The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) has just launched a new newsletter. The first edition, March 2008, is available here. This edition discusses GINA, a DNA Success Story by Shoshone, a segment called “The Armchair Geneticist: Where Hobby Produces Science”, What’s New in ISOGG, and a Featured DNA Project.
The newsletter is well-written and has some great graphics, so be sure to subscribe to this FREE newsletter (see the bottom of the newsletter for subscription information).
My wife, Patricia Ann Carmichael Parrish, is a descendent of either the Native American Tribe Cherokees, or the Choctaws. How does she find out, and what level of DNA testing does she need to do to prove that lineage. And what Website is conducting the tests to prove Native American lineage. Thank You. Alan J. Parrish
Alan,
Is the Native American (NA) heritage in her direct Y-DNA line (her father’s father’s father’s father etc) or her direct mtDNA line (her mother’s mother’s mother’s mother etc)? If so, then any Y-DNA or mtDNA test would answer whether or not there is NA ancestry in those two lines.
For all other lines (her father’s mother’s line, her mother’s father’s line, etc), then the testing for NA ancestry isn’t as exact. Some companies offer autosomal testing which attempts to estimate the percentage of NA, European, African, and Asian ancestry based on markers throughout the genome. However, these numbers are VERY rough estimates based on a few thousand markers out of 3 billion bases in the human genome. I’ve had it done and it is interesting, but I wouldn’t rely on it alone.
As always, genetic genealogy is at it’s best when it’s combined with traditional genealogical research!
Isent in a swab for the FamilyTreeDNA testing for my 81 year old father. I am concerned that the DNA test will not test my father’s DNA sample accurately because he had a blood transfusion for cancer. Has anyone experienced this type of Familytree DNA as it relates to accuracy in testing? Will his DNA reflect the same as the DNA that he was born with rather than the blood donor’s DNA?
Vicki,
Family Tree DNA uses buccal swabs, which collect skin cells from the inside of your cheek. As a result, it is very unlikely that the FTDNA test will be influenced by a blood transfusion.