GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives

Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2002-02 > 1012845960


From: "John F. Chandler" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Enough of Kon Tiki etc!
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2002 13:06 EST
In-Reply-To: GeraldFinnegan@aol.com message <15e.826d363.298e285a@aol.com> of Sat, 2 Feb 2002 22:44:59 -0700


Gerald wrote (talking about the digressions):
> it wouldn't help the aveage Joe Blow who's trying to find grand-uncle
> Blow.

Exactly, but the same statement has a much broader application as well.
The commercially viable DNA tests (i.e., mtDNA and Y-STR) are completely
useless for finding/confirming a relationship that close. The average
person cannot afford to undertake the much-more-expensive paternity
tests for a "mere" hobby.

The fact is that the tests we talk about are not a substitute for
conventional genealogy, but only a supplement. Any time a specific
case comes up for discussion, the non-DNA details are likely to be
important for setting the context, and perhaps even for making sense
out of the DNA results. Of necessity, we will have to tolerate
digressions from time to time. Let's all just resolve to digress as
little as possible.

John Chandler

This thread: