Ron V's DNA Experience
(How I got started in Genetic Genealogy)
last page update: 07/12/2022
INTRODUCTION
I've been doing family research for half a century. Sometimes people ask about DNA research. I won't
go into details here beyond sharing what I've tested and learned. If you want to know costs, etc., email me.
DNA for family research is new, only since the turn of the millennium. It's advancing VERY rapidly. Some of
what we know today wasn't known just a few
months ago. learning it is tricky. What
applies to my dad's ancestors doesn't apply to my mom's. That's why everyone's
DNA experience is unique. But there are generalizations that apply
to everyone.
There
are 3 main tests. They are for yDNA, mtDNA, and autosomal
DNA. Results for each is unique to your family history:
- yDNA ALWAYS applies to just a
man's male ancestors in his father's line
- mtDNA ALWAYS applies to a
man or a woman's female ancestors on their mother's side, and
- autosomal
DNA applies to all their other ancestors.
MT-DNA can trace your mom's line back tens of thousands of years but most genealogists find the results useless.
Y-DNA can trace your father's line back thousands of
years using yDNA but some don't found any matches.
Autosomal DNA only goes back 5
or 6 generations but this is the cheapest test and gives the most results for most people.
That's why there are more companies that offer this test and more people take it.
Here's
a TIP! The more people who test with a given company, the more
there are in that company's database for you to match.
According to ISOGG as of 5 May 2018, Ancestry.com has the largest database of autosomal testers.
However,
understanding autosomal DNA test results is also the most
difficult so most companies don't explain the results in detail.
In other words, they may tell you you're related to someone but
only one company (Family Tree DNA or FTDNA.com) explains how they know.
You just have to take the other companie's word for it. The reason is
because finding out why you're related to
someone takes a great deal of research and
sometimes further testing which most people aren't willing to invest.
How
did I learn these things. By reading books and blogs for years
but mostly by sad experience testing with 3 different companies.
PLEASE NOTE: At our lineage website, http://vincentfamily.org/, we eventually hope to connect paper trails and DNA research.
~Ron.V~
