GENEALOGY-DNA-L Archives

Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2002-12 > 1038865033


From: "John A Hansen" <>
Subject: RE: [DNA] DNA stuff
Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 13:37:13 -0800
In-Reply-To: <AOEIJIFDMKEOJMLOAFMOAELACAAA.bill@hayesclan.com>


Dear Bill:

Part of our objective in Scot-DNA is to address the
situation you are in. We are comparing DNA across
all surnames etc but focusing more on Geographic
areas and Clans and Families (includes septs).

I'm not a big fan of Surname projects.
The use of Surnames is so recent and so arbitrary that
it makes any long term study ( 250-600 years) almost invalid.
There is about 10,000 test results out there so far from the
various labs. At a average cost of $200.00, that's about
2 million dollars.

If we assume about 250 surname projects as listed on Chris
Pomeroy's web site then we are
getting about 40 test results per surname project. The ones
that I've looked at so far are not showing much in the
way of MRCA matches within the surname grouping. Orin Wells
with the Wells surname project and Lee Preston with
his Wingfield DNA project are two that are getting some
definitive answers. But those are somewhat of a
exception that I see. There are a couple of other
surname projects that have found a relationship between
maybe 10-20% of the test results. But I suspect that
some of these were well known by normal genealogy
records before they started and got the people to
take the test as kinda a unique step and to obtain some
benchmarks to compare with.

The Geographic relationships are more likely to show
results and matches in my opinion. We know that before
say 1800 that most people were resident in their immediate
area for generations.

So we focused on Scotland as a whole in our first cut. We
are going to narrow the results down on the second phase
as people can identify potential matches. I think someone from
Ayr may be related to other people in Ayr regardless of the
surname or Family name that they are "currently" using. The
migration in the Highlands was even slightly less than that
of the lowlands except for the forced migration and capture
from the Nordic groups.

It's a worthwhile exercise on the whole but like any other
new venture, this technology and interpretations are merely
in it's earliest stages.

The Scot-DNA project is happy to take in your results from
any Lab and see what shows. Obviously, all the surnames
you are currently using are fairly dominant on the Scotland area.
Just send the results as you have them to
and someone will be in touch with
you

Best Regards
John A Hansen


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Hayes [mailto:]
> Sent: Monday, December 02, 2002 12:35 PM
> To:
> Subject: [DNA] DNA stuff
>
>
> I'm new at this so help me out!
>
> I just had a 25 DYS marker test run by Family Tree DNA. There are
> no groups
> for Hayes or Morrison (I believe my name should be Morrison) for me to
> compare with.
>
> FT DNA shows an exact match in their REO 12 marker and a two step
> in the 25
> marker but as I see it there isn't any way to contact the matches? I
> e-mailed FT DNA but they have not replied? It would seem that the REO is
> useless except to ID origins, but in my case the exact match is Unknown
> Origins? Even the origin is of questionable value since it's only what
> people report and might not be true.
>
> Like wise I tried the Y-STR for Europe & US and there's hits all over the
> place, but without contact the best I can get out of it is a
> migration from
> Norway or Sweden which I already suspected.
>
> What is the value of the Y-STR databases which are for Forensic and not
> Genealogy? If you look at the USA Y-STR database acknowledgements - all
> those listed are from crime/police labs (except for 2
> Universities) which to
> me would indicate all my hits in the USA probably came from criminals??
>
> Am I missing something? Or is it - without a surname group with the same
> provider, the value of having your DNA is questionable?
>
> Also, what's all the secrecy with one's DYS Alleles numbers, what good are
> they to someone else? I plan to post mine on my web site. Or should I not?
>
> It would seem that there is a need for a clearing house for all the DNA's
> from all the providers such as FT DNA, Ancestry, Oxford, and
> etc..........where people could contact each other. True the
> providers don't
> test the same DYS's but I would think there is enough of the same DYS's to
> get a close match. Or maybe the providers need to standardize
> their testing!
>
> With so many providers and different DYS# testing and proprietary
> databases,
> it looks like it's a providers game to turn a buck in the name of
> genealogy.
> It appears that this DNA business is just that - a business, whereas it
> could benefit genealogist a whole lot more if changes were made.
>
> Is there anyone out there that would like to compare Hayes or Morrison DYS
> markers? e-mail me at
>
> Enough said, Bill
>

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