First of all, an update on the Wells DNA study. We are still waiting for
the final 5 DNA samples to be returned from the field. We expect this will
be done by the end of February. Then we can expect the analysis results in
mid March. We all have to continue to have patience.
We will be collecting samples in the UK in April and May for phase II. I
am still trying to get final cost details and looking at other options to
keep the cost down. I will advise the UK researchers when we know. If you
are in the UK and NOT on the UK-Wells list, I would encourage you to
subscribe there to keep up on that part of the project.
Some of you may have seen that
Ancestry.com is now offering DNA testing for
mitrochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for the maternal lines, Y-Chromosome testing for
paternal lines and Native American Origins testing (using the Maternal mtDNA).
The cost is $197.95 (don't ask ME how they arrive at such numbers).
For those who are not up on this stuff, let me try to explain what is going on.
Ancestry.com has formed a partnership with Relative Genetics in Salt Lake
City to do the testing. Relative Genetics is owned by Sorenson Labs which
also owns another recently purchased genetic testing lab in San Jose called
Genetree. Relative Genetics and Genetree will be doing all the sample
analysis for
Ancestry.com.
They will be using 23 DNA markers on the y-Chromosome samples which will be
the same 23 markers we will see from the Wells study in Phase I. This is
because Relative Genetics is an offshoot of BYU's Moleclular Genealgy
Project which is funded by the Sorenson Molecular Foundation. Many, if not
all, of the lab workers at Relative Genetics come from the BYU Molecular
Genealogy Project.
If you are interested in getting some testing done and you are not a male
with the surname Wells, then this may not be a bad idea. I do not know
what sort of information you will end up with because that part is not
clear. How are they going to tell you how you connect to others of your
surname? It is pretty early in the game yet.
The y-chromosome testing is ONLY for the men. This will give you the dna
pattern that is represented by all the males in direct line from you to
your earliest male ancestor. That may or may not mean that anyone else
with this pattern will carry the same surname. But if they have the same
or nearly same pattern (called a haplotype) you can be fairly confident
they are related some how. The thing you have to be aware of is that many
things may impact the surname including adoption, "non-paternal events"
(the father isn't who everyone thought he was), name changes, names given
at orphanages, initial name adoption in the early years in England (or
where ever). For example five cousins living in different villages in
England could well have taken on five DIFFERENT surnames in 1410. The
descendants of all 5 of these cousins would carry the same DNA haplotype
but not the same surname. If you find a match with another male with the
same surname you can be reasonably sure that you share a fairly recent
common ancestor and by comparing genealogy notes you may be able to
determine how.
The mtDNA can be done on both males and females. What it will tell you is
what pattern you have which will match all of your direct line female
ancestors to about 40,000 years ago or more. Unfortunately, this is of
little use to most researchers unless they have some suspected near
relatives who have a common maternal ancestry. In this case you may be
able to show that there is a high chance that you are related.
Unfortunately, because the mtDNA mutates very slowly over time, there are
only a limited number of different mtDNA patterns. So you will get a close
match with many other people who have no relationship to you in the past
many thousands of years. This chain would be you-your mother-your mother's
mother- your grandmother's mother etc.
The final test is for Native American ancestry using the mtDNA (the
maternal DNA again). This will work ONLY if your maternal DNA chain leads
to a full blooded female native American. If you "zig - zag"
female-male-female-female-male-male-female, you will not have the Native
American DNA marker they are looking for.
So please make sure you understand what these tests show before you go into
them.
Samples will be taken using what they call a buccal swap which is something
like a q-tip that you rub around the inside of your cheek, stick in a
plastic protective baggy and send back to the lab.
Will costs come down? Certainly. Will they get more precise on the DNA
analysis? Certainly. Unless you have a burning urge to be one of the
first on your block to get a DNA analysis, you might want to just sit tight
and wait until prices come down.
Those male Wells of you who can not wait for the Wells study to get to
them, could go for one of these tests if you wanted. They will provide the
same patterns as we will be seeing in the study. BUT, they will not be
taking the blood samples which will provide our project with samples that
can be utilized in our phase III to extend analysis to the non-Wells
surnamed descendants. I would urge you to wait if you can stand it.
Orin R. Wells
Wells Family Research Association
P. O. Box 5427
Kent, Washington 98064-5427
<OrinWells(a)wells.org>
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wellsfam/wfrahome.html
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