Posts by Judy Russell on the closing of the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation DNA database

See these posts by Judy Russell at http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/ :

Of Babies and Bathwater and Facts Matter! on the closing of the SMGF DNA database based on an factually incorrect sensationalist post on police use of the database to clear an accused person of a crime.

Hopefully, Ancestry.com will open the database to people who are in it to retrieve their information and matches.

More information on the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation )SMGF) databases and Ancestry.com

Dr Tim Janzen has been running a Low German Mennonite Project at SMGF since 2006.  I am one of the participants in the study. In that time he has sent about 2000 test samples and genealogies to SMGF for their DNA project.  He has received two communications from SMGF in the past month giving more info on what is happening to the SMGF databases and genetic samples.  CeCe Moore has just published Dr Janzen's writup on the situation on her Your Genetic Genealogist blog. You can read it here: An important update on SMGF from Dr Tim Janzen. I also wrote about SMGF in this post: Status of the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, SMGF, genetic genealogy DNA Databases and GeneTree

Status of the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, SMGF,genetic genealogy DNA Databases and GeneTree

Like many other people I participated in the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, Y DNA, mtDNA and autosomal DNA testing program.  Recently some of the principal people involved in that program moved to Ancestry.com and their DNA Ancestry program.  I wrote to the SMGF to ask about the status of their databases. With their permission, their reply is printed below :

Hello Steven,

Yes, the databases have been transferred to Ancestry.com. GeneTree will not be continuing; they have stopped taking orders and in the near future www.genetree.com will be taken down. There are not plans to automatically 'convert' GeneTree accounts into Ancestry.com accounts, so GeneTree customers will need to move their information over to Ancestry on an individual basis.

As far as the autosomal database is concerned, our autosomal tests were generated with older technology, making them incompatible with current industry standards. Therefore, they are not included in the autosomal service offered by AncestryDNA. We also don't plan on making them available via smgf.org.
Best regards,

SMGF

As of today, 1 June 2012, the Y DNA and mtDNA databases are still available at the SMGF site: http://smgf.org/ If you have tested I suggest you go and download your results and your matches. It is my understanding that people will be able to remove their results from the Ancestry.com databases if they so desire.

X chromosome inheritance at 23andMe through Relative Finder and Ancestry Finder

The link above goes to a page that has charts for determining which ancestors contributed to your X chromosome. For a male, only his mother contributes an X chromosome. For a female both her mother and her father contribute X chromosomes. Parts of those chromosomes will be inactivated but the X can still be used for genealogical purposes.

I have 24 people who match me on the X chromosome at 23andMe through Relative Finder and Ancestry Finder. Neither FTDNA nor SMGF have published their X chromosome databases. GEDMATCH allows FTDNA customers to match their X chromosomes to other GEDMATCH participants. I haven't heard of anyone else having as many matches, but I am sure there must be someone who does. At this time I can only confirm three of the matches with one 1st cousin and with a 3rd cousin once removed and her daughter. I share a surname in the 1600s in Germany with a mother and her two sons. But since that surname is not contributing to the X chromosome before 1830, the assumption is that there is a closer link than that surname.

There are 5 and 6 generation charts for both males and females on the page. Below are the people, with their ancestor chart number, who would be on my 6 Generation Chart on the linked page with the percentage of X chromosome contribution expected from each.

1, myself
-------------
2 Denval Perkins 0%
3 Mary Ruth Ball 100%
------------
6 George Matt Ball 50%
7 Rosa Genetta Swain 50%
------------
12 Peter Coleman Ball 0%
13 Frances Strunk 50%
14 Thomas J Swain 25%
15 Elizabeth Kidd 25%
------------
26 Manoah Strunk 25%
27 Susana Cortina Davis 25%
28 Jesse D. Swain 0%
29 Elizabeth Ball 25%
30 John Kidd 12.5%
31 Maliza Stephens 12.5%
-------------
52 Abraham Strunk 0%
53 Abigail Pennington 25%
54 John Davis 12.5%
55 Frances Creekmore 12.5%
58 William Ball 12.5%
59 Charlotte May 12.5%
60 Elias Kidd 0%
61 Margaret Bagley 12.5%
62 Zorababel Stephens 6.25%
63 Susan Hayes 6.25%

Percentages are averages and usually can range from 0-100.

Having this chart filled out based on your sex can assist in identifying your X chromosome matches.

Update on 23andMe and FTDNA DNA matches

Today I have 160 matches at FTDNA in the Family Finder autosomal DNA database.

I have 998 matches in the 23andMe Relative Finder autosomal DNA database and around 700 unique matches in the Ancestry Finder database. 23andMe includes X chromosome matches which are not yet posted by FTDNA.

While I have more matches in the 23andme database, I have made more identifications of the ancestral couple in the FTDNA database. Testing with both companies remains the optimum strategy for finding genealogical connections.

Even though I have 10 surname projects at FTDNA, for autosomal and X chromosome DNA testing I recommend using 23andme first, and when they make it available, transferring your genome results to FTDNA to get matches against their database. This will cost the least for people in the USA.

The only other company I currently recommend is the Sorensen Molecular Genealogy Foundation, http://smgf.org/ They test Y DNA, mtDNA, autosomal DNA and X chromosome DNA. You can get tested for no cost if you meet their research requirements and submit a pedigree chart. However, there is no guarantee they will post your results on their system. They have made the Y DNA and mtDNA databases freely accessible on their website. It is anticipated they will do the same for autosomal and X chromosome DNA. They also sell access through GeneTree, http://www.genetree.com/ People who do not qualify for free DNA testing at SMGF, can pay for testing at GeneTree.

At this time, I am using DNA testing to verify my documented genealogy. I think it can be a very good check against one's paper genealogy.

Genetic Privacy

The following article is interesting from several angles; the use of the SMGF results in combination with the Family Search database; and the question of maintaining privacy of genetic results. The different orientations of medical researchers with Institutional Review Boards to consider, and of genealogists searching for identifiable links makes for an interesting tension in the research protocols each brings to the reading of this article.

Since I am a multiple relative of Emma Hale, wife of Joseph Smith, I have an interest in the early Mormon families.

http://scpgen.blogspot.com/2009/10/ancestors-of-emma-hale-wife-of-joseph.html

http://scpgen.blogspot.com/2010/06/mormon-or-church-of-jesus-christ-of.html

Comments?

Steven C. Perkins

========================

Copyright © 2009 The American Society of Human Genetics. All rights reserved. The American Journal of Human Genetics, Volume 84, Issue 2, 251-258, 13 February 2009
doi:10.1016/j.ajhg.2009.01.018

Inferential Genotyping of Y Chromosomes in Latter-Day Saints Founders and Comparison to Utah Samples in the HapMap Project

http://www.cell.com/AJHG/retrieve/pii/S0002929709000251 [Link to PDF here]

Jane Gitschier1,*
One concern in human genetics research is maintaining the privacy of study participants. The growth in genealogical registries may contribute to loss of privacy, given that genotypic information is accessible online to facilitate discovery of genetic relationships. Through iterative use of two such web archives, FamilySearch and Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, I was able to discern the likely haplotypes for the Y chromosomes of two men, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, who were instrumental in the founding of the Latter-Day Saints Church. I then determined whether any of the Utahns who contributed to the HapMap project (the ‘‘CEU’’ set) is related to either man, on the basis of haplotype analysis of the Y chromosome. Although none of the CEU contributors appear to be a male-line relative, I discovered that predictions could be made for the surnames of the CEU participants by a similar process. For 20 of the 30 unrelated CEU samples, at least one exact match was revealed, and for 17 of these, a potential ancestor from Utah or a neighboring state could be identified. For the remaining ten samples, a match was nearly perfect, typically deviating by only one marker repeat unit. The same query performed in two other large databases revealed fewer individual matches and helped to clarify which surname predictions are more likely to be correct. Because large data sets of genotypes from both consenting research subjects and individuals pursuing genetic genealogy will be accessible online, this type of triangulation between databases may compromise the privacy of research subjects.

My statistics at 23andMe and at FTDNA

I have tested my autosomal chromosomes at both 23andMe and FTDNA.

At 23andMe in Relative Finder I have 464 people with matching chromosome segments. My largest match is with my 1st cousin at 19.79% of our DNA. Most 1st cousins will be around 12.5% but we share 6 of 8 Great Grandparents so we have more matching DNA than most 1st cousins. The lowest amount of DNA I have with someone is .08% and that was the first person I was able to find a match with as 10th cousins once removed. 106 people are currently sharing genomes with me which allows us to see on which chromosome we have a match.

The majority of my matches are on one or another of chromosomes 1 through 22. However I have 9 people who have 10 shared segments with me on the X chromosome which, as a male, I inherited from my mother. By mapping the start and end locations of the shared segments I can see who may share a common X ancestry with me or with each other. In this case my 1st cousin shares 2 segments with me and 1 of those segments with me and two brothers. I partially share a segment with a mother and daughter and 3 other persons. And one of those persons shares half a segment with another person.

When males share an X segment it means they are related through their mothers' ancestry. When a male shares an X segment with a female they can be related on his mother's ancestry and on either her mother's or father's X ancestry.

Unless one or both of your parents also takes the 23andme test, it can be difficult to "phase" your results, in other words, to be able to assign a segment to your mother's or father's ancestry. Until this can be done, you can't know if two people who match you at the same location match your segment strand from either your mother or your father. This means that you can't say that it means they have the same ancestry to each other as they have to you. If your parent's are deceased, you may be able to phase your results by testing siblings of you or your parents.

I have definitely identified 6 relationships at 23andMe. Over 50,000 people have tested at 23andme in the past two years.

At FTDNA in Family Finder I have 53 matches. Because FTDNA didn't start Family Finder until recently, the number of matches is much smaller than at 23andMe. However, since Family Finder only tests for ancestry, it is believed that the people testing will be more knowledgeable about genealogy than those at 23andMe. So far I have also identified 6 connections at FTDNA, the same as at 23andMe but twice as many per number of sharing matches. At this time FTDNA does not show matches on the X chromosome but it has said it will do so in the future.

I have also had autosomal testing done with Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation but they have not yet released their results. They have tested over 100,000 people and have pedigrees attached to most of those.

What DNA tests to take?

Recently a friend asked me, "What DNA tests should he or his brother take?"

Here is my reply.

• 1) Has he taken any DNA tests already?
• 2) Is he interested in health trends?
• 3) Is he only interested in finding ancestors on his Y DNA (father's) or mtDNA (mother's) lines?
• 4) Is he interested in finding ancestors on all of his lines? Can he or you fill out most of this form?:

http://www.misbach.org/pdfcharts/pedigree_chart.pdf

If he/you can fill that out he/you should take one or both of the autosomal tests (chromosomes 1-22 and the X chromosome), Relative Finder or Family Finder.

If I were starting out now and had a budget of $1000.00

• 1) I'd take the 37 marker Y DNA test at http://www.familytreedna.com/group-join.aspx?Group=gould for $149.00 and shipping.
• 2) Then I would get the Complete Edition autosomal test at https://www.23andme.com/store/ for $499.00. Doing this means he will get the Ancestry and Health Editions, will be compared in the Relative Finder autosomal database, his X chromosome matches will be found and he gets to download his test data. His Y DNA haplogroup will be confirmed and his mtDNA haplogroup will be determined.
• 3) That data can then be transferred to http://www.ftdna.com for comparison to their Family Finder autosomal database for $40.00.
• 4) If he then wants to get full access to Family Finder the upgrade cost will be $249.00. At this time Family Finder tests chromosomes 1-22 and give matches, and it tests the X chromosme but does not match it to others in their database. You do get to download all your test data and can have it analyzed by other programs. FTDNA removes the data from about 3000 disease informative SNPs.

Total cost, $949.00 plus shipping. The tests can be taken in stages if cost is a problem.

This why I recommended the 23andme test for $99.00. It was a fantastic deal and cut $400.00 off the total cost.

Because you are not twins, if you and your brother took the tests you would probably not match all the same people since each conception shuffles the chromosomes.

That chart above is important. The more people he knows there the greater is the chance to confirm relationships with the DNA testing.

He needs the Y DNA 37 marker test so he gets his Y DNA haplotype to match against others in the surname project and the FTDNA database so you can confirm the line you belong to.

I no longer recommend taking the mtDNA tests at FTDNA unless you are trying to determine if certain females are mother and daughter or maternal sisters or that a male and a female had the same mother.

I have taken all of these tests. They are best for confirming relationships from 1st through 5th cousins, although I have confirmed a 10th cousin once removed through 23andme.

An explanation of Autosomal DNA

Here is a video from Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation that explains autosomal DNA.

Family Finder, Relative Finder, deCODEme, SMGF

In my capacity of running 9 DNA studies and advising people on testing, I have been looking at the information on Family Finder from FTDNA in comparison to 23andMe's Relative Finder Ancestry Edition.

Family Finder is only looking at the non-sex chromosomes and it does not include mtDNA testing. If we include the minimal testing of Y dna and/or mtDNA at the Genographic Project (to get the lowest price) a female would undercut the price of the 23andMe Relative Finder Ancestry Edition test, but would still not have the X chromosome tested, and a male would pay more than Relative Finder Ancestry Edition and still not have the X chromsome tested.

My ancestry is mainly Colonial American from the British Isles with some French, German, and Norwegian. My experience with Relative Finder is that of the 30,000 plus people in the project, I have matches with 307. I have sent out 106 sharing requests with 5 declines, 69 contacts accepted, and 32 contacts with sharing. Of the 32 sharing I have found the common ancestor for 6 of them. 3 of them share on the X chromosome. Hopefully as the database grows I'll have more matches and shares.

I think the companies should require a 5 or 6 generation pedigree chart from the people testing which would be shared with their matches. I think that would really help with the process of finding common ancestors.

This also brings up the question of what happened to the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation's plans to release an autosomal database which would be linked to the pedigrees they collected. Does anyone have any information from SMGF?

While I am getting the Family Finder testing, and have done the 23andme complete edition, exchanged with deCODEme, and the SMGF testing, I am somewhat disappointed in the results so far, and will have to really see some improvements before I can recommend these tests to any but the most dedicated genetic genealogists.

Autosomal connections

Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation began a project to test the DNA of 100,000 people. They have recently reached that goal and are now testing only selected individuals. SMGF has made available the Y DNA and mtDNA results from those tests. You can search those results using your own DNA results from another company, or by searching for the name of a person on the pedigree charts submitted by the people tested. In addition to the Y DNA and mtDNA, SMGF is supposed to release a database of autosomal marker results to the public. In this regard it seems they are about to be beaten to press by 23andMe.

A video on autosomal testing is here: http://www.smgf.org/education/animations/autosomal.jspx

Recently 23andMe started a beta test of a new product, Relative Finder, that will allow persons in their databases to compare autosomal test results and will give you results for genetic cousins with whom you share blocks of genes. The autosomes are all the chromosomes, including the X chromosome, other than the Y chromosome and mtDNA. It appears they will allow people to get in touch with their matches to compare pedigrees. This will allow you to find more genetic cousins than is possible testing only your direct Y DNA or mtDNA line. This also allows females to have matches out side of their mtDNA lines.

The beta test period ends on 30 September 2009. If you are interested in testing, email me and I will put you in touch with some project coordinators who have special codes that give a very low price on the full 23andMe genetic test.

In addition to the Relative Finder program, 23andMe also will provide information on possible health or medical conditions.

This test does not replace the current Y DNA and mtDNA offerings from companies like Family Tree DNA but they supplement that data. FTDNA's database is much larger than that of 23andMe and provides more in-depth testing of Y STR, SNP, and mtDNA full genomes than does 23andMe. Serious genetic genealogists will want to use all of these tests.

Here is the abstract from the American Society of Human Genetics session on Relative Finder's technology: http://www.ashg.org/2009meeting/abstracts/fulltext/f10169.htm

We can look forward to a time when we can check the autosomal markers in databases at SMGF and 23andMe, as well as the Y DNA and mtDNA databases at SMGF and FTDNA.

Extracting results from SMGF testing

Tim Janzen, M.D.,has written instructions for extracting Y DNA and he and Ann Turner, M.D., have both written instructions for extracting mtDNA results from SMGF test results.

See, http://www.mennonitedna.com/SMGF_Instructions.html for Y DNA and http://www.mennonitedna.com and http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GENEALOGY-DNA/2007-11/1195560174 for mtDNA.

Sorenson suspends most free DNA testing

From the SMGF "How to get Involved" page:

Thank you for your interest in the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation research project! For nearly ten years we have collected DNA samples and pedigree information from generous volunteers around the world. We have recently reached our original collection goal of 100,000 participants and we have now transitioned into the next phase of our project. This next phase consists of targeting specific populations and lineages which are under-represented in the current data, continuing the analysis of samples already collected, and developing applications for genetic genealogy research.

To fully focus our efforts on these objectives SMGF is changing the way we collect samples. SMGF will no longer collect new samples directly through our website. Instead, sample collecting will be handled by affiliate organizations, freeing SMGF resources previously dedicated to sample collecting to support data analysis and innovation. Please click on the links below to learn how to contribute your DNA to SMGF and other ways you can get involved and support our study.

Become an SMGF participant

SMGF is affiliated with GeneTree (www.genetree.com), another organization that shares similar goals and objectives. By purchasing a DNA test from GeneTree, you will:
* Receive a personalized DNA report to assist you in your ancestral and genealogical research
* Be able to use this information to access the genetic genealogy applications and tools developed by SMGF
* Have the option to contribute your genetic and genealogical data to SMGF, becoming part of our online database(s) and ongoing research projects.

Additionally, a portion of the DNA test purchase price will be donated to SMGF to support genetic-genealogy research.

If you already have a DNA test report and are not interested in additional testing at this time, you can create a free GeneTree account at www.genetree.com and manually enter your DNA profile to gain access to genetic-genealogy research applications developed by SMGF, and to search for genetic matches in the SMGF database.

SMGF’s Future Work

SMGF’s next phase includes focus on research and innovation, with continued analysis of the data we have gathered over the past ten years.

* Our ongoing research efforts, including collaborations with leading scientists from around the world, will move the basic science of genetic-genealogy forward by increasing the knowledge of recent and ancient human history.
* We are developing user-friendly tools to aid both seasoned genealogists and newcomers to the field of genetic genealogy. These tools will help interpret personal DNA results in simple and meaningful ways and encourage making connections with genetic cousins and others who might be researching the same family lines.
* We continue our analysis of the DNA and family histories previously donated to us by generous participants, including Y chromosome analysis, mtDNA sequencing, and the addition of genealogically relevant autosomal DNA markers.

Previous SMGF Participants

Thanks to all of our participants for your generous contributions to our research. Those who have already donated DNA and genealogy still have opportunities to support our project and learn more about your personal genetic ancestry.

* We continue our analysis of the DNA and family histories previously donated to us, including Y chromosome analysis and mtDNA sequencing. These results are posted to our online databases in an anonymous form. Please register on our site to be notified of database updates.
* Please be aware that it may take an extended period of time for your data to be posted in the SMGF online databases. As a non-profit organization the rate at which we test donated samples is limited by our resources. Additionally, we do not always process samples in the order they were received, but rather according to research needs. Please be assured that all samples are important to us and we are completing the DNA testing as quickly as our funding and research priorities allow. We appreciate your patience as we continue the DNA testing process.
* You can purchase your personal SMGF DNA test results at a significantly discounted price of $49.50 through www.genetree.com. Simply sign up for a free GeneTree account and then place an order to "unlock" your DNA profile(s). In cases where SMGF has not yet generated DNA test results, an unlock request will expedite this testing.
* If you already have a DNA test report from a previous test, you are welcome to add that profile to your GeneTree account and take advantage of the extra tools and scientific explanations offered there.

Other Areas of Interest

Reaching the 100,000 participants milestone was just one of the objectives of our project. We are still working to enhance our dataset by actively seeking participants for our database with ancestry from a number of countries and lineages (listed below). If you have genealogical information linking you to one of these areas or have connections that could facilitate collections in these areas please contact SMGF at info@smgf.org.

• Ireland
• Japan
• Sweden
• France
• Germany
• Belgium
• All Eastern European countries
• Lebanon
• Syria
• Jordan
• Egypt
• North Africa
• Switzerland
• Denmark
• Spain
• Portugal

We appreciate your support throughout all the years we have been in operation and hope that you can find helpful information about your ancestry through our online resources. We look forward to making new and exciting contributions to the field of genetic genealogy, and we realize that all of SMGF’s past and future successes are made possible by the generosity of our study participants. Thank you.

If you have questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.