What I have learned from doing Genetic Genealogy

1) It is easier to get Y DNA donors than to get mtDNA donors. 2) The person you want to test will not test. My two maternal Uncles refuse to test. This means I can't verify my Mother's paternal line. My half-cousin will not test. This means I can't verify my Father's maternal line. 3) Creating lists of mtDNA bearing descendants of target females is difficult to do. 4) I believe I know 14 Y DNA signatures from my 16 GGG-Grandfathers. I only know 3 mtDNA signatures of my 16 GGG-Grandmothers. 5) At 12 markers, three of my Y DNA lines are exact matches. They vary considerably when taken out to 37 markers. 6) My line of Perkins ancestors is closely related to the line of Somerled, King of the Isles. 7) Genetic Genealogist need to be more careful in the methodology used to support the assignment of a haplotype and a haplogroup to an ancestral line. 8) By itself, genetic genealogy, can not prove a relationship, but it can definitely prove that two people of the same surname are NOT related.

My surname studies: Ball, Creekmore, Kidd, Manning, Parkins and Perkins, Phipps, Strunk, Swain, Whitecotton, and Wyatt.

I am the moderator or co-moderator of 10 surname genetic genealogy studies. The surnames are Ball, Creekmore/Crickmer, Kidd, Manning, Parkins and Perkins, Phipps, Strunk, Swain, Whitecotton, and Wyatt. These are all families of my direct ancestors. A goal of all these studies is to try to connect the immigrant families to their homelands in the British Isles or elsewhere.

Mike Ball and I both contacted FTDNA about starting a Ball Y chromosome DNA study. In this study we have established the Y DNA signature of Col William Ball of Millenbeck Plantation, a maternal grandfather of President George Washington, as being in Y haplogroup I. We have also been able to determine the Y DNA signature of several other Ball families, including that of John Ball of Fairfax and Stafford counties VA. Many people thought that John Ball was a relative of George Washington's mother, Mary Ball. The Y DNA testing has shown that this is not correct since they do not have the same haplotype or haplogroup. The results are on this web page: http://www.ftdna.com/public/Ball/

In the Creekmore Y chomosome DNA study, we have tested peple named Creekmore, Crickman, Crickmer, and Crick/Creek, in order to determine their possible genetic connections. The Creekmore subjects in America and the Crickmer subject from Norfolk Co., England match and are in Y Haplogroup R1a1. The American Crickman subject does not match them. The Crick/Creek subjects match eachother but none of the others. Edmund Crickmon of Norfolk Co., VA is the putative ancestor we are working from. He is believed to be the Edmund Crickman baptised at St Mary Coslany in Norwich, Norfolk Co., England, in the early 1600s, son of George Crickmer and Agnes Roo. That the Crickmer from England and the Creekmores of America match seems to lend weight to that belief. The problem is that the Crickman did not match. This family has been in Norfolk Co., VA since the 1600s and the person tested was born there. The Crick/Creek subjects were tested to see if there might be some connection between the Creek and Creekmore families. Results are here: http://www.ftdna.com/public/Creekmore/

The Kidd Y chromosome DNA study was started to determine the Y DNA signature of Thomas Kidd an immigrant to colonial Virginia supposedly from Soham Parish, Cambridgeshire, England. We have been able to determine connections between a number of Virginia Kidd families as well as confirm a non-paternity event for another family. One Kidd from Soham has been tested, but there was no match between him and the Virginia Kidd. My co-moderator in the Kidd study is Sandra Kidd. The results are here: http://www.ftdna.com/public/Kidd/

The Manning Y chromosome DNA study was started to determine if there are genetic connections between the various Manning families of New England, Maryland, and Virginia, and those anywhere else in the world. A number of names are under the Manning umbrella, Manin, Manon, Mannin, Mannon, etc. and there are a number of haplogroups represented in the results. The results are here: http://www.ftdna.com/public/Manning/

The Parkins and Perkins Y DNA study was started to determine if the two names are genetically related and to determine the genetic relationships among the various Perkins immigrants to colonial America. Judge Paul M. Perkins spent years researching various Perkins immigrants and published a study purporting to show how a number were related: Genealogy and history of one branch of the Perkins family in America, originating with Edward Perkins, immigrant to America and to New Haven, Connecticut, before 1646. There were several revisions which he deposited in a number of major genealogical libraries. The study has tried to find descendants from those families and compare their DNA results. The current results show that several of the families thought to be related based on documents and physical proximity, are not genetically related. The results are here: http://www.ftdna.com/public/Parkins-Perkins/

The Spitoon, a blog for 23andME

23andMe has a blog at http://spittoon.23andme.com/ It contains a number of good posts, including an explanation of what their kit is meant to do, and an interview by the 23andME founders with Dr Craig Venter. This looks like a good source for continuing information on 23andME.

African American Lives 2, 6 Feb 2008

Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., will present the second part of African American Lives, on the Public Broadcastiong Service stations on 6 February. There are a number of videos and papers on the series and the people to be profiled at the website above. The DNA and Genealogy section is at this link: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aalives/dna/index.html

Genealogical Studies Being Aided by Family Tree DNA Tests

Genealogical Studies Being Aided by Family Tree DNA Tests

Family Tree DNA helps genealogists find lost relatives when the paper trail ends and the brick wall takes its place.

Millions of people around the world can trace their ancestry back several generations or more through oral history, family documents or government records of such events as marriages and births. In the United States, genealogy has become a popular pursuit especially for descendants of immigrants who are interested in knowing where their forefathers originated. These genealogical researchers are being aided these days by DNA tests that can sometimes help them bridge gaps left in the paper trail. Sometimes these tests can lead to surprises.

Continued: http://www.emaxhealth.com/5/19402.html

Three Announcements from last week

There were three big announcements last week: Louis Henry Gates has started AfricanDNA with Family Tree DNA; deCode Genetics announced the release of its deCODEme product; and 23andMe announced the release of its product. Only the first product, AfricanDNA has a direct genetic genealogy impact for people wanting to know their ancestry using the current generation of DNA tests developed by FTDNA and others.

The latter two are more oriented toward medical aspects of one's DNA. Each uses a vastly expanded set of SNP tests accross the whole of the human genome. Neither test tests all the SNP sites used by the tests from FTDNA and other genetic genealogy testing companies. Until we see some results from their tests, it is not possible to tell how useful they will be for genetic genealogy.

The medical orientation of the tests is emphasized by the fact that deCODE had to enter into a consent decree in order to be able to off the test in all American states. As it is, eleven states will not allow their citizens access to the medical analysis portion of the results: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Wyoming.

Two questions arise in my mind: Will the deCODEme test be covered by medical insurance; does this mean we can expect to see prices fall for traditional genetic genealogy tests as the labs adopt the large test chips developed by Illumina and other companies?

More news later.

More on Descendants of Joseph Smith

DNA tests rule out 2 as Smith descendants

Scientific advances prove no genetic link
By Carrie A. Moore
Deseret Morning News
Published: Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007 12:13 a.m. MST

After more than a century of speculation about whether LDS Church founder Joseph Smith had children with any of his plural wives, a local geneticist said he recently has crossed two such purported descendants off the list of potential candidates.

Ugo Perego, director of operations at the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, told the Deseret Morning News that technological advances in DNA testing during the past couple of years have helped prove with "99.9 percent certainty" that two early Latter-day Saints thought by some to be Smith's children are not his descendants. They are:
• Mosiah Hancock, son of Clarissa Reed Hancock, who was married to Levi Hancock.
• Oliver Buell, son of Prescindia Huntington Buell, who was married to Norman Buell.

Continue reading here: http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695226318,00.html

I have a particular interest in Joseph Smith's descendants since his wife is a cousin of mine on several lines of descent.

Alex Haley's nephew tests R1b

"Honoring Our Ancestors: Haley Family of Roots Fame Joins the DNA Game,
by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak

Chris Haley
Many of you have probably heard or read about the entry of Ancestry into the genetic genealogy world. And some of you may have also heard that one of the first in line to get tested by DNA Ancestry was Chris Haley, Director of the Study of the Legacy of Slavery in Maryland at the Maryland State Archives and –oh, yeah–the nephew of Alex Haley.

The Haley Line
While we strongly associate the Haley name with “Roots,” the classic book that has inspired so many avid genealogists, that particular book isn’t actually about the Haley line. But “Queen,” a later book by Alex Haley and David Stevens, gives a brief accounting of this branch of the family tree:

“Following the common custom among slaves, Alec had taken the name Haley from his true Massa, although his real father’s name was Baugh. William Baugh was an overseer . . .”

Alec was the grandfather of Alex and the great-grandfather of Chris. And his father had been an overseer. So to the best of the family’s knowledge, the progenitor of the Haley line was of European origin, not African."

Continued here: http://blogs.ancestry.com/circle/?p=2025

Palatines to America Fall Conference - Genetic Genealogy Presentations

Title: New Holland, PA - Genetic Genealogy Presentations

Date:   Saturday October 13, 2007 
Time:   9:30 am - 3:30 pm  
Location:   Yoder's Meeting Rooms 
City State Zip:   New Holland, PA  
Notes:   "Genetic Genealogy: An Introduction"
"The Kerchner Surname Project"
"Y-DNA Projects in Genealogy"
"mtDNA Projects in Genealogy"
Speakers: Charles F. Kerchner, 
Steven Perkins, and Bill Hurst
Palatines to America Fall Conference - PA Chapter
http://www.pa-palam.org/index_files/page0001.htm
$35 Registration Fee - includes lunch 

4th International Conference on Genetic Genealogy for Family Tree DNA Group Administrators

HOUSTON, July 5, 2007 (For Immediate Release) – Family Tree DNA, the world leader in the field of genetic genealogy, is pleased to announce its 4th International Conference on Genetic Genealogy for Group Administrators. The event will take place on October 20-21, 2007 at the Houston Marriott West Loop in Houston, TX. The two-day conference features leading experts exploring a variety of topics related to using DNA for family history and deep ancestral origins.

The conference is open to genealogists from all over the world who currently manage Group Projects at Family Tree DNA and want to learn more about how to make the most of DNA testing for genealogy by having a better understanding of the science, and the impact it has on family studies and traditional genealogy.

Continued at http://www.ftdna.com/conference_pr07.html

Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will be a speaker on the first day of the conference. The program is listed at http://www.ftdna.com/conference_2007_reg.asp