November-December issue of British Archaeology: The ancient British genome: writing new histories

The article begins on page 14. Most Barnes & Noble bookstores in USA carry the magazine. The article is not available online at this time.

The article reviews four studies with DNA results from 23 people: 4 Iron Age; 11 Roman and 8 Anglo Saxon - 12 men and 11 women. There are a number of charts in the article and details of each individual on pages 24-25.

http://new.archaeologyuk.org/british-archaeology-magazine

Edited to add the following:

Here are citations to three studies discussed in the British Archaeology article I posted about last nigh​t​ as well as citation​s​ to ​two other aDNA article​s​ mentioned but not discussed:

​​​Roman London​

Redfern, R.,​,​ Going south of the river: A multidisciplinary analysis of ancestry, mobility and diet in a population from Roman Southwark,London​, ​Journal of Archaeological Science​, Volume 74, October 2016, Pages 11–22, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440316301030
and
Museum of London Report on the DNA Analyses of Four Roman Individuals Supplementary Information,
http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/application/files/3114/6598/9153/McMaster_Roman_DNA_Report.pdf

​Northern England​

Bradley, et al, Genomic signals of migration and continuity in Britain before the Anglo-Saxons, Nature Communications, Jan 2016, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10326,
http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms10326
​and
Muldner, Gundula; Chenery, Carolyn; Eckardt, Hella. 2011, The ‘Headless Romans’ : multi-isotope investigations of an unusual burial ground from Roman Britain. Journal of Archaeological Science, 38 (2). 280-290. 10.1016/j.jas.2010.09.003​, paywall: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305440310003134 (not discussed)

​Angle-Saxon​

Schiffels, S., et al, Iron Age and Anglo-Saxon genomes from East England reveal British migration history​, ​Nature Communications · January 2016 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10408 : https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291328000

​Ireland (not discussed)

Neolithic and Bronze Age migration to Ireland and establishment of the insular Atlantic genome,
Lara M. Cassidya,1, Rui Martinianoa,1, Eileen M. Murphyb , Matthew D. Teasdalea , James Malloryb , Barrie Hartwellb , and Daniel G. Bradleya,2 a Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland; and b School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland​,
http://www.pnas.org/content/113/2/368.full.pdf

The conclusion is that there is genetic continuity through the Roman period with two African and one Middle Eastern individuals as exceptions, and then a genetic change in the Anglo-Saxon era from ~400-900 A.D. 20% to 40% of modern British ancestry can be attributed to the Anglo-Saxons.

Any error in interpretation is mine.

I am not attending the Family Tree DNA Administrators Conference this weekend. Fortunately, Jennifer Zinck is. Jennifer has posted her notes from the Saturday sessions on her blog at this URL:http://www.ancestorcentral.com/12th-international-conference-on-genetic-genealogy-saturday/

The following topics are covered:

• Introduction to the Conference;
  
• Dr Michael Hammer on "Ancient European DNA";
  Announcement of the AncientOrigins result page
  (non-European section is still under development);
  
• Presentation by Bill Griffith on his discovery that
  his biological father was not the person who raised thought it was;
  
• Janine Cloud presented on "Personal Privacy in Public Projects";
  
• “Genographic Project Database: How Genetic Genealogists and Academics are working together”
  by Dr. Miguel Vilar of the National Geographic Society;
  
• FTDNA Lab Manager Connie Bormans presented “What’s taking so long?!?!?! The Life Cycle of a DNA sample.”;
  
• Michael Sager presented on the FTDNA SNP Tree.
  

Each presentation had a Q & A section.

Check back tonight for the Sunday sessions.

LivingDNA sample sent back today.

I ordered a LivingDNA (1) test on September 27th and received it within two weeks. I only got around to taking the cheek cell samples today.

This test is for people with ancestry predominately from the British Isles, excepting Eire. The company is trying to get samples from Eire that can be used to make the test interpretation more accurate. The Interpretation should coordinate with the results of the People of the British Isles dna project (2)(3).

The test kit comes in a 9.5 inch by 5.5 inch cardboard box. It consists of an instruction book, two swab kits, a specimen bag, and the return envelope.

If you have taken a Y DNA test from FTDNA you will be used to the cheek swab kit used in this test. After doing the swabs, there are two samples to take, you place the swabs back into their original containers, no solution needed, attached the sample kit ID tags, place them in the specimen bag and then put that into the postage pre-paid plastic envelope and mail it back.

For my kit the specimen is being mailed back to Louisville, Kentucky. I don't know if that is the only collection point in the USA.

Once I have results I'll post them here and on my genealogy blog.

(1) http://www.livingdna.com
(2) http://www.peopleofthebritishisles.org/
(3) http://isogg.org/wiki/People_of_the_British_Isles

Some updates on autosomal DNA test costs

New Prices:

Family Tree DNA has decreased its cost for the Family Finder test to $79.00;
AncestryDNA costs $99.00 and it has frequent sales that bring that price down;
23andMe has an Ancestry only price of $99.00 and an Ancestry with FDA approved medical information for $199.00.

LivingDNA costs $159.00 and is oriented to people of primarily UK ancestry.

FTDNA Family Finder DNA test bundles expire at Midnight CST on the 31st!

Save $30.00 on the Family Finder DNA test with or without other bundled tests. Details are here www.familytreedna.com.

FTDNA DNA test results and transferring to GENI.

FTDNA and GENI have teamed up and you can now transfer your FTDNA DNA test results to GENI for free. There is not charge to maintain a pedigree at GENI. For other GENI services the basic membership is $119.90 USD per year. See the comment below.

I transferred my Y DNA, mtDNA and atDNA (it appears to be Family Finder) to Geni and have some 15 mtDNA and atDNA matches. No Y DNA matches. It will give you a list of people who should match you based on your DNA and the pedigrees. With mtDNA, it seems to give very close readings for people who actually are far far away. So far I am told I have 3rd to 4th cousin mtDNA matches in Finland, Norway, and South Africa based on HVR1 and HVR2 matches. Not likely in my opinion.

Confusingly, GENI says you can transfer your 23andme or Ancestry atDNA results to GENI. The announcement with FTDNA did not mention atDNA, but my Family Finder results seem to have been transferred.

Also GENI is now affiliated to My Heritage. If you have less than 250 people in you pedigree at My Heritage there is no charge to use their service. If you want to add more people to the pedigree you must pay the basic membership price. At GENI you will often get notices of matches in the My Heritage document databases or pedigrees. If followed, these will take you to My Heritage and you will need to purchase a membership to see the information. As My Heritage charges separately for their pedigree and their document databases, this can get expensive fast.

On its own, My Heritage accepts atDNA uploads from 23andme. How these different DNA tests are going to work together in the databases is currently unknown.

There is no chromosome browser at either GENI or My Heritage at this time.

If you have known European ancestry since 1830 or so, this is probably a good deal. Otherwise it is not much use to US colonial descendants. YMMV.

23andMe and the new homepage for The New Experience

Since last year 23andMe has been transitioning new and old participants to The New Experience. As a version 2.0 and 3.0 participant, I have recently been told I will be transitioned by the end of August 2016.

Below is a link to a 23andMe Blog post on the new Homepage:

Designing the New 23andMe Homepage

June 22, 2016
Published by 23andMe under 23andMe and you, inside 23andMe

A Personalized Guide to the Incredible You
By Scott Andress, Director of Product Design at 23andMe

Your 23andMe results have arrived. The day you’ve been waiting for is here. It’s the culmination of curiosity, mystery – even trepidation. What will you find out about yourself and your family? The answers are just one click away.

Continue reading here: Designing the new 23andMe homepage

Danish travel site does DNA testing

DNA Results Reveal Surprising Truths in This Travel Site's Experiment

Momondo Encouraged 67 People to Find Out More About Their Origins

By Alexandra Jardine. Published on Jun 02, 2016

Danish travel search site Momondo conducts a mass DNA experiment in this revealing mini documentary, which sets out to prove that our views about foreigners could be fundamentally changed if we knew more about our own genetic origins.

http://creativity-online.com/work/momondo-the-dna-journey/47554

MyHeritage is accepting DNA data uploads from FTDNA, 23andMe, and AncestryDNA for DNA matching

The MyHeritage blog has posted details of the new feature:
http://blog.myheritage.com/2016/05/myheritage-is-adding-free-dna-matching/

Judy Russel has posted about the consents asked for by MyHeritage. If you are considering uploading your DNA data, you should read her blog at The Legal Genealogist.

One requested consent is required to allow the use of your DNA in matching. The other covers use of your DNA and non-identifying personal information in current or future "research". That consent is not required to use the DNA matching. Judy has done a fine job describing the issues around this consent and I urge you to read it carefully.

New DNA Service - Diploid: Diagnosing rare diseases

Diploid:

http://www.diploid.com/diagnosed

From their homepage:

Diploid Diagnosed

The ultimate genome interpretation service


Diagnosed is a rare disease diagnostics service unlike any other. Combining our critically acclaimed SNP interpretation platform, with our new CNV analysis pipeline, we are confident that we can provide a genetic diagnosis for rare diseases in the areas of intellectual disability, dysmorphisms, metabolic conditions, blindness and deafness. You don’t have to take our word for it: if our WGS analysis does not return a plausible candidate variant, the analysis will be completely free*.

Less than 4% of sequenced human genome sequences are non-European

Article: New era of genetic research must include more indigenous people, says Keolu Fox Geneticist says trust, technology key to increasing ethnic diversity in human genome project.

Keolu Fox is on a mission to increase ethnic diversity in human genome sequencing.

Fox, an indigenous Hawaiian geneticist, was studying at the University of Washington when he discovered that less than four per cent of human genome sequencing is non-European, with less than one per cent being from indigenous people. 

Human genome sequencing could play a key part in determining how genetics play a role in chronic diseases that disproportionately impact indigenous people, such as diabetes, Fox said.

Maine Irish DNA Database

Thanks to DNA ancestry project, Mainers with Irish ties are smiling

A giant archive overseen by a Portland group twins traditional and genetic genealogy to help trace family trees and connect relatives.

Continued here: http://www.pressherald.com/2016/03/17/thanks-to-dna-ancestry-project-mainers-with-irish-ties-are-smiling/