DNA information?

Question

I just ran into a profile that I think is showing DNA - as part of the name.  I think it's kinda cool to see DNA in WikiTree, but ... if DNA testing becomes more affordable and more people are willing to share their results, maybe a DNA field (find-a-match searchable?) needs to be added to profiles? I also think it would be something that would be better in Private view (vice Public view), since many people are concerned about health/life insurance companies using DNA results to deny or charge more for coverage (although I don't know enough about DNA testing to know if genealogical DNA information is what shows health risks too).

This is more of a "something to think about" post than a question, but my Dad and I are both thinking about doing the DNA testing, and I would like to hear what y'all think about including results in WikiTree.

Cheers,
Liz

Comments

How can, my DNA be compared to Daniel Boone, George Washington, Johann Duchmann, Pocahontas, or anyone else, who has lived hundreds of years back.

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Wesley, you're right that it will be hard to test someone who lived hundreds of years ago, though conceivably you could have a hair or something with their DNA on it. The more relevant DNA testing for family history is comparing descendants with each other. Let's say you and I both trace our history back to Daniel Boone. If that's true, we should share some DNA. You and I can compare our results. For now, this is currently only practical if we're both straight-line male descendants, I think.

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When DNA for genealogy began just a few years ago, the main tests were y-DNA for males only and mt-DNA for males and females testing the only the direct female line.  Since then, study of lots of samples has yielded a third test, FTDNA calls theirs Family Finder, which yields results of all ancestors back as far as five generations.  Thus a Whidden female married to a Graham, whose son fathered a son with a local girl and the descendants test shows up in my FF results, thus solving a 200 year old mystery.  If you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help.  Four Whiddens have had their DNA done, thus confirming a connection back to Whidden/1662/NH.  Now if only I could get that kind of result with my Finnish research.

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An interesting web site is here which focuses on DNA archealogy.  It will allow you to compare your DNA to several famous people (including Thomas Jefferson) http://www.dnaarchaeology.org/index.php?&l=n&__atoken=__NONE__

Y-DNA Comparison Results

The STR markers of Ed Burke's Y-DNA do not closely match the STR markers found in Thomas Jefferson's Y-DNA and strongly suggests that Edward Brooks Burke is not closely linked to Thomas Jefferson through Ed's paternal line.

 

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Men receive Y-DNA from their father, which they can only pass on to their sons. They also receive mtDNA from their mother, which they cannot pass on to anyone. Woman pass on mtDNA to sons and daughters. 

Answer 1

I am about to undertake the 'Britians DNA' test, as part of that project, and I think I would be happy to share the resulting information. Private view seems a good idea which I would support.

For any Brits or those of Brit heritage who are interested, the site is http://www.britainsdna.com

However for the purposes of 'balance' I would point out that there are a range of UK DNA projects :)

Comments

I would strongly urge you to share your results on ysearch.org which will assign you a ID code which you can share as you like with those who match so to the rest of the world, you are anonymous but to a few who match, you can share the code and whatever info you wish.

Answer 2

Hi Liz,

Can you give me the ID/URL of that profile with DNA as part of the name? I can't imagine what that looks like, or how it could be appropriate. :-)

Some time back, before G2G, we started this discussion at Google Groups:

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/dna-and-wiki-genealogy

There are a couple good threads that get into how DNA could be used on WikiTree. We'll definitely do something at some point. The problem right now is that competing companies don't use a standard testing or results format, so you can only compare results with others who took a test from the same company.

Chris

Comments

Thanks for the link.  I didn't want to post the WikiID, as it's not my profile.  I'll send it to you in a minute.

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Wow - what a fascinating discussion at that link you provided.  I am so much more informed now than I was (not hard to do... I probably went from 5 to 25 on a scale of 0-100 :).

I think I liked best the suggestion to include a link to the relevant DNA Surname Project.  Maybe for a start, if people had a field for that, Wiki could search for other profiles listing the same DNA Surname Project?  Wouldn't the wiki-google search partnership be able to find all those?

Or, maybe that's too simplistic and will create problems down the road when another option proves viable (simplistic understanding=simplistic suggestions :).

Thanks again for posting that link.

Cheers,
Liz

Answer 3

Can you look at the new DNA category that I created and see if it meets your needs?

 

Ed

Comments

Ed-  I don't really know enough about DNA testing to know what my needs are!  I'd encountered a profile with DNA results as part of the names, which didn't seem to be a good way to do it. I just looked at the Burke-1012 profile you mentioned in another post (couldn't find a DNA category at Special:Categories, if that's what you meant).  For public profiles, the way you have the DNA info presented in the bio section looks good as far as I can tell (I'm not really clear on what the numbers and all mean, but that's my problem - not a problem with your presentation).  Not having a huge string of numbers/letters is nice.  I didn't try the links, but I saw that one went to ysearch, which I think someone else suggested.  Thanks for taking the time to do this. 

Cheers,
Liz

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part II - found the link in Burke-1012 to the DNA category.  That does look like what I was thinking of when I first posted about DNA results in WikiTree.  Thanks!

Answer 4

 

http://www.familytreedna.com/faq/

 

http://www.familytreedna.com/

 

hope these links help

I hit a dead end it was the only way for me to go and I found my line plus some wonderful people in the family to help me

Answer 5

Just for information and because you mention "if DNA testing becomes more affordable "
Because of a special offer at a family history fair in the UK last weekend

As a starter offer Familytreedata.com has a offer on for the next few
days.

They are offering a 12-marker Y-DNA tests for just $39 plus a few dollars postage UK £30. (normally be $106)

Note only males inherit their father's Y-DNA.
So female researchers need to persuade a male relative to provide a DNA sample
(remember it has to be a relative who has the same surname as your father)

warning: these days 12-marker tests are very basic, it would be best to use a higher marker for more accuracy. but you can upgrade in the future to 67 or 111 markers.
So you may find that having received the initial results from your 12-marker
test you decide to upgrade and it won't be necessary to provide another DNA sample.

DNA testing can show:
if two people are related
your suggested geographic origins
your deep ancestral ethnic origins


Until the end of February you can order the test online for $39 plus postage
Click here for more details.
 

http://www.familytreedna.com/landing/Y-DNA12-Promo.aspx

Answer 6

I haven't read this thread yet, but did solve an ancestry problem by finding some DNA test results.  Great idea to have a parallel tree of DNA as some sort of verification.

Can't find it just now, but will do if interested.