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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2008-01 > 1200164977


From: "Colin Ferguson" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Markers - How many and which ones?
Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 11:09:37 -0800


Hi Thomas,
Thank you. I have no doubt you are correct. I'll elaborate on what I
meant by "some". Consider the limit of N being incredibly huge, like a
google (the digit 1 followed by one hundred zeros). Call the average
mutation rate deduced by such a set MuBIG. The academic question then
is how many markers expressed as N does one have to include in a panel
such that the average muation rate, MuN, can be expected to be within
x% of MuBig? I'd be happy with x = 20!

Diana is correct, one cannot expect to ever calculate the TMRCA that
matches an individual pedigree 100% or even 95% of the time. I'd
settle for 50%. Also I would never expect to calculate the probability
of just one marker mutating based on the average mutation rate of N
markers - the rate specific marker would be necessary in this case.
Cheers,
Colin

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