Suggestions needed to acquire proper DNA testing [closed]

Question

I have been considering DNA testing for a while now. I have looked at the DNA FAQ's, and it's still a bit confusing to me. There are several reasons for testing and I would like to be clear on them so I get the right test or tests.

I want to be tested for my Thibodeau line in the Acadia project. My Fathers parents were both Acadians. Thibodeau and Cormier.

In my Mothers line I have French Huguenots, Native Americans, and possibly an outlaw or two.

Should I just get a basic test and call it a day or get something more specific for the reasons I just mentioned? I also wanted to know how helpful having my son tested would be for the Thibodeau DNA. The direct Thibodeau Male line is broken with me. I sure hope this question makes sense! Thanks in advance for any suggestions, answers, or questions. Still trying to understand DNA.

Comments

Exactly - so if you send one sample to FTDNA for a single test they will keep it for at least a few years so you can order more tests on that same sample a la carte over time. So it's really up to you and your budget.

The way I do it is probably different than some but I'll let you know my workflow. I want my samples on as many databases as possible so I can compare results with the maximum number of matches and view the maximum number of trees. Cost is no object to me and so I've done dozens of tests. I do autosomal testing at AncestryDNA. That requires a subscription if you want to see matches over time. But they have the best trees there attached to DNA matches! I buy those tests on sale 10 at a time for usually $59. I then download the results and upload them to GEDMATCH (Free) and FTDNA ($39 for a transfer) and so for under $100 per person I get on all three databases for autosomal DNA. I do my preliminary Y DNA tests on FTDNA. 37 is good but 67 is ideal. 111 isn't really worth it yet because not many people are in the database at 111. I then upgrade the Y tests to BigY and transfer them to YFull and Fullgenomes for analysis. At YFull I share the information back to the project admins on FTDNA (surname and haplogroup admins). In the case of my own Y DNA I also did a second complete sequence at FullGenomes to better establish the time to MRCA data and sent that back to YFull. You can also use YSEQ from time-to-time to check specific Y SNPs or do panels cheaply. FTDNA familyfinder is a great one stop shop because they also do the other tests too and they keep your sample. But you can't transfer from FTDNA to AncestryDNA for example. So if you want to be on both databases you need to test with both companies if you use FamilyFinder. That's why I test at AncestryDNA first and then transfer to FTDNA. I also used FullGENOMES for a whole genome sequence. I hope this helps!

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Thanks Sharon and Roland. I began looking at the three companies for pricing, and what they offer. FTDNA seemed more straight forward and their site seemed to provide more information about what they offer. I'm going to start with FTDNA.

I like your idea Roland! It makes sense to me. I may use your idea soon as my mothers 90 year old sister, who started her genealogy research over 40 years ago, wants everyone to chip in and have the dna testing done for the Varner line. Counting all my lucky stars! She is copying and sharing all of her research with me too!

I see hours of learning and research in my very near future! What have I gotten myself into? Honestly, having some fun and spending time with the people I'm researching. I already have a basic understanding of the dna testing from the information everyone has shared with me here.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with me.

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Nancy - I see a lot of fun in your future and I'm hoping for new discoveries. Cheers!

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Thanks Roland

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There is no DNA test for outlaws. As far as Native American ancestry, if I had a dollar for every person who made that claim I would be richer than a Rockefeller, if you took away a dollar for everyone whose claim was spurious or family myth I would be back where I started with a few bucks in my pocket.

My fathers mother, born 1882, told me that there was such in my ancestry, however none has appeared in either 23andme or Family Tree DNA tests and I have tested Y,mt and at DNA.

As I understand it your 4th great grandparent has to be 100% native (or African) for this ancestry to show up, if there was no subsequent traces.

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Thanks William. There is a paper trail to an outlaw in one of my family lines. Wouldn't a dna test confirm, or rule out a relationship provided there are dna results from someone else in that line?

I agree that Native American ancestors are difficult to trace. I didn't know that dna for Native Americans would only be traceable to your fourth great grandparents. It's still good news. I would rather rule it out than keep looking for something does not exist.

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That depends on the relationship of you and the other person to that outlaw.

Who is the outlaw and what relationship is he to you.?

Since the outlaw hasn't tested and I assume was not a parent, then we would be looking for someone who also claimed a relationship to that outlaw.

autosomal DNA only detects chromosones inherited from direct ancestors.

Your relationship to this outlaw would need to be documented, same with the other party who claims kinship with the outlaw.

You will need their tree from your common ancestor to this outlaw, input it into a gedcom, and most gedcom's (.ged) programs can compute relatonships, but you, the other party must share a common ancestor as well as have knowledge of a relationship to this outlaw.

Lacking documentation and scientific evidence, family history will have to suffice.

Genealogy is a three legged stool.

Documentation (including family bible)

DNA

Family history, the semi mythic tales passed down from our elders.

These stories are akin to the telephone game we played as kids.

Kernels of truth, distorted each time they are passed on, and  modified the listener, through the emotional filters and attention to detail.

I found the same problem in my own immediate family, in my generation.

I have two sisters, and when comparing stories I can only conclude that we grew up in three different families, occasional overlapping incidents and of course the same names.

Three different perceptions, and  sometimes names.

I have a cousin who calls our aunt Maybelle, Baybelle, and argues that she is correct, because that was her childish pronunciation.

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Since you insist that most stories are just stories, I will agree that until you research the people relating to that story and prove it, it's just that a story.

Although this hasn't been documented by me yet. This is what I stumbled upon while researching one of my ancestors. I'm certain you can figure it out like I did. Is there anything wrong with being curious and investigating any leads a person has in order to document their family history? It seems to me that dna is another tool which could help a person in many ways. I'm just curious why you are so interested in the specifics of my family line. Are we related somehow?

(http://www.ericjames.org/html2014/fam/fam41920.html)

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You misunderstand. I am not interested in the specifics, or even generalities, of your family. I started by trying to answer a question you asked and providing you with some insight.

Of course there is nothing wrong with being curious and investigating leads, that is the essence of detective work, the art of deduction, which is what genealogical research is.

I get the sense that you are feeling a little defensive,apparently I have challenged a family story that has taken root. I have not. I know nothing of your family, recall that I asked the name of the outlaw. You never provided an answer, but I found it in the link you provided: Jesse James.

I just offer what little knowledge and opinion that I possess..

As regards claims of Indian ancestry. I remain skeptical of all such claims, it seems that virtually every person in this country, more accurately the south, that has an abiding interest in family history claims Indian Ancestry. My grandmother, born 1882, told me that we had such.  I have not been able to verify that, and DNA has not born it out either..so ir remains a family myth.

Complicating the situation more, is that the vast majority of persons who claim Indian ancestry, claim to be Cherokee. I asked myself why that could be, especially for people whose family are of the south of the U.S,A

It turns out that Cherokee are considered by many to be "white Indians", Indian royalty, the most civilized (i.e. most white acting), the number of native American peoples that were obliterated by whites in their movement west will never be known, but very few persons who claim Indian ancestry, will claim to be Saponi, Creek, Choctaw, Fox, Siouxan or any more obscure tribe..

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Actually William, I feel that in my original post, that when I stated "...and possibly an outlaw or two," it would be understood that a possibility existed but I never claimed I was related.

The whole point of the dna testing question was to get the right tests in order to create a probability of a relationship or to rule in out. I do not want to publish anything on Wikitree that is not true. I was just trying to, as you put it, do some detective work.

Therefore, your question to me "Who is the Outlaw?, was interpreted as a challenge. I hope you understand why I may have felt defensive. You have asked me to reveal something I am not sure of.

The funny thing is that my family never told me anything about the Indian ancestry or the possibility of being related to the James family. I just stumbled upon this information while researching my fourth generation grandfather. You did not crush the existence of a family story that was distorted through the operator game. It was Eric James who published one of my ancestors as Cherokee not I.

There are plenty of discrepancies between my family and myself about certain things in my family history including their names. I rely on the documentation but, I know people who filled out documents, or transcribed them, can make mistakes too.

Everyone has their story, my responsibility is to give the most accurate depiction of my family history that is possible at this time.

I have learned that I should be extremely cautious when posing a question, and even more cautious when reading one before I respond. Sometimes my understanding of a persons question or answer may not be correct. So if I'm not sure of something, I would rather ask more questions to better understand than to assume something that may or may not be.

As I understand it now the process of dna testing; who to test and what test for them is best has been answered.

Again, thank you for the information you provided. Information is a must. I apologize if my question wasn't clear. If nothing comes of the dna testing results I will still be happy I did it.

Answer 1

Hi Nancy, If you want information from a DNA test about your father's direct Thibodeau line you will need to find a male cousin with the surname Thibodeau to be tested if you don't have a living brother to test. Your son's yDNA test will give you information about your son's father's line, not yours. If that's not possible you'll probably do best with an autosomal DNA test (Family Finder from Family Tree DNA, Ancestry, or 23andMe) for you and for your mother.There's value in also having your sisters take auDNA tests. They may have inherited some segments from your father that you didn't. On your tree it looks like maybe your father's sister (your aunt) is still living. It may be helpful to have her tested. Autosomal DNA tests only provide useful information back about 5 or 6 generations, so testing people from the oldest generation who are still alive is your best bet. You could take an mtDNA test, which will give you information about your mother's mother's mother's line, but in most cases for genealogical purposes mtDNA isn't particularly useful.

Comments

Note that some DNA tests that WikiTree calls "autosomal" also include mtDNA and (for males) yDNA haplogroup testing. Such tests won't give you the more refined information that can be used to zero in on a particular maternal-only or paternal-only line, but the haplogroup determination does provide additional information that might help refute or confirm a possible ancestral connection -- and determine whether a more expensive test could yield information of value. (For example, because my mtDNA haplogroup seems to be rather uncommon, if I found a person who had done this test and whose genealogy pointed to the same maternal-only ancestral line, I'd consider an mtDNA haplogroup match to be a strong clue that we might actually be related on that line -- while lack of a match would indicate an error or a "nonparental event" somewhere.)

23andMe tests include mtDNA and yDNA haplogroups; I don't believe this is part of the FT DNA familyfinder test, and I don't know about Ancestry DNA.

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I do have a male cousin I plan to contact and I never thought about my fathers sister being tested. Thanks for answer.

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Ellen, with the FamilyTreeDNA kits mt haplogroup is identified when/if you take the mt DNA tests and the Y haplogroup isidentified when/if you take the Y DNA tests. Autosomal DNA is tested using their "Family Finder" kit. It does not identify a haplogroup.

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Hi All:

I had my mtDNA and Autosomal testing done by Ancestry. Sometime last year, they discontinued the mtDNA testing. They now only supply the YDNA and Autosomal testing, if I recall correctly. I have found my maternal Haplogroup to be: U6a7. My Paternal autosomal results are: R1b12.. and most recently, J2. I believe this is correct because the ancestors I have been able to trace way back when in my ancestral line are correct.

Have fun! and ... it IS a lot of work; but well worth the effort (for me, at least). Like you, I feel like I am meeting my ancestors/family in person, and can get quite emotional at times.

Sincerely,

Jeannette

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Thanks Jeannette

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Unfortunately AncestryDNA also discontinued their Y-DNA test.

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Wow. I had no idea genetic testing was this involved. The testing sites make it seem pretty straight forward.  I'm trying to trace ancestors on my father's side going back to the 1400's. Can I get *any* information from my dna test? Or, do I need my brother for that?

Thanks, PJ

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Hello PJ,

If your brother takes a Y chromosome test (Y-DNA37 recommended) then his results will likely reveal which Lombardis do (and don't) share the same Lombardi ancestor and which other surnames are associated with your father's (Lombardi) direct paternal line.  The (Y-DNA) results will say nothing about the women those men had children with.

There are several Y chromosome tested direct paternal lines in WikiTree which are over a thousand years old.  An autosomal DNA test is usually most useful within only eight generations.

Sincerely, Peter

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Ok, Thanks.