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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2011-09 > 1315581310


From: Bill <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Nice maps wanted
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 2011 11:15:10 -0400
References: <1315494450.87646.YahooMailClassic@web26202.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <1315494450.87646.YahooMailClassic@web26202.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>


There are several things that you might be looking for. Among them:

1. A mapping program that would take your information and generate a
map showing its spatial relationship superimposed on modern geography.
in which case you provide the data, and the program does the work
2. A package that would allow you to manually show the location of
various data points
in which case you provide the data, and you do the graphic work.

The software that's normally used professionally for the first is
known as GIS, or "Graphic Information System". Pricey stuff, at
least for a fully implemented package.
With a GIS system you graphically merge displays of different data to
create a map. Once the data is available to the GIS system you can
pick and choose which combinations are to be displayed. I would not
be surprised to learn the the "nice maps" you refer to were created
on a GIS system.

For example, you might overlay the modern distribution of persons
bearing the G haplogroup YDNA signature onto a world map (say one
showing country bborders)), then overlay that with the distribution
of impressed ware pottery found in the archaeological record. The
resulting product would visually show you how modern G's relate to
the ancient distribution of impressed ware pottery.---if the two
correlated fairly well, with modern G types concentrated in areas
where impressed ware pottery is found in the archaeological record,
then you might conclude that ancient G's had something to do with
creating the impressed ware pottery.---and the spread of G's should
correspond to the spread of Impressed ware.

Advantages of such a system are that
a) it gives you very "Nice Maps".
b) Its also easy to redo a "run", when data changes (either better
YDNA data, or better pottery data). It would also be quite easy to
add other information (such as language type), to see if there were
other correlations.

The disadvantages are
a) pricey, and
b) difficult to use (requires substantial expertise, and that
expertise is not easily acquired). Such systems are ubiquitous in
academia, government agencies, and private industry.---anywhere that
there's a deep pocket, and a need to display information on "nice
maps".
c) The data sets that contain key information (such as civic
boundaries) usually come with the system, but if there's a need for
specialty data (say, the world wide distribution of McDonalds
restaurants, that may get pricey as well).

The other approach is manual creation of the maps. In which case,
you need something like photoshop, and access to the appropriate base
maps. A full blown version of Photoshop runs about $1K, but a home
version (elements) is about a tenth of that. There are other
packages besides photoshop, of course. But you would need one which
allows you to work in layers---so that different information elements
can be added and removed easily.---not to mention reused on other
projects.

Useful base maps are readily available---wikipedia being a great
place to find them, since they are available to you with relatively
few restrictions---under GDFL license. Usually that means no
copyright issues. Copyright and licensing issues, by the way, can
make it difficult to do something like this---if the end product is
intended for something other than your own private use. The terms of
use on Google Maps, for example, make it unwise to use their maps in
many applications---their terms of use are surprisingly restrictive.

The advantages of manual creation are that
a) its relatively cheap,
b) can be done with relatively little training.

The disadvantages are
a) its labor intensive
b) you still have to invest some time in figuring out how to do it.

Bill









On Sep 8, 2011, at 11:07 AM, vernade didier wrote:

> List,
>
> 23andME has a collection of maps (from where ?) covering many
> haplogroups both for Y DNA and mitochondrial groups. I suggested
> long ago that the large set (how large presently ?) of 23andME
> customers could be a basis for such maps. We need detailed and
> updated maps. I don't know what kind of software is used but there
> might be a collective task (and goal) for the hobbyists to produce
> maps. It's easy to see that with new papers the maps are an
> important part of the information provided. I contested some maps
> of Busby et al. recently but I would be unable to re-check the maps
> from the data ; may be this could change... if I get some support
> and if it's possible to do it on a home computer.
>
> Didier
>
> -------------------------------
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