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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2002-10 > 1036044879


From: "Orin R. Wells" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] NYTimes.com Article: Gene-Mappers Take New Aim at Diseases
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2002 22:14:39 -0800
In-Reply-To: <20021030160527.929FAC403@email4.lga2.nytimes.com>


At 11:05 AM 10/30/02 -0500, wrote:

>If I understand it correctly, the BYU Molecular Genealogy project's goal
is to correlate geographic locations with haplotypes found on the paired
autosomal chromosomes. In a sense, this would be a double "HapMap" --
mapping marker locations on the chromsomes and mapping geographic locations.

You are correct. But it is my personal belief that they have a fatal flaw
in their assumptions. The problem that will jump up and bite them is that
1) they are only looking at 5 generations. If everyone who participated
was 50 years old (and they aren't) then they would be looking at sets of
people born in 1950, 1925, 1900, 1875 and 1850 primarily. I know from my
own genealogical research that branches of any given family are likely to
have scattered ALL across the US during these time frames. Any attempt to
pick up a genealogy and related pattern that shows the family started (as
an example) in Pennsylvania in 1850, were found in Ohio in 1875, Kansas in
1900 and California in 1925 completely misses the realtives who split to
New York, Kentucky, and all points across the US.

This, I believe, would certainly lbe the case for the Y-Chromosome DNA.
However, they are looking at the autosomal DNA for the married couples in
this compilation. This may make it a bit more relevant because as families
fractured and went different directions it is not likely multiple
individuals from one familiy married multiple individuals from another
family and settled in these diverse locations. Although I have seen many
cases where several brothers married several sisters and went off to
different states. I think this may be the exception rather than the rule.

>>This would aid us in following lineages which zig-zag back and forth
between maternal and paternal ancestors.

That is their hope.

Wouldn't we like to get some of that $100 million for our projects?

Orin R. Wells
Wells Family Research Association
P. O. Box 5427
Kent, Washington 98064-5427
<>
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wellsfam/wfrahome.html
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