calls theirs The Big Y. See the link for
comparisons between the different companies who provide this test.
http://isogg.org/wiki/Y-DNA_SNP_testing_chart
Autosomal DNA Tests
Ancestry and 23andMe focus on autosomal DNA (atDNA) FTDNA has a similar test called
Family Finder. Most people use these tests to see their ethnic heritages. So much
European, so much Middle Eastern, et cetera.
Some use it to DNA fragments in comparison to others for cousin similarity. 23andMe
also uses atDNA type testing for medical genetic warning type tests as for Cystic
Fibrosis, Sickle Cell Anemia, Hereditary Hearing Loss and et cetera.
To see the differences between these atDNA testing companies, please go to the
following link.
http://isogg.org/wiki/Autosomal_DNA_testing_comparison_chart
Are there other types of DNA tests? Yes. But the ones above are the most common
ones used in genealogy.
Triangulation – a goal of genetic genealogy
In genetic genealogy we use triangulation. Think of a triangle. Genetic
triangulation is rather simple. /_\
Person A & B match genetically and that forms the base of the triangle. _
Person A has a paper trail (genealogy) that goes back in time. /
Person B has a paper trail that goes back in time. \
The top of the triangle is the MRCA or most recent common ancestor.
Person A is who you are testing. Some living biological male 2nd, 3rd or better
cousin could be Person B. The most common shared ancestor is the MRCA.
If the genetics of Person A & Person B match and the paper trail goes to the
MRCA, then this helps prove they are related both genealogically and genetically. This is
the goal of genetic genealogy. When this is repeated several times back to a common
ancestor, we then can recreate the Y-DNA markers of that ancestor. All without digging
them up!
See more at:
http://isogg.org/wiki/Triangulation
For many groups they have a recognizable common ancestor. For Group 2 (of the
Carpenter Cousins Y-DNA Project) it is the immigrant William Carpenter b. abt 1610 in
England. With triangulation we have re-created his genetic profile or fingerprint. The
same for Group 3 and a few other groups.
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