Category: DNA

Kitty Cooper, genetic genealogist, is collecting information about X DNA matching for various relationships.  This data will hopefully help testers narrow down the pool of possible relationships.  She has a blog post about the project: Help me collect X chromosome data.  The relationships she is interested in: brother to brother or brother to sister or half… Continue reading Contribute Your X DNA Match Information to Kitty Cooper’s Survey →

Blaine Bettinger has released new autosomal DNA relationship statistics charts.  It is so awesome that he is helping us all by collecting and analyzing this data.  I first noticed the charts when checking out the newly updated ISOGG wiki page on autosomal DNA statistics. Blaine Bettinger goes into more detail and has even more helpful… Continue reading New DNA Relationship Charts Available →

The week The New York Times published an interesting article about DNA testing: "With a Simple DNA Test, Family Histories are Rewritten."  This article is well-informed, cautioning the reader that DNA services have limitations, the tests cannot determine the exact countries of origin, and sometimes unexpected relationships are discovered.  The ending is awkward, but overall… Continue reading New York Times Article, With a Simple DNA Test, Family Histories are Rewritten →

This is a follow-on to my article How to Help an Older Person Take a Saliva-Based DNA Test. Earlier this year I learned from Judy Russell that there are methods to help an older person take a saliva-based DNA test.  The cheek-scrape tests are generally not a problem, but saliva-based tests can be difficult. I sent… Continue reading Helping an Older Person Take a Saliva-Based DNA Test, One Success and One Failure →

Another wonderful story of DNA solving mysteries of the past.  The story was published in the Daily Breeze (which I recognize from my time living in neighboring Hermosa Beach): Former detective from Torrance solves a decades-long mystery — who his father was.  It's so great that DNA testing was able to correct the mistaken information about… Continue reading Former Torrance Detective Discover’s his Father’s Identity →

Right now Ancestry is offering kits at $69.  Buy from Amazon to avoid shipping costs and get faster shipping if you have Prime.  Offer ends 15 August. Some of my kits recently sent to Ancestry have been processing unusually quickly through the system.  There must be a lull right now. FamilyTreeDNA is also having a… Continue reading DNA Sales – August 2017 →

Ancestry announced that in two days, July 18th, each new AncestryDNA kit (except for minors) will need to be activated in a unique Ancestry account.  Ancestry wrote about it here: Enhancing Collaboration and Roles on DNA Results.  This will make AncestryDNA a less desirable product as a result.  The company is trying to advertise it as… Continue reading AncestryDNA Soon Requiring Each New DNA Kit to be Activated in a Unique Account →

Last week I finally received the results of my first DNA test.  Yay.  I wrote about it in My DNA Results are Back; Break Out the Chocolate!  Like every good genetic genealogist should, I transferred my results to other platforms to connect with other family members and to use their tools.  I transferred my Ancestry results… Continue reading How Much DNA I Share With Each of My Grandparents →

Yesterday afternoon I watched a wonderful presentation by Ruy Cardoso titled "War Stories: Tales from Military Repatriation Research."  It was hosted by the Association for Professional Genealogists (APG).  (If you are a member of APG, you will be able see the recording through the APG website soon.)  Ruy Cardoso has worked on over twenty cases researching… Continue reading How DNA is Used to Identify Servicemember Remains →