Showing posts with label DNA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DNA. Show all posts

Friday, October 15, 2010

Some Information On A Haplogroup

A haplogroup is a group of haplotypes that are similar and all have an ancestor in common. It is a part of the study of molecular evolution where the ancestor shared has a single nucleotide polymorphism mutation, or an SNP mutation. They are a design found in mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosomes and they pertain to genealogy and family history researching. They can even date back to tracing ancestral origins of over a thousand years.

A haplogroup is similar to a family tree. In a family tree, the branches extend out to show family members that are only present in recent years. For haplogroups, the branches extend out to early migrations of populations of people. Typically, they are sorted by geographical regions. By comparing genealogy such as the mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosomal DNA, people can locate these branches to better understand and discover more about the family history.

Mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosomal DNA define genetic populations. Fathers pass on their Y DNA to their sons and the mitochondrial DNA is passed from the mother to both sons and daughters. They cannot recombine or intermix so the genetic materials of both parents are clear and can be recognized and traced.

People who wish to know more about their family origin can use mitochondrial DNA testing to do so. Many universities with a department concerned with genealogy can provide this service. They will use Y DNA tests if the other type cannot be conducted for any reason.

They only difference between them is that the mitochondrial test is more definite and can confirm lineage, while the Y test is based more on predictions which are based upon the DNA within a family tree. That is not to say the predictions are not accurate. If both tests do not provide enough information or results, there is a third test that can be conducted called a deep clade test.

Haplogroups can have subgroups. These subgroups can be traced to particular individual haplogroups. These can also lead to the further expansion of more groups to be examined and tested. Human genetic diversity can be found in these along with the mitochondrial and Y DNA. This can also lead to more single nucleotide polymorphism mutations to be discovered which expands the pool of potential ancestor discovery because there will be more subgroups.

Haplotype mutations that have undergone no to little natural selection that still survived to the present date are the best things to use to identify family ancestry based on genetics. It helps in identifying the genetic drift that occurred. Genetic drift is where individuals pass their genetic DNA to their offspring of the next generation. This aides in people being able to also identify certain genetic markers which can be compared and used to determine ancestry and origin.

That was some information on a haplogroup. They are part of studies that provide people with more information on their family genes and family background. People interested in learning of their origins that date back to a thousand years can use such information to do so.

Genealogy Lesson 5 - Genetic Genealogy & DNA Testing

This lesson might seem a little premature, since you are just starting out with genealogy.  However, I want to at least expose you to the concept of genetic genealogy.  I am sure you are browsing around the Internet and that you have or soon will encounter this subject.  Genetic genealogy can seem confusing, maybe a little bit scary, so I want to give you a crash course on the subject.
 
In a nut shell, you swab the inside of your mouth and mail those cheek cells to the testing company.  They extract your DNA, run a test on the sample, and provide you with a set of numbers in return.  Those numbers correlate to certain traits passed along by family lines over the centuries.  The more of these numbers match between two people, the more closely they are related.
 
The main goal of genealogical DNA testing is to find where a male line came from in the world.  Take my case for example, I now know that the Lett family almost certainly came from Scandinavia.  I would never have figured that out on my own!  Now my research on the Letts always leans toward connecting my line back to that area of the globe.
 
One major point to keep in mind...this type of DNA test only helps if you are male.  The genes in question are passed from father to son, just like their last name.  Therefore my genes and my last name came from my father and are both therefore the same. 
 
In the case of women, their test looks for genes passed from mother to daughter.  Mothers and daughters generally do not share the same last name after marriage.  You could therefore find out where your "maternal line" came from but that is much less helpful since the last name is not constant.  If a woman wanted to find out where her paternal family was from, she would need to get her brother or father to take the test.
 
I am absolutely watering down all that  genetic genealogy involves.  If you are interested, I would suggest reading up on the websites of the various testing companies.  Family Tree DNA is probably the largest, best-known and most respected testing company.  Ancestry.com also offers testing that is among the most affordable on the market.  I personally used Family Tree DNA but that was long before Ancestry.com started offering tests so I cannot say that one is better than the other.
 
If you really want to find where you ancestors were from, I strongly suggest that you consider performing one of these DNA tests, sooner rather than later in your research project, for two reasons.
  1. It takes several weeks for the results to come back.  The sooner you send your sample, the sooner you get results.
  2. The answers that you receive can lead your future research in the right direction.
Most testing companies will ask if you want to make your results public.  That basically means that, if anyone else matches your DNA, they will put the two of you in contact.  You might be introduced to someone that has an abundance of information on your family.  That could save you countless hours of research down the road.  I made my personal results public and have never had any problems with that decision. 
 
Let's face it, everyone wants to say that "I am German" or "I am Scandinavian."  If you take one of these DNA tests, at least you can probably say where your paternal family was from.  With that piece of information, you would then know both the starting and ending points of your family tree.  The fun part then becomes filling in the middle.

Friday, April 03, 2009

Getting started with genetic genealogy, how and why?

One of the most helpful genealogical advances is the widening availability of DNA testing. In a nut shell, you swab the inside of your mouth and mail those cheek cells to the testing company. They extract your DNA, run a test on the sample, and provide you with a set of numbers in return. Those numbers correlate to certain traits passed along by family lines over the centuries. The more of these numbers match between two people, the more closely they are related.

The main goal of genealogical DNA testing is to find where a male line came from in the world. Take my case for example, I now know that the Lett family almost certainly came from Scandinavia. I would never have figured that out on my own. Now my research on the Letts always leans toward connecting my line back to that area of the globe.

One major point to keep in mind is that this type of DNA test only helps if you are male. The genes in question are passed from father to son, just like their last name. Therefore my genes and my last name came from my father and are both the same.

In the case of women, the test looks for genes passed from mother to daughter. Mothers and daughters generally do not share the same last name after marriage. You could therefore find out where your "maternal line" came from but that is much less helpful since the last name is not constant. If a woman wanted to find out where her paternal family was from, she would need to get her brother or father to take the test.

I am absolutely watering down all that genetic genealogy involves and can offer. If you are interested, I would suggest reading up on the websites of the various testing companies. Family Tee DNA is probably the largest, best-known and most respected testing company. Ancestry also offers testing that is among the most affordable on the market.

I strongly suggest that you consider performing one of these tests, sooner rather than later in your research project, for two major reasons.
  1. It takes several weeks/months for the results to come back. The sooner you send your sample, the sooner you get results.
  2. The answers that you receive can lead your future research in the right direction.
Most testing companies will ask if you want to make your results public. That basically means that, if anyone else matches your DNA, they will put the two of you in contact. You might be introduced to someone that has an abundance of information on your family. That could save you countless hours of research down the road.

You will also have a good idea of where in the world your family is from. Everyone wants to say that "I am German" or "I am Scandinavian." If you take one of these DNA tests, at least you can say where your paternal family was from. And, as was the case with myself, I now know which direction on the compass my research should travel. I know the starting and end points of my family history. The fun part becomes filling in the middle.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

What's going on lately with me.

I have been thinking about the blog a lot lately but I have been too busy with work to do much with it. In case you did not know, I am the production manager for a local robotics company. We build autonomous floor cleaners, not like the I-Robot Roomba, think more industrial. You can get an idea of what I make at the company site, just click this link if you are interested. - Intellibot Robotics. We have a new project underway so I am really tied up right now.

I finally caved in and decided to upgrade my personal DNA test at Family Tree DNA from 12 to 67 markers. It is going to cost me $189.00 but it was time to splurge a little. It looks like the Lett family is from Scandinavia but I hope this test will help clarify which part of the region. I think we were probably from Iceland but I am not certain. Anyway you look at it, I am a Viking!

Keeping with the DNA theme, a few days ago I joined Charlie Brock's DNA test up with the Brozgol surname group. There seems to be a possible connection there. The project coordinator was so excited that she paid to upgrade his test to the 67-marker variety... out of her own pocket! I will let you know how long it takes for both upgrades to come back. Mine will take longer since she paid by credit card and I asked to be invoiced. They sent me a PDF invoice but I have not stroked a check yet - dragging my feet a bit.

I did notice the other day that the Library of Virginia has updated the look of their website. It is in beta testing right now but you can check it out here. I do not know if there are any major changes yet or if it is just a face lift. Check it out and let me know what you find.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Ancestry's Genetic Genealogy Testing is Now Only $79


DNA


According to an e-mail I got from Ancestry.com tonight,

"Users now explore a streamlined, updated site and pay new low prices for DNA testing services.

The $79 price tag encourages many more people to take the basic paternal lineage test (Y33), so they can connect with genetic cousins and build family trees. Our growing database automatically compares results, letting some users connect instantly. And we notify all users of potential new matches as the Ancestry.com DNA database grows.

Users also now attach DNA to Ancestry.com family trees. The attached results instantly populate up the tree, showing implied meaning for all relevant family tree members. This feature increases the chances for meaningful family contacts and connections. For example, if a man attaches test results to his tree, the profile for his paternal uncle born in 1845 will now display the fact that genetic data relevant to that uncle exists. If another user comes across the uncle (using any research method), they'll now be able to trace the test back to the man who took the test and contact him. Otherwise, that user may never have followed the thread past the uncle.

The $79 test also lets users know which Ancient Ancestral group they belong to, like the Stonemasons, the Artisans or the Reindeer Herders. Users learn their likely story of origin and explore Fun Facts for their modern-day group. A great visual pie chart reveals things like 20% of all Stonemasons drive hybrids, 10% eat chocolate ice cream and 55% watch Saturday Night Live."

I don't quite know what that last paragraph means but, if someone takes their test, let me know.


DNA

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Brock DNA Update - Upgraded test received

I finally have all of the tests back for the DNA project we have been following for the past several months. This was a refinement test to go from 12 to 25 markers. It was due back on January 28, 2009 but came back around the 15th - early for once. It pretty much isolated Charlie Brock from the rest of the Brock DNA project participants. This line of the Brock family is apparently fairly rare.

Ancestry.com lowers DNA testing prices

I just got an e-mail from Ancestry.com, announcing that they have lowered the prices for their genetic genealogy DNA tests. Their Paternal Y33 kit is now $79, the Y46 kit is $149 and the Maternal mtdna kit is $179.

DNA

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Brock DNA Test update, Family Tree DNA

I got back the results of the free haplogroup upgrade for Charlie Brock's DNA test on January 7, 2009. (See this older post if you do not know what I am talking about: DNA Update - Free upgrade on the way)

This test indicated that Charlie is of the J1 haplogroup.

We are still waiting on the refinement test to go from 12 to 25 markers. It is due back on January 28, 2009. I will let you know when that test is completed.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Ancestry DNA Tests 40% Off

FYI - Ancestry.com is currently offering 40% off their DNA testing service. The offer expires on December 31, 2008 so you better hurry if you want to use this "coupon." I have not personally used their service but plan on trying it in the near future. Just click the Viking ship below to get started. Tests appear to range from $89.40 to $119.40 each.

DNA

DNA Update - Free upgrade on the way

As mentioned earlier, the Charlie Brock DNA test did not result in a known haplogroup. With that in mind, I received the following e-mail on 12/17/08 from FamilyTreeDNA:

"Dear Family Tree DNA Customer,

During the 3rd Annual Family Tree DNA Conference on Genetic Genealogy, we announced that if we could not predict your haplogroup with 100% confidence, we would run your DNA sample through our Backbone SNP test for free. Please note that the DNA values that you received are correct, it is the haplogroup that we would like to confirm through this additional test.

Your sample qualifies for this free SNP test and your test will be ordered this afternoon. The test should take approximately three to five weeks and the results will be posted in both the Haplogroup and Y-DNA DYS Values section of your Family Tree DNA personal page, you will see the results in the box to the right of the haplogroup assignment. Please note that once you have a confirmed SNP assignment, you will be able to join the Genographic Project (if you elect to do so and have not already) and you will have a clear and unambiguous SNP position on the “tree” of mankind.

For more about our SNP Assurance Program (the first of its kind in the Genetic Genealogy industry, and as yet unmatched by any other company in the field) please click the link below:

www.familytreedna.com/SNP_Assurance.html

Best Regards,

Darren Marin
Family Tree DNA"

DNA Testing Update - Upgrading to 25 markers

Since the Charlie Brock DNA test did not result with the discovery of a haplogroup, the Brock DNA project was not satisfied. They offered to go in on an upgrade from 12 to 25 markers. The test cost $49 of which I offered to pay for $20. It was ordered on 12/9/08 from FamilyTreeDNA and should take a few weeks to get the results. I will keep you posted with the results.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Family Tree DNA acknowledges recent 12-marker test issue; Problem is fixed



I wrote an e-mail to my contact at Family Tree DNA to see what is going on with their long lead times. I wrote the following note last night:

"I have been getting a lot of complaints from my readers that FTDNA is taking a rather long time providing results. The results for the test we did on the blog (and made the video for) took 91 days to get back. A lot of people are getting the "inconsistencies with the results" message in their account...without any notice from the company.

In my case, I decided to check the website on October 7, 2008 and found a note that the tests were being rerun with results to follow on October 17th. That date came and went so I checked on it again on November 5, 2008. The results were then listed as due back on November 14th. Results finally arrived on 11/18. To refresh your memory, I mailed the kit on 8/15.

Are we all getting unlucky or are there reasons why the results are taking longer than they did a few years ago? Could it be increased volume, change in your procedure, a backlog, more strenuous testing??? You are obviously not obligated to provide an answer but it would be helpful, so that I can provide an educated answer to those who ask. I get the question at least once or twice per week."

I received a response today that read as follows:

"Thank you for your email. Results are normally running within 3-5 weeks. I know that there was an issue with the first 12 markers where for some samples one marker was producing an artifact that was obscuring another and so this test was repeated for these individuals causing a delay, but this problem has been fixed.

Delays are not the norm and we do work hard to avoid them, but sometimes they occur due to the complex chemical nature of the product.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thanks!"

So, there you have it....Family Tree DNA acknowledges a recent 12-marker test issue but the problem is reportedly fixed. I thank them for the fast and honest response.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Family Tree DNA Results Arrive...finally



I finally received result from the Family Tree DNA test that I had Charlie Brock take back on August 20, 2008. It took almost 91 days to get the results back, roughly three months. That is quite a bit longer than expected. All I have received from them so far is an e-mail that read as follows:

"New Y-DNA 1-12 results have been posted for your Family Tree DNA Kit. If you ordered a Y-DNA25 or Y-DNA37 test, please note that the tests are processed in sections and the remaining results should be posted within one to two weeks.

With the increased popularity of DNA testing, you may be asked to export your results to other databases not endorsed by Family Tree DNA. Please note that Family Tree DNA cares about your privacy and can only be responsible for the integrity and use of your data contained in our databases or automatically transferred from Family Tree DNA to Ysearch.org. We strongly recommend that you never share your kit number and password outside of Family Tree DNA as it may give away your personal information, including the ability to see and modify your personal contact information.

Follow the link below for more information at your Family Tree DNA personal page.

XXXXXXXXXX

Since genealogy is all about matching to people with your surname you should now verify if a Surname Project exists for your surname. You can do that by clicking on the JOIN button located on your personal page. If you find a Surname Project for your surname just navigate to the Surname Project, click the link and then click the next JOIN button to become a member of that project. You may also join a subsequent Geographic Project; however you will have the best chance of matching someone if you are in a Surname Project. If you are already a member of a Surname Project you do not need to take any action.

Please remember to add your results at www.Ysearch.org, the FTDNA-sponsored public database. Go to the Y-DNA Matches tab, on your personal page, linked above, and you will see an explanation and a link for automatic upload.

Family Tree DNA...
The world's first and largest Genetic Genealogy organization"

Okay...here are several things to note. First of all, ysearch that they promote is not working. If you go there, it displays the following message:

"Due to excessive and abusive usage of the free Ysearch.org service, the site has been temporarily disabled while we implement changes in order to improve performance and user experience. We appreciate your patience in this manner."

According to the web page, that message has been displayed on the site since Thursday, March 06, 2008 at 4:00:57 PM. Why is Family Tree DNA partnered with a site that has been down for apparently seven months? I have also recently had several people complain that they have waited a long time for DNA test results from FTDNA. There must be something going on with them to be so disorganized.

To top it off, after all of this waiting, they cannot tell us which Haplogroup Charlie belongs to and there are only eight matches in their database of 139,861 Y-DNA records at the 12-marker level (but all are private). According to information provided by four of the eight matches, it looks like Charlie's ancestors were possibly Ashkenazi Jews. According to Wikipedia, Ashkenazi Jews "...descended from the medieval Jewish communities of the Rhineland in the west of Germany." That probably makes sense, seeing as though I was always told the Brocks were from Germany and came over during the American Revolution.

The page that the e-mail linked me to was very hard to understand. It was difficult to find the actual results. I am somewhat familiar with their site and with genetic genealogy, so I knew what I was looking for. Even with that said, it still took me a good ten minutes to figure out what was what.

Overall, I would say that this experience has been somewhat frustrating. When I took my own test several years ago, the experience was wonderful. This time...not so much. I think I am going to wait a few weeks and then get someone else to take another test, giving FTDNA one more shot at redemption. I will let you know when that happens.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Genealogy one hundred years from now...what will it look like?

I am sitting at my desk, getting ready to watch Maury Povich. A few days ago I found a tiny portable television in our shop and was thrilled to think I could watch MoPo at 4:00! Yesterday was the first day I got to break it out and was pretty impressed with the results. The reception is pretty bad and the picture is grainy but I can still find out who is the father or not. If you are not well-versed with Mr. Connie Chung, Maury is a talk show host that mostly does DNA paternity tests.

I am sitting here today, getting ready for Maury, and I had a thought. My newly-found thrill is going to be gone soon. The government is getting rid of all analog television signals and I doubt I can hook up a D-TV converter box to this 1 inch by 1 1/2 inch screen! This poor little guy is going to be worthless come February 2009 and that is just a shame. I guess my productivity between 4:00 and 5:00 will resume, at least starting in February.

Anyway, I just love Maury. It is a step above Jerry Springer but lower in class than Oprah or Dr. Phil. He usually has a bunch of women on the show who do not know the father of their child(ren). Sometimes it will be a man who wants to see if a kid is his but mostly it is the women. Their stories are either "I got drunk and cheated on my husband and I am not sure if our third child is his" or "I had sex with six guys in three weeks and one of them has got to be the father." I watch for the shock value but, if you think about it, this is a pretty sad situation. How will genealogists in a hundred years ever get it right?

I am sure people have been cheating and hooking up in the woodshed forever. My grandmother was pregnant when she got married...first children come early remember! But back then people that got pregnant...got married. Now people get pregnant and just move on. Babies keep the mother's name and not that of the father. You also have artificial insemination and various types of adoptions and foster care where the birth parents are never disclosed.

There are a lot of twists to tracing these types of family trees. I get tons of requests from adopted people, trying to find their parents. Imagine what it will be like when the descendants of these Maury kids try to trace their heritage. What will a family tree look like in one hundred years? I can just see the write-up in the family history now..."Great-great-grandma Jane Doe hooked up with three guys at a drunken party and one of them was probably the father. They went on Maury but two of the guys refused to take the test so our last name may really be Jones or Smith or none of the above."

Again, I am sure this stuff has been going on a long time, but not this out in the open. I really feel bad when a girl tests like fifteen guys and none of them are the father. She has been on the show five times, with five guys each time, and none of them are the baby's daddy. Then, without fail, she always shouts "I know who it is Maury" and he brings her back on the show to test that guy next week.

I am not trying to judge anyone here. I am simply thinking about how, even with modern record keeping, there are going to be huge hurdles for genealogists in the future. You think we have trouble with records from burned counties. They might pale in comparison to records from burned relationships!

I wish that people would be a little more discrete with their relationships and help reduce these potential genealogical nightmares. I have all the respect in the world for foster and adoptive parents, those situations I can live with. They cause unique problems for researchers but at least the child is wanted and loved.

My wife and I had a hard time getting pregnant the first time. It took over five years and five miscarriages to have a baby. My wife asked one time, "Why is it that some drugged-out teenager can get pregnant by mistake and a loving family cannot have a baby to save their lives?" It does make you wonder why things happen the way they do but I feel that everything is part of some master plan. I accept what comes but do not pretend to understand why.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Family Tree Maker 2009 Platinum, Deluxe & Essentials plus Ancestry.com

I finally remembered what I wanted to write about yesterday...Family Tree Maker 2009. I was in Staples the other day and noticed that they had Family Tree Maker 2009 for sale. As a matter of fact, it was on sale. I do not remember the specifics but I think it was like $30 off or something for the Platinum edition.

The thing that caught my eye was the free, 6-month membership to Ancestry.com. In my book, that makes it a pretty good deal, especially with the rebate/discount that the store offered. Again, do not quote me on the exact price, but I think it was about $60 for the program and the six-month membership...a pretty good value after the money off.

I started checking around online and found that there are at least three versions of FTM 2009. They are Platinum, Deluxe and Essentials. There are several difference between the three packages and I will go ahead and list them below. I am taking this part from the product descriptions at Amazon.com:
  • Platinum - Includes a six-month subscription to Ancestry.com, interactive training tutorial, The Family Tree Maker Little Book of Answers, a 25% off coupon for Ancestry DNA and a 15% discount on a professionally printed family history book or poster
  • Deluxe - Includes three-month subscription to Ancestry.com, interactive training tutorial, The Family Tree Maker Little Book of Answers, a 25% off coupon for Ancestry DNA and a 10% discount on a professionally printed family history book or poster
  • Essentials - Includes one-month subscription to Ancestry.com, interactive training tutorial and The Family Tree Maker Little Book of Answers
That seems like a pretty sweet deal in the long run. Family Tree Maker 2009 is sorta pointless if you do not have a membership to Ancestry.com in my view. Maybe that is a bit of an overstatement. You can use FTM 2009 without an Ancestry membership but you would loose a lot of the bells and whistles. It would be like driving a convertible that you could not put the top down.

If you were thinking about buying FTM 2009, now seems to be a good time. I would try going to Staples first and checking to see if the still have the rebate. If not, click the link below and buy it from the Ancestry Store.


Family Tree Maker 2009

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

DNA Test Update - "Your result failed to produce a clear result in this run"

I received some bad news from Family Tree DNA regarding the DNA test we had Charlie Brock take on August 20, 2008. I received the following e-mail today and republish it here in its entirety:

"A very small percentage of the tests we perform do not return conclusive results the first time we test. In these cases, the samples do not produce a reading that allows our lab to determine with 100% certainty the values for one or more markers or regions. When this happens, we re-test the sample. We repeat this procedure up to 3 times after the initial test fails to give a clear result.

Your result failed to produce a clear result in this run. Below is a status update for your kit number, ######, as well as an estimated time of when the next rerun is expected to be completed:

STR - 10/17/2008 This test failed to yield results for your sample. Your sample is being rerun now. Results from this round of testing are expected by this date.

Family Tree DNA"

We will have to wait and see what happens at this point. The new results should be back within ten days. I never had this happen before so I do not know what to expect if the next set of test fail. I guess they will give us a new test kit but we will have to wait and see. Have any of you had this problem in the past? If so, how was it resolved?

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

DNA Test Example Video

I finally put together the video we took of Charlie Brock taking his genetic genealogy DNA test from Family Tree DNA. It is pretty short and only shows one of the three swabs he had to perform. They are all essentially the same so no big loss on your part. You will get the idea of how easy and painless the process can be from what you see. I also try to give a little bit of advice on how to give the best samples possible.

The video quality is not great because I have hosted it at YouTube. You should be able to view it by clicking in the middle of the video displayed below. If you are reading this over an e-mail or RSS reader, you will probably have to come to the Virginia Family Tree site to see it.

The test was taken during my son's first birthday party, you will notice the decorative table cloth. There is also a lot of muffled background noise. I left it in there since everyone is pretty much making small comments about the test. Despite all of the distractions, Charlie manages to take the Family Tree DNA test without any problems.

There is one funny twist to the video but you will have to watch it to see what I mean...


Monday, August 18, 2008

DNA test kit received by Family Tree DNA!

I received word this afternoon that our DNA sample has arrived at Family Tree DNA. The e-mail they sent to me contained the following:

"The next step is the processing of your sample at our lab. When the lab has completed the processing, you will be notified immediately by email.

Our tests meet the highest standard for precision and reliability which requires individual verification by very skilled professionals. Therefore, typical times between the time when the kit goes to the lab for processing and the availability of results is about three to five weeks for all tests. Kits are shipped to the lab on a weekly basis.

These time frames are for tests that have a successful outcome from the first run at the lab. Approximately 85% of the first runs are successful. The tests are rerun on the other 15% until a good result is obtained. Unfortunately, each rerun adds several weeks to the process. We understand that the delay is frustrating to participants. When a delay occurs, your sample is being rerun as many times as it takes to achieve a successful result.

Finally, we would like to recommend that you join the International Society of Genetic Genealogy at http://www.isogg.org. Membership is free and it is a good resource.

Thank you for choosing Family Tree DNA"

DNA Test Update. Kit sent out 8/15/2008.

I have been slow in getting this DNA testing project going. I have had several major events that have been holding me back from its completion. Between a softball tournament, a funeral, my son's first birthday party, my eighth wedding anniversary and my wife going on a business trip, the last two or three weeks have been busy. Here we go with what I have to date...

To recap, it took less than a week to receive our test kit from Family Tree DNA. That was around the 29th of July. I was supposed to get the test done on August 2nd but my softball tournament ran long and I missed the opportunity. The subject of the test ended up at my house on August 14th, to my complete surprise, so we did the test then and there. My wife videoed one swab of the test but I have yet to get it off her camera. She wants the memory card cleared off so I will try to do it soon.

Flash back to when I opened the kit, I found inside a welcome letter, instruction sheet, a return envelope (without postage), the bill and the test kit itself (not shown in this photo). The bill indicated that payment is due when you send the kit back. They accept check, money order or credit card, all in US funds obviously. They do not provide return postage, you have to put your own on the envelope. They tell you the correct amount in the instructions, I think it was in the $1.25 range. I stuck a bunch of old postcard stamps on mine to get rid of them!

The basic test kit included three vials of preservation solution, three test swabs/sticks, a release form and a zipper bag. The overall concept is pretty simple. You swab the inside of your mouth for about a minute, rubbing your cheeks with the provided swabs. The sticks are somewhat like a Q-Tip but the are a little more rigid and have dull teeth on them, they look somewhat like a little toothbrush.

After taking a swab, you try not to touch it too much and put the collection end of the stick into a vial of the solution. This process is so simple that I screwed it up in the video. All you have to do is press the end of the stick and the head is ejected from the swab. I tried to break it off, which worked, but was quite difficult. I would advise doing it the correct way and just pressing the "eject" button. (It seems to me that the collection method has changed slightly since I did my own test several years ago, but I could be wrong)!

The written instructions advise that you should wait several hours before doing the second and third swabs. I am pretty sure you are not supposed to swab after you eat so this could be difficult. I would perhaps do the first swab after few hours after dinner, the second after awhile and the third when you go to bed. I guess you will just have to give up snacking for one night.

When all of the swabs are taken and sealed in their individual vials, put the vials into the zipper bag and seal them up. Sign the release form to share your results with others if you choose, pay the bill and seal it all up in the return envelope. Apply some postage and send the kit with your mailman the next day. I mailed our test kit on Friday, August 15, 2008 so the clock is ticking. I will let you know when the results arrive (or when I am notified that they have received the kit).

As for the video, I should have it online soon. It is nothing terribly special but it is a little bit funny. Check back soon...

Thursday, August 14, 2008

DNA Test Video

Tonight was my son's first birthday party and my Uncle Charlie Brock came over. He is the subject of the DNA test that I wanted to video for you guys to see. I had no idea he was coming so it worked out great. I missed him the other week but I got him to do the test tonight. I will post the video, photos, etc. tomorrow.

It is going to be quite comical, trust me!