Stephen Szabados - DNA and Genealogy Research: Simplified

Introduction

T he DNA testing companies have flooded the market with many promotional ads that promise to unlock secrets in our family trees. The result of the promotions has generated large sales of DNA test kits and large numbers of genealogists who are looking for methods to understand their DNA test results. I hope this book will give the reader some hints on how to use your DNA test results to expand your genealogical research and your family history.

I am not a medical doctor nor a genetic scientist. I will try to explain using DNA in genealogy research employing non-scientific terms. And therefore, I will not discuss Chromosome browsers, haplogroups, or SNPs in this book.

I will explain how to use the basic tools supplied by the DNA testing companies to understand your DNA results better. I will try to stick to the basics and therefore, not discuss the advanced tools or third-party tools at this time. The critical value of this book is my explanation of how to overcome the scientific nature of the results by looking at your results using traditional genealogical skills. My explanation includes practical examples of how to use the tools, and my goal is to simplify how you analyze your results in terms that all of us as genealogist can understand. I present a case study in Chapter Three, where I discuss using these tools to find a biological father whose existence was a total surprise to his son.

Researchers are seeking answers to these questions:

• Understanding what their DNA results mean? Ethnicity, relationships, etc.
• How are they related to the people who show up as their DNA matches?
• Can these cousins help fill in the blanks in the family tree?
• Do they need to identify everyone that shows up as DNA matches? (How deep should they go?)

In most cases, the results of the tests have delivered no surprises and may seem boring. In some cases, DNA results produced significant clues and knocked down brick walls. However, many cases did not match the family tree created from the paper trail and caused confusion with the test takers. It is not an easy science to understand, and many test-takers are confused by the results they see.

• What tools do the DNA testing companies supply?
• What third-party software is available?
• What books are available?
• What educational opportunities are available?
• Is there an expert that can help?

I purposely avoid discussing the complex science of DNA and the use of third-party software because I believe we can answer most of our questions about our DNA results be using the simple tools the major companies (AncestryDNA, FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA), and MyHeritageDNA) provide on their websites. Using these tools require the same expertise and logic as our basic genealogy research skills.

The material will cover:

• Why genealogists take DNA tests
• Give a brief description of types of DNA tests
• List the benefits of each type of DNA test
• Show examples of the results offered from DNA testing
• Compare the major DNA testing companies
• Discuss how to use the tools to understand your DNA results
• Review, one case study, showing how the basic tools helped find a previously unknown relative.
• Review the emotional concerns dealing with problematic results

Use the material you find in this book to better understand your results. Use the tools discussed in this book to find the clues in your DNA results that will allow you to gain more information and insight about your family history. Genealogy can be an addiction, so do not let DNA results be your only genealogy focus. Review the goals you had when you ordered your test kit and keep your focus on your long-term genealogical goals.

Review the material carefully as I show that DNA testing is only one tool in our genealogy tool kit. It is a powerful tool but uses it wisely. Learn to use DNA and traditional genealogical techniques in tandem, and you will be able to harness the full value of genetic testing.

Chapter One - DNA Basics

D NA seems to be taking over genealogy research by storm, and we should start considering genetic genealogy an essential tool for our family history research.

However, you will find that your DNA results will not magically fill out your family tree. To be successful, you need to use your test results with information from other records. DNA testing is just one tool in the genealogists toolbox. Your test results cannot answer every family history question. However, your results may give you clues to where to look for more information, and when used with traditional research, it becomes a powerful tool that can help you find more of your family history.

• If you have a brick wall, DNA may point you to a solution, especially in areas where records have been lost or destroyed.
• Your results may also give you insights as to the origins of your ancestors and identify general areas where you can find records.
• You may also meet new cousins or reconnect with known cousins, and they may fill in some of the unknown branches of your family tree.

You must remember that you still have to do the essential work. DNA testing is only a tool and not a magic wand.

Scientists began developing methods to sequence (or quantify) our DNA in the early 1970s and were able to sequence human DNA in 1984 for the first time fully. Scientists used it as a tool to accelerate biological and medical research. Genealogist saw the benefit of this discovery in 1997 when GeneTree began providing Y-DNA and mtDNA test kits to the public. In 2000, FamilyTreeDNA (FTDNA) started offering Y-DNA and mtDNA test kits to the public. Ancestry.com also began offering Y-DNA and mtDNA test kits after 2000 to the public, but they decided discontinued offering these tests in 2014 and began offering autosomal test kits only.

In 2005, National Geographic Society launched a genetic study to map historical human migration patterns using their Geno 2.0 testing and switched to autosomal (atDNA) in 2009. The Society ended the public participation in this project on May 31, 2019, and they plan to maintain the website where customers can access their results only through December 31, 2020. [1]