Did you know? New Y-DNA and mtDNA Database that is integrated with WikiTree. mitoYDNA.org

Question

mitoYDNA, THE new Y-DNA and mtDNA Database is here. What is mitoYDNA? How can it help the genealogy community? How can it help WikiTreers? And many more questions, answered.

What is a Y-DNA and mitochondrial DNA database and why do we need it?

Y-DNA – is the DNA for males that follows the patrilineal line back, father to son, for a very long time – thousands of years.

mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) – is the DNA that follows the matrilineal line back, mother to her children, which is passed on by only her female children to their children, for a very long time – thousands of years.

For years anyone who tested their Y-DNA and mtDNA could post their results to the databases YSearch and MitoSearch to do comparisons, matching and analysis. If you had a Y-DNA or a mtDNA test you could compare and match with people from various DNA testing companies. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) caused FTDNA to make the decision to close these two databases – time and money to get each and every person in the former databases up to the new privacy standards was too expensive and time consuming to attempt....
 

WikiTree Integration

mitoYDNA ID’s appear in WikiTree and can be used to view comparisons on mitoYDNA.

Instructions for Y-DNA and WikiTree
Instructions for mtDNA and WikiTree

Read the entire blog post.

Mags

FULL Disclosure. I am one of the volunteer developers of mitoYDNA and a volunteer board member of mitoYDNA Ltd. which is a 501(c)3 registered non-profit.

Comments

Thanks for your work on this, Mags, and thanks for sharing the news here!

Does this site integrate/connect a person's claimed paternal- or maternal-line lineage with the lineage that appears for them on WikiTree?

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Hey Ellen,

"Does this site integrate/connect a person's claimed paternal- or maternal-line lineage with the lineage that appears for them on WikiTree?"

It connects the DNA results posted to mitoYDNA to the Ancestors profiles via a WikiTree users entered DNA test information, which would include their mitoYDNA ID.

Mags

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Here is a claimed direct paternal line in WikiTree that goes back 29 generations: https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:Relationship&action=calculate&person1_name=Pierpont-94&person2_name=Pierrepont-45&gen=30. That line has a Y-DNA tester who is in mitoYDNA.

There is a claimed direct maternal line that goes back 13 generations https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:Relationship&action=calculate&person1_name=Tillman-416&person2_name=Hamon-244 It has an mtDNA tester who is in mitoYDNA.

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Done, thanks Mags and all who helped create this tool.

Just a note on the instructions.

• Enter tester’s date of birth (this will likely get changed to a checkbox to indicate the tester is 18+ years).

has already been done.

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Y can I not get into the account I've tryedvwhat lady on fb said to do and I still can not get on

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Are there plans to include a SNP based upload capability as per GEDMatch, or am I missing something?

At the moment there seems to be no way to participate if you have a non-STR data set, such as provided by LivingDNA. The manual entry option only takes STRs.

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Hello Steve,  

At https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Special:DNATests select that you have taken an “Other yDNA” test and add your Y haplogroup as reported by Living DNA.  In the note field say that your Y haplogroup was tested by Living DNA and the date you tested. Doing so will allow WikiTree to associate your Y haplogroup with your direct paternal line.

Y haplogroups as reported by Living DNA (like those reported by 23andme) are rarely useful in a genealogical time frame (since the establishment of surnames).  See https://www.legalgenealogist.com/2014/10/19/the-hapless-haplogroup/

Terminal Y haplogroups like those reported by Big Y-700 testing are much more recent.  However Big Y-700 testing is still relatively expensive.

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Hi Peter, I've already added the LivingDNA information to 'other' as you have suggested on my profile. However, I actually think there is a value in having Y haplogroup information - even if there is the potential for it to extend for several thousands of years...

1. Patronymic naming is still popular, and becoming more so again in Wales. Surnames can change but DNA doesn't.

2. Gives a good indication of the accuracy and depth of the data pool for particular population distribution and surname. There are not many J2-L26 Jones matches on FTDNA. Is this because not many Joneses have tested or an indication of a possible surname change in the past. At least a correlation is possible with the knowledge of the Y-DNA distribution and a good historical paper trail to match to. It's easier to initially look for a DNA haplogroup match than chase yet another Jones line along a tree.

3. It's can be a good indicator of possible NPEs, adoptions or legal changing of name by deed poll or by males changing their name to that of a titled female on marriage for instance - quite common among 'landed gentry' to maintain inheritance.

Just another useful tool to add to the armoury.

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Hello Steve,

At https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:DNATests&u=26858104 it does not appear you have selected that you have taken an Other yDNA test.  

If you add your Y haplogroup under Other yDNA test then WikiTree automatically associates your Y haplogroup with your direct paternal line.

If you add Other yDNA then in the note field you can enter the following links http://scaledinnovation.com/gg/snpTracker.html?snp=L26 and http://scaledinnovation.com/gg/snpTracker.html?snp=J-L26&tab=data

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Thank you for sharing this. I see the term "claimed"? meaning if my Mtdna appears to go back to a Native American, it is not confirmed as correct? they only show the info we give them?

Thank you,

Sherry

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Hello Sherry,  If a distant direct maternal line cousin has matching mtDNA then it is supporting evidence (i.e. “confirmed* with DNA”) that the direct maternal line ancestry is correct (not just claimed) back to their most recent direct maternal line ancestor.

*Confirmed = “To make (something) stronger or more certain : to cause (someone) to believe (something) more strongly.” — https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confirm

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Yes very good have done mine already

Answer 1

Can you explain ways it might benefit me to add my test and/or other rdlatives tests?

Comments

Hello Veni,

Not everyone has tested with Family Tree DNA, and so it allows comparison between different labs.  Those who belong to the same direct paternal line (or direct maternal line) should have sufficiently matching haplotypes (or mitotypes).  For example if you go to https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Roberts-7104 , then next to the Y-DNA tester’s mitoYDNA IDs click on [compare] then if you are registered at mitoYDNA you can see this comparison of those two Y haplotypes: 

https://www.mitoydna.org/public/YCompare?MtyID=T10543%2CT10003

If you go to https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Cook-7033 you can also perform an mtDNA comparison via WikiTree which is displayed at mitoYDNA.

mitoYDNA allows independent verification that the direct line back to the shared ancestor is accurate.

Sincerely, Peter

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Peter, I tested with Family Tree DNA a couple of years ago, and in the last 6-8 months, I haven't been very active here. I want: first to "catch up", but now would you be able to explain the situation above and its readiness for those of us who are definitely BEHIND.  

I do have a German born father who doesn't know the identity of his paternal parent (his mom kept him, her lover, a secret). So I am ready AND willing to learn and to benefit by any or all of the new ways we can research our genealogical pasts. Would you be able to direct me, after I give you some of the basic information I do have about my father's heritage?

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Hello Roberta,

Did your father have any siblings?  If so, are any of his siblings living or did they have any children who are still living?  Same questions for your mother and her mother.  Do you have any living 1st or 2nd cousins?

Most sincerely, Peter

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Peter, I'm honored by your involvement, brief as it is today. 

My father didn't have birth-siblings that I know of. He did have some others (I'll check at Hilse-40 for specifics.)

HOWEVER, his mom came from Germany (ran away from, really) to sequester herself in our FarAway Land, the USA. 

I can't  afford to have a genealogical expert research my father's family line. I also have very little information about my father :  See Hilse-40 for details.

Fact(s):  Rudolf Berg was born to Anna Elisabeth Berg in her youth. He was separated (deliberately, I think, by her)from her, his mother; & he didn't know who his father was. I want to know all about that earliest part of his life. I've been digging around, AND I am here asking for accurate help with this. (Is anyone with genealogical working skills LISTENING and ABLE to help?)

Let me know whatever is facts (to a researcher who's listening).

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Hello Roberta,

Encourage all your matches at the labs where you have tested to upload to GEDmatch (especially ones who don’t match any of your mother’s relatives).

If you don’t know any of your father’s relatives, then you can look at your matches who don’t match any of your mother’s relatives. Encourage them to join WikiTree and add their GEDmatch ID.  

In GEDmatch it may be possible to find a triangulated group (who share a segment with each other and you) and they are known to descend from a shared ancestor.  If none of them match your mother’s relatives, then it is possible your father descends from that couple.

Pay to have your mother’s closest relatives to have a DNA test and help them add their DNA to GEDmatch.

Sincerely, Peter

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It probably would be helpful for Roberta to cast a larger net by testing at additional companies, particularly companies with a substantial user base in Germany (MyHeritage might have this -- and I think a person can upload data to MyHeritage,  rather than testing there).

There is no predicting where other people will have tested. I tested at 23andMe and uploaded my data to FTDNA Family Finder and Gedmatch, but I have encountered more identifiable cousins on 23andMe than on the other sites.

Answer 2

Sounds excellent.

Answer 3

I have read the blog post and I have an account there, but I admit I am a novice on this site. I still don't know the following:

Is MitoYDNA.org a tool for comparing two kits who I have discovered elsewhere? Or does it suggest actively kits to be compared to? (i.e. if a cousin uploads their data and it matches to me, do we both get notified? Or is it passive until we do that comparison on our own?)

If I am working with someone else, can I put in their kit number and have it suggest others to compare to also?

Comments

mitoYDNA is a database where you can compare kits.  See for example https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WB_Qn5sOmxY

mitoYDNA does not actively suggest kits to be compared.  You don’t automatically get notified if a cousin uploads their DNA.  

You can put in someone else’s DNA.  You should have their permission if they are living. Under Tools, you can enter a mitoYDNA ID and search for their close matches.  The search results for Y-DNA are a STR (Short Tandem Repeat) comparison.  For mtDNA the results are a comparison of differences from the rCRS (revised Cambridge Reference Sequence).

You can also key word search by surname, geographic location, or haplogroup, with operators such as exact, contains, or begins with.  Also you can restrict results to Y DNA or mtDNA or include both.

mitoYDNA also includes a link to GEDmatch’s One to Many search for autosomal DNA and X chromosomes.

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Perfect, thank you Peter!