DNA Genealogy

[Dram]

Dram, thank you for those answers to my questions! I'm thinking I might have DNA testing done just to see if anything of interest comes up. While my Scot ancestry is through my paternal grandmother, I'm curious to see how much further I could go and/or what may be proved or disproved. Also would like to see if I can glean any information on my paternal grandfather's line, which is where I've hit a wall. All I know is that he's German.
Any suggestions for agencies and/or specific tests? From what I see here, the more markers, the more accurate (and I imagine the more expensive.)
Fascinating stuff - DNA! Wish me luck. Thanks again.

My pleasure RAF. As far as the standard Y-DNA test is concerned it will only tell you the origins of your fathers, fathers, father and so on. So, if I understand you correctly a Y-DNA test should show a link to Germanic lines if that is your paternal male ancestry. What's nice about this test is it will match you with others that have a common grandfather and may even point to a specific geographic location of your male ancestors.

The Family Finder test will link you with cousins on ALL of your lines but will not tell you the origin of your DNA other than European, Asian, etc... It will put you in touch with people that are genetically simialr to you; and you could then make a connection with someone for example that shares the same Scottish line you have along your paternal grandmothers side. You might get lucky and find that person you match has a wealth of info on that particular line. It is a very useful genealogical tool.

As far as recommending a company, I'd go with Family Tree DNA. They are currently running a very nice sale until the end of December. If you decide you'd like a Y-DNA test, I strongly recommend you do minimally the Y-37 test. Family Finder would probably benefit you if you are doing significant genealogical research, you may want to read a little more on it and decide as it is one of the more expensive tests. Both of these tests however, are being offered at pretty reasonable rates right now.

[RAF]

My pleasure RAF. As far as the standard Y-DNA test is concerned it will only tell you the origins of your fathers, fathers, father and so on. So, if I understand you correctly a Y-DNA test should show a link to Germanic lines if that is your paternal male ancestry. What's nice about this test is it will match you with others that have a common grandfather and may even point to a specific geographic location of your male ancestors.

The Family Finder test will link you with cousins on ALL of your lines but will not tell you the origin of your DNA other than European, Asian, etc... It will put you in touch with people that are genetically simialr to you; and you could then make a connection with someone for example that shares the same Scottish line you have along your paternal grandmothers side. You might get lucky and find that person you match has a wealth of info on that particular line. It is a very useful genealogical tool.

As far as recommending a company, I'd go with Family Tree DNA. They are currently running a very nice sale until the end of December. If you decide you'd like a Y-DNA test, I strongly recommend you do minimally the Y-37 test. Family Finder would probably benefit you if you are doing significant genealogical research, you may want to read a little more on it and decide as it is one of the more expensive tests. Both of these tests however, are being offered at pretty reasonable rates right now.

Excellent! Yes, I was just looking at the Family Tree DNA site. Looks like a winner. I think I'll start with the Y-DNA67 test for now, and then see if I want to pursue Family finder or mt-DNA later. I'm hoping I can get a lead on a specific geographical location (as you said) for my dad's great grandfather (and beyond) for that has been the stumbling block in my research - I haven't been able to find any reference to WHERE in Germany he and his ancestors came from.
Thanks again!

[Dram]

Excellent! Yes, I was just looking at the Family Tree DNA site. Looks like a winner. I think I'll start with the Y-DNA67 test for now, and then see if I want to pursue Family finder or mt-DNA later. I'm hoping I can get a lead on a specific geographical location (as you said) for my dad's great grandfather (and beyond) for that has been the stumbling block in my research - I haven't been able to find any reference to WHERE in Germany he and his ancestors came from.
Thanks again!

RAF,

I think you will really have fun with it. Let me know if you decide to go through with it and keep me posted when you have your results. To me it's a rewarding and exciting journey. I have a German line in my family that I believe may originate in Denmark. I'd love to have someone in that line tested to see where it actually originates. Perhaps you will get a surprise when you test! That's the other bit of fun with DNA.



Best of luck

[RAF]

RAF,

I think you will really have fun with it. Let me know if you decide to go through with it and keep me posted when you have your results. To me it's a rewarding and exciting journey. I have a German line in my family that I believe may originate in Denmark. I'd love to have someone in that line tested to see where it actually originates. Perhaps you will get a surprise when you test! That's the other bit of fun with DNA.



Best of luck

Just ordered! Will keep you posted.

[Gael Ridire]

To Copperngold: The ancestral hair will do but only if there is a folicale (root) on the hair end, just a lock of hair with out the roots won't work. Did your male ancestor have any brothers, and then they had sons? If so, have one of them take the test and you pay for it, or have several family members chip in for the cost.

In the O'Brien Surname project five of us have matched at 37 markers at 100%. One lives in Buffalo, NY; in NYC; Florida; New Zealand, and Utah. By gathering all of our family histories and places of origin in Ireland, were are able to theorize our origins as being in eastern Clare or just across the Shannon Riv. in an area called Ara in north-west Tipperary, where a branch of O'Briens were banished after the battle of Dysert O'Dea in 1318, creating the Mac-I-Brien Ara clan who later changed the surname from MacBrien back to O'Brien.

I'd do 67 markers for testing.

Here's the website about Irish Type III DNA discovery. http://www.irishtype3dna.org/index.php

[WVHighlander]

Well for my Christmas present my wife ordered the 37 test. I will keep you all posted on the results. I am kinda excited to see what I find out. Right now there are 73 people participating
in the surname project. Hopefully I will match up with a few to help with my research.

[Dram]

Well for my Christmas present my wife ordered the 37 test. I will keep you all posted on the results. I am kinda excited to see what I find out. Right now there are 73 people participating
in the surname project. Hopefully I will match up with a few to help with my research.

Excellent! That's a nice gift. I'm sure you'll get plenty of matches and this process will start you on a fun journey.

Can't wait to hear your results. As far as 73 others in your surname project that's a great start, and keep in mind the database grows daily. Look around at other projects you can join...such as British Isles DNA, sometimes you can find more matches this way also. There's no limit to the amount of projects you can join.

[Ui Meachair]

I just finished reading "Trace Your Roots with DNA: Use Your DNA to Complete Your Family Tree"

There are other books out there, such as the previously mentioned "Seven Daughters of Eve", but this one seemed to be a good primer on the subject. Very informative on what the various tests can - and cannot - tell you. The title is a little misleading. Most of the examples use DNA to prove or disprove a suspected relationship found the old-fashioned way. And is any family tree ever complete? My other beef with the book is the way the authors kept using the term "match" without defining it. A perfect match on a 12-marker test is a far cry from a perfect match on a 37- or 67-marker test (to be fair, the book was written in 2004 and there weren't that many tests back then).

The science is evolving rapidly - new relavent markers are being found all the time. Your project administrator(s) can advise you on further tests to consider after you join the project(s) with your initial N-marker test.

I was able to get my clan society to put a link to a clan-related Y-DNA project on the clan website. I'm hoping it will generate some interest in DNA testing with the other clan members.

Projects I'm currently part of:
Meagher surname
Ely Carroll
Ireland yDNA

[Gregmc]

Well for my Christmas present my wife ordered the 37 test. I will keep you all posted on the results. I am kinda excited to see what I find out. Right now there are 73 people participating
in the surname project. Hopefully I will match up with a few to help with my research.

Boy that's great! When you update; tell us how it works as well.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[cck]

Last year, for Christmas, I was given the National Geographic Genome Project kit. This is apparently associated Family Tree DNA as they sent me the results on my specimen. As a male, this would only identify men in my direct family line. Since I wanted to get more involved, I ordered some additional testing. The only "close relative" I have found so far was a grandson of a female cousin. Of all the thousands of names they identified as having links to me, none were any family names that I knew of in my ancestry. Of course, they can only work with specimens that have been submitted. As more people become involved it should get more interesting.

I suspect the National Geographic was more interested in the migration patterns. You will receive information on the percentage of DNA's similar to yours found in nations around the world.