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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2005-12 > 1135617871


From: "Eric Olson" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] What DNA testing can and cannot tell you
Date: Mon, 26 Dec 2005 09:24:32 -0800
References: <43AFED73.8050704@worldnet.att.net>


James,

Welcome to our world - of frustration at finding no matches. But look at
the larger picture. You are a "victim" of a brilliant plan to generate DNA
linked genealogical and geographical data, funded by a public led to believe
that paying for these tests would lead them to discovering ancestors, but
was really to provide a rich vein of data for scientists interested in
population genetics to mine. And of course those seeking to confirm their
family trees already known. Genealogy is currently America's most popular
hobby, and so a potentially large market for DNA testing already existed,
ripe for harvesting, for this "best thing to happen to genealogy since the
family tree". Was this pure hype? Probably not, because at some day in the
remote future you or your descendants may discover your surnamed ancestors
in the databases. Be content that you have been able to contribute to
science with your dollars and data, and let it go at that. But stay
tuned...

Eric

----- Original Message -----
From: "James A. Honeychuck" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, December 26, 2005 5:17 AM
Subject: [DNA] What DNA testing can and cannot tell you


> Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays.
>
> It is dawning on me that my frustration at finding no matches, no
> relatives, and no definite origins through Y-DNA testing is probably due
> to my initial lack of understanding about the purpose of the tests. I
> think I now understand correctly that Y-STR and Y-SNP testing are
> basically to determine deep ancestry and relatedness among living people;
> that is, information about way back when and about very recent times. And
> if I understand Thomas Krahn correctly, autosomal testing is basically for
> whatever you think it might mean, with no claim that it will reveal
> origins of any age.
>
> So as for determining where your Y-line ancestors were a thousand years
> ago, no form of testing can do that, right?
>
> Jim
> Y-DNA J1
>
>
> ==============================
> View and search Historical Newspapers. Read about your ancestors, find
> marriage announcements and more. Learn more:
> http://www.ancestry.com/s13969/rd.ashx
>
>


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