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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2011-03 > 1299850355


From: "Roberta Estes" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Interesting mtDNA example
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:32:35 -0500
References: <mailman.325.1299744051.20230.genealogy-dna@rootsweb.com><946538.83420.qm@web113307.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <946538.83420.qm@web113307.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>


If the individuals are in the same project, they do show 11 marker matches
if they switch their view to "match within project" and not "general data
base". However, I do agree with you. It's been a problem for a long time.
They don't display 11 marker matches because in the case of R1b folks with
any sort of common haplotypes, there are thousands of them.

Roberta Estes

-----Original Message-----
From:
[mailto:] On Behalf Of Aaron Salles Torres
Sent: Friday, March 11, 2011 2:48 AM
To:
Subject: [DNA] Interesting mtDNA example

All,

I manage the Fernandes DNA Surname Project, where I also allow the display
of mtDNA results - as this is an Iberian surname, and in Iberia last names
are often inherited matrilineally.

If you take a look at our results section (
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/Fernandes/default.aspx?section=mtresults
), you will notice two individuals in the C1 haplogroup, 186136 and 190662.
186136 is 190662's son and they both have ordered the FGS test (not
displayed due to privacy reasons). In any case, you will notice that the son
has a mutation in the HVR2 panel (204Y) not presented by the mother. This is
interesting in itself, because if we did not know they were related, we
would assume there was just "50% chance the MRCA lived 1300 years ago."

This is because - and here is what is more interesting to me - the mother
does not see the son as a match on the HVR2 panel, nor under the FGS
results. The son, however, does see the mother as a match under both HVR2
and FGS. The implication is that if your mtDNA line has remained unchanged
while a close relative has had a mutation, you will not be aware that the
individual is so close to you - you will not see them as a match under HVR2
or beyond.

How often does this happen (a close relative having an "unexpected" mtDNA
mutation like this) and how many matches are we missing in our genealogical
explorations due to the way FT DNA displays these results?

I already have had similar problems with Y DNA results, in which two close
individuals have one mismatch in the 12 marker panel. As there are not many
individuals outside of the US and Britain who have been tested by FT DNA,
many international clients happen to have no matches under the 12 marker
panel. That is discouraging and, for that reason, they do not order further
tests. When I have caught such cases on ysearch and convinced such
individuals to test more markers, they were a 65/67 or 66/67 match with
someone whose profile I managed. This is what I call a false negative. So
why not show ALL 11 marker matches, whether two individuals are part of the
same project or not? Same thing seems to apply to mtDNA results: are the
match displaying standards too strict? Shouldn't it be up to the clients to
choose which matches they should pursue or not?

Best regards,
Aaron Torres

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