Sandy,
I'm on board.
Have you communicated with firms that can provide the service? It will be
important to know exactly what they can tell us and what we can expect.
Some firms can provide services that others cannot.
One objective relates to other DNA markers. We should know the range of DNA
markers that the service providers can identify. Extensive research has
been done and is going forward to correlate DNA markers to diseases, both
those that are traditionally considered congenital and those that are
considered environmental. Some participants may want the option, purely
voluntarily, to receive a confidential report on specific DNA markers.
The core objective will relate to "relatedness." Will it be possible to
identify whether any two people, say, you and me, are within the same gene
pool? Should we anticipate that everyone with a variant of the name will
not be a member of a common gene pool? Should there be an objective to
identify multiple gene pools and perhaps to link them to geographic origins?
You speak of Y chromosome identification. Is it possible to identify female
lines? I recall reading of DNA research that concluded that we all were
descended from the same "Eve," and identified a common DNA marker.
What about cost? I can't imagine the basic cost would be great. The
association of breeders of purebred cattle to which we belong requires DNA
testing of all bulls before their progeny can be registered. I believe it
costs $15. There are other tests for DNA markers in cattle, such as for
leanness, that cost only about $30.
Great idea. What can we do to help?
Steve Castner
Stephen L. Castner
8707 Kaehler's Mill Road
Cedarburg, Wisconsin 53012
Cell: 414-531-4300
slcastner(a)ameritech.net
-----Original Message-----
From: cosner(a)kastner.net [mailto:cosner@kastner.net]
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2004 7:27 PM
To: CASTNER-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: Family Tree DNA Testing
This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/0BI.2ACEB/96
Message Board Post:
Hi everyone,
Some of you may be aware that you can now do DNA testing for genealogy
purposes. There are many variations of the Kastner name all over the US and
for that matter in Germany and other countries. I've always wondered how
many are truly related. This new technolgy gives us a tool to use to help
us. It certainly isn't an answer to everything but could help. It needs to
be done on a blood male in the direct line. Why do DNA testing? Here's some
ideas...
1. Establish the Project objectives
The Y chromosome is passed from father to son unchanged, except for a
mutation about every 500 generations. Testing the Y chromosome will provide
you with a genetic finger print consisting of 12 or 25 numbers. By comparing
this finger print to others with your surname, you can determine if they are
related.
The objectives of Surname Projects vary. Here are a few:
Identify others who are related
Prove or disprove theories regarding ancestors
Solve brick walls in your research
Determine a location for further research
Validate existing research
Often a Surname Project has multiple objectives, and the objectives may even
change over the life of the project.
Where I'm headed with this is there are many variations of the Cosner name.
We know many of us came from the spelling Kastner and came from Germany.
What I would really like to do is start a DNA testing froup with all of the
variations of our name. I've always wondered if some of the branches are
tied together. We can also include those in Germany. (That's what I would
love to find out)
Is anyone interested in this project? Any males that would volunteer? If so,
I'll be happy to set up the web site and get the ball rolling. I'll also try
and answer any questions thatpeople might have. In addition, to review
policies procedures and lots more about the program, please feel free to
check out the main project site.
www.familytreedna.com Please contact me at
cosner(a)kastner.net if you are interested. Thanks, Sandy