Hello W'tons,
Now aware of the # of W'tons taking the dna route to establish Roots, and shortly
to offer my own, I want to make avail some dna info for review by others interested.
DNA Helping to Untangle Roots of Family Trees
Bob Batz Jr. of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has written an interesting story about Megan
Smolenyak and her involvement in applying DNA to genealogy studies. You may recall that I
recently reviewed the book, "Trace Your Roots With DNA" that Megan wrote with
Ann Turner. (You can read that book review
at
http://eogn.typepad.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2004/11/trace_your_root....)
http://eogn.typepad.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/
In this article Batz writes, "Say you get to visit the old country to explore your
ancestry. You might think to take something to give your relatives. But would it be a DNA
test?
Continue reading "DNA Helping to Untangle Roots of Family Trees"
Posted by Dick Eastman on February 09, 2005 at 03:00 AM
If you want further Gen stories, there is no better online than Dick Eastman:
http://eogn.typepad.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2005/02/dna_helping_to_...
Barry
======================
Trace Your Roots with DNA
Genetic typing is the newest tool for amateur genealogists and one that has been described
in this newsletter many times. (Click here to see several.) Now two leading genealogy DNA
experts have collaborated on a new book. This week I had a chance to read Trace Your Roots
with DNA, written by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak and Ann Turner.
Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak (that is not a typo, she married a man with the same surname as
her own maiden name and now uses both names) is well qualified to collaborate on this
book. She is the lead researcher for PBS's Ancestors and she did most of the research
for PBS's They Came to America.
She is the author of In Search of Our Ancestors, Honoring Our Ancestors, and They Came to
America. She also is a genealogy researcher for the U.S. Army's Repatriation project
to trace families of servicemen killed or missing in action in Korea and Viet Nam. The
intent is to develop a DNA-database from relatives' blood samples so that the remains
that are now being repatriated can be identified and interred.
Likewise, Ann Turner's DNA and genealogy credentials are also top notch. She is the
founder and guide of Rootsweb's popular Genealogy-DNA mailing list where she actively
helps thousands of genealogists around the world learn more about the use of DNA within
genealogy research. I recently found a short description of Ann's DNA work, complete
with a quote that I love:
Ann should get the "Nobel Internet Forum Prize" (if there was such an honor)
for her initiative and drive to make this [Genealogy-DNA] forum what it is today.
- Ron Lindsay
For more information on Ann Turner's work, go to
http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/DNA/GENEALOGY-DNA.html.
Trace Your Roots with DNA starts with a brief introduction to genealogy and
genetics fundamentals. The authors explain the types of available testing,
what kind of information the tests can provide, how to interpret the
results, and how the tests work. The authors also describe how to do all
this in a cost-effective manner:
Back in the dark ages of genetic DNA testing -- way back in 2001 or 2002 --
the answer would have been to launch your own study. And depending on your
circumstances, that might still be appropriate. But for more and more of us,
simply joining an existing project is becoming a viable option.
Genealogists can trace "DNA heirlooms," the two forms of DNA that are passed
on in a family from generation to generation. These "heirlooms" include
genetic markers on the Y chromosome, passed on by fathers, and mitochondrial
DNA, passed on by mothers. Testing one's DNA is simple: swab the inside of
your cheek with a device that looks something like a Q-TIP, insert that
device into a plastic vial, screw the top on the vial to seal it and then
mail it in a pre-addressed envelope. The entire process takes about two
minutes plus a bit more time to read the instructions.
Smolenyak and Turner offer clear explanations of DNA and how to use it. DNA
typing can tell you if you're related to someone with the same surname,
pinpoint a certain ancestor and verify your other research. But, as the
authors warn, it could also prove your previous assumptions are wrong or
uncover unwanted information, such as that a family member was adopted.
Let's face it, our ancestry is whatever the truth is, not what we want it to
be. I suspect that DNA testing will disprove a number of long-held beliefs
and will shatter some "documented" lines of descent. I expect that most
lineage societies will be very interested in DNA research!
The chapters of Trace Your Roots with DNA include:
If You're New to Genealogy
Genetic Essentials
Male Bonding: Y Chromosome
Maternal Legacy: Mitochondrial DNA
Around the World: Geographic Origins
Next of Kin: Close Relationships
Joining or Running a Project
Finding Prospects
Contacting and Courting Participants
Interpreting and Sharing Results
What's Next?
The book then ends with three appendices:
Genealogical Resources
DNA Testing Companies
Glossary
If you have been researching your family's history and have encountered some
"stone walls," this book may offer some answers. It also can help you verify
the information you have found. Finally, Trace Your Roots with DNA will
provide an excellent introduction to what many believe will be "the next big
thing" in genealogy.
Trace Your Roots with DNA is published by Rodale, Inc. It lists for $14.95
US. It can be ordered directly from Rodale's safe and secure online store at
http://www.rodalestore.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catal....
You also can order this 272-page paperback through most any bookstore if you
specify ISBN 1-59486-006-8. I also found it listed online on
Amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594860068/httpwwwrootsc-20/102-39...
and at Barnes & Noble's online store at
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=vR3KM7....
Both sell the book at a discount from list price.
Posted by Dick Eastman on November 27, 2004 at 05:00 AM | Permalink
===================
DNA Helping to Untangle Roots of Family Trees
Bob Batz Jr. of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has written an interesting story
about Megan Smolenyak and her involvement in applying DNA to genealogy
studies. You may recall that I recently reviewed the book, "Trace Your Roots
With DNA" that Megan wrote with Ann Turner. (You can read that book review
at
http://eogn.typepad.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2004/11/trace_your_root....)
In this article Batz writes, "Say you get to visit the old country to
explore your ancestry. You might think to take something to give your
relatives. But would it be a DNA test?
"Genealogy, it is a-changing. Research is going genetic.
"'Genetealogy' is what genealogist and writer Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak
calls it. That's her real name, as she is by birth and by marriage
Smolenyak, a surname that hails from the town of Osturna in Slovakia. She
had identified four lines of Smolenyaks and traced them back to the 1700s
but couldn't find a connection among them. When DNA testing became available
to the public in 2000, she used it to determine that none matched and,
further, that one line was actually Vanecko."
As more and more genealogists bring DNA testing into their ancestral
searches like Megan's, perhaps some of those brick walls will crumble with
the help of genetic results.
You can read the entire story at
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05039/454179.stm.
GO HERE for much more!!!:
http://www.eogn.com/
Barry
Barry Wetherington