DNA: Have you, would you, how do you think you would or could you use it in your GENEALOGY research? Any tips?

Question

Keep in mind that "deep ancestry" and the Genographic Project have nothing whatever to do with genealogy. That is so far back it's about hunter-gatherers armed with rocks roaming the planet, displacing one another geographically whether by force or sometimes a more attractive culture, and exchanging genes -- but not keeping genealogically useful records, only at best the fossil record.

Off Topic -- hey it's not me you're disagreeing with it is governments, the genealogy community and genealogy professionals. Have you not noticed that censuses aren't available for most living persons and that living persons are not presented on reputable online gedcoms? It is unethical and now you know.

Back to our regular scheduled program.

Answer 1

The trick, in my opinion, is understanding both the possibilities and the limitations.
On one of my lines, it HAS been of absolute value/use. There were 2 distinct lines/ possible grandfathers. Solid paper trails exist for 3 of 5 sons, but not for the other 2. My line comes from an apparent grandson. This cooperative project compared a number of proven lines, with some unproven (or otherwise unprovable). The result absolutely grouped "my" line with those who were already proven, and absolutely removed the 2nd line as a possibility.
Since many early American genealogies have been circulated and accepted, and later found to be inaccurate, this can also help. This happens to be true with this family.. that certain men (of the same first name) were often confused, by lack of finding all the possible records, or persons "jumping" to conclusions. Thus, it can be verified that William (of this county) does NOT match the lineage he had previously been believed to be..while William (of another county) does match.
Obviously, many new persons are not aware of the distinctions, and look for something out of testing, that it does not promise... ie, showing ancestry without comparative projects, using already available records.
For some... the broader view is what they are interested in, and they fully understand what it represents. How they apply it to themselves is a matter of choice, so long as they know what it involves, and what they want to know. People define "heritage" in different terms.
(hope you and yours have managed well through recent rain issues, by the way)

Answer 2

Get a No Cost Background Check Scan at https://bitly.im/aNRWq

Its a sensible way to start. The site allows you to do a no cost scan simply to find out if any sort of data is in existence. A smaller analysis is done without cost. To get a detailed report its a modest payment.

You may not realize how many good reasons there are to try and find out more about the people around you. After all, whether you're talking about new friends, employees, doctors, caretakers for elderly family members, or even significant others, you, as a citizen, have a right to know whether the people you surround yourself with are who they say they are. This goes double in any situation that involves your children, which not only includes teachers and babysitters, but also scout masters, little league coaches and others. Bottom line, if you want to find out more about someone, you should perform a background check.

Answer 3

Well Grannytoad I have used this for reasons of my fathers surname to try and establish links to a Virginia Branch of the family through Y-DNA unfortanly we didn't match I think it can be useful when person who carry a very common surname can't find records or documents to establish there lines to other lines. But I think thats the only useful thing for it. I mean I'm sure some people are interesting in seeing what exactly there Ancestry is made of and I must admit that learning about were my ancestors were 10,000 yrs or more ago I find to be very exciting it does nothing for my research but it opens a window to the ancient past that I tend to enjoy looking through. But I would only recommend it if you are at a loss for records or proof especially for us who had ancestors in the backwoods frontier were documents are rare and mostly only land grants and maybe a few church records its helpful to try and link through DNA to others who may have similar research or family lines. Anways I've rambled on you found one of my new passions. Hope this helps :)

Answer 4

As I've commented in other questions on the subject of DNA in genealogy research, I do think there is a place and utility for DNA testing in actual geneaological research.

Unfortunetly, I also think many people misunderstand what you can and cannot do with it.

I have not had myself tested, and frankly, see little point. My Y-chromosome line is traced back to the early 1700s at the moment and isn't a dead-end as much as just a loose end. As my surname is a patronym, there is no point to a surname study for me, since the only people with my surname who are related to me are my immediate family for the last 4 generations, all of whom are known to me.

My mitrochondria line is a dead-end (a missing maiden name), but a profile would do me little good, since it wouldn't identify her surname.

I don't really see the point of an admixture test, as I could probably guess at the mixture based on my documented ancestry. Perhaps if I have a few hundred dollars sitting around, I might get one, but I have better things to spend it on.

What I would use DNA testing for is to try to solve some of my dead-ends - this would require testing other people though - some examples:

1. One of my lines ends at a man who first appearance was his enlistment in the Continential Army during the American Revolution. Although his surname is a common one from the area, his placement in the known families is unknown. As he is not my direct Y-chromosome line (it daughtered out with my great-grandfather), I have located a direct male descendant. I would love to test him to compare with others with the surname to see where my ancestor fits in.

2. Same situation with another dead-end who came down from Canada and (I think) changed (Angalized) his surname. My line daughtered out, but i have a direct-male line 4th cousin and located other direct male-line descendants (of my ancestor's brothers).

3. A DNA study already helped me in my research. One of my lines, which daughtered out six generations ago was tested against other descendants of other settlers who had long been presumed (based on nothing but conjecture) to be related. DNA showed my ancestry was a completely different line and enabled a fellow researcher to track his line back in English records to 1538.

4. Lastly, there is a story of Native american ancestry in my family, with the possibly native (who is a bad dead-end for me) a mitrochrondira match with my paternal grandmother (and father). Hapleotyping should suggest or eliminate NA ancestry (as NA's are limited to only a few hapleotypes) and give me a profile which may have something to compare it... this isn't a major priority though, given the more limited information I would obtain.

So yes, DNA testing has a place if used wisely. I fear many people don't, however, understand this place and end up wasting money, misinterpreting results, or thinking its a substitute for actual research. Based on some of your previous comments, I think that might be your concern as well.

Answer 5

I got a cousin to send in her DNA to SMGF
and am going to pay to get her to send to FamilyTree DNA for my paternal grandmother.

She and her children and any grandchildren by her 2 daughers are the only ones available for my grandmother's mitochondrial dna. My grandmother had 6 sons and 2 daughters and one of her daughters had an adopted daughter. So I am pleased Sylvia volunteered. I told her we would have to sit and wait to see if a match comes up.

My paternal grandfather left 5 sons when he died from burns in an oil refinery explosion in 1920. When he was very young his father died and he was an only child. My grandfather's sons had a tendency to have daughters. There are only 2 grandsons of his and neither have sons. I am hoping one of them will cooperate. I don't like to push. Some people might think it is an intrusion.

Answer 6

Belonging to Ancestry will make it quite tempting to apply their on line tree builder. If, case in point, you come across your great uncle working as a farmer in basic terms exterior of Beloit on the 1910 census, you are able to cite it with a pair of clicks. i take advantage of Roots Magic. It, like family individuals tree Maker and PAF, is a stand-on my own family individuals tree application. I ought to transcribe each and each census get entry to. I want the independence. in case you Google "family individuals tree application Comparisons" you will discover evaluations by using expert reviewers. i've got used PAF, RM and FTM. i like RM the excellent, yet my very own prejudices at the instant are not properly-known Truths. I did artwork as a working laptop or computing gadget programmer for 30 years, and that i've got designed information bases, so mine is an suggested opinion from a expert. I used family individuals tree DNA. My %. line ineffective-ends with a fellow who died in what's now West Virginia in 1833. Our desire replaced into that yet another male %. could adventure me. (on account that we adult males get our Y chromosome intact from our dads, we are the excellent concern for DNA testing.) when I did the try I have been given a pair of dozen 12-ingredient fits. examining th efine print, it suggested we had a uncomplicated ancestor 600 years in the past. That narrows all of it the way down to lots of the white human beings in Europe, so it wasn't plenty help. i'm nevertheless hoping for a 37-ingredient adventure with somebody who can teach he's descended from a %. who died in Maryland in1754. i are starting to be a pair of 33 advert 34 ingredient fits, so all of us be conscious of the 1754 one replaced right into a grandfather, granduncle or cousin once or twice bumped off to the 1833 one.

Answer 7

First, I would suggest going to www.familtytreedna.com, www.africanancestry.com, the National Geographics (with their family studies) because, having read some of the others answers to your question, it is clear they don't know what DNA studies do.
I was sent a kit with 2 swabs in it; I returned it and got a printed report and can log onto the net to see who is closely related on the yDNA or mtDNA, what nationalities they came from, what parts of the earth (parts of Africa, parts of Asia, all of Europe, most of the Middle East, and various islands in the Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean and Caribbean) and more!
Depending on how good a DNA sample you provide (as to matching others in these projects) we are NOT talking about peoples who roamed the earth 10,000 years or so ago, but, on the mtDNA, 50-100 generations ago.
The "authorities" when determining populations studies for genealogy, taxes, whatever, use 20 years for a generation. Using that, one is talking about maternal ancestors between the time of Christ and 1000 A.D. Male DNA mutates more rapidly; for men the DNA studies would reveal ancestors of 200 - 300 years ago.
How does it help? It DOES NOT provide names, cities, etc., but it will definitely tell you with almost 100% accuracy if the paper trail you have is accurate or not. For instance, because your grandparents are Irish, you might think that your ancestors are all Irish, only to find out that perhaps your grandmother was adopted (or some other situation).
There is another consideration: paper trails are invariably weak; some of my ancestors settled in Virginia (Germanna amongst them). During the Civil War, many courthouses in Virginia and Kentucky were burned to the ground, leaving no records behind. Most of the records that do exist have so many errors in them: clerks used pen and paper or pencil and paper, using poor script, made a mistake in getting the name in the first place. My Mom's mother's name is incorrect in most of the records I have been able to find, including her tombstone! One more generation back and all they have for a name is Armina (R. Miner?) who knows. The point is, not matter what anyone claims, paper trails are NOT very good to begin with, and going back, most people disappear into history...as recent as the 1700's!
DNA is much more accurate!
My ancestors in New England would not have had that problem, even if the courthouses were burned, for the simple reason that they were more religious and church records were kept, as well as family Bibles (family Bibles are one of the few sources in Virginia; but, many families did not keep them).
Get some good history books, not the ones they use in schools and colleges, but the real HISTORY books (i.e., they don't have an agenda or something to prove). Before the Pyramids were built in Germany, civilizations existed in the British Isles, France, Spain...and in the Americas. Civilizations in Turkey and the Balkans existed BEFORE the Pyramids, BEFORE Mesopotamia.

Answer 8

Sorry but seeing as you don't allow e-mail this is the only way to contact you . Genalogy comes from the greek meaning family genea γενεα knowledge logos λόγος . Its about the living and the dead so I would have to disagree with saying that it is unethical. You gather knowledge from the living and the dead and the living is sometimes the most useful