Genealogy - Getting to Know your Heritage

[truth_seeker]

Living DNA includes all tests, for $99. Y-DNA, mt-DNA, Autosomal

It is a UK based company, but labs and facilities in America too.

https://www.livingdna.com/en-us

They claim to provide the finest granularity (detailed breakdown) for European regional origins.

Most others around $50-80 are only Autosomal.

An interesting resource for dna and genealogy

https://www.eupedia.com/

[Bigun]

I'm seriously thinking of doing an dna test..

If you're ever going to do it now is the time!  Some GREAT deals going right now!  https://www.familytreedna.com/products

[Suppressed]

@Bigun
Thoughts?
http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2522-inside-shady-world-dna-testing-companies.html

[skeeter]

@Bigun
Thoughts?
http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2522-inside-shady-world-dna-testing-companies.html

I used both 23&me and MyHeritage's DNA testing service. In addition to all the stuff I already knew I found out I'm either a bit A) Central American or B) South Asian. And a little Neanderthal.

Left me with more questions than answers, really.

[truth_seeker]

@Bigun
Thoughts?
http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2522-inside-shady-world-dna-testing-companies.html

Do yur own research and select from well known reputable firms. Look at their output formats, first.

They give differing degrees of regional and ethnic "granularity," or detail.

[Bigun]

@Bigun
Thoughts?
http://www.cracked.com/personal-experiences-2522-inside-shady-world-dna-testing-companies.html

@Suppressed

This is one of the BIG reasons I only recommend Family Tree DNA. https://www.familytreedna.com/  They are relatively local to me (In Houston) and have the best reputation in the business or so I'm told by the geneticists I'm personally acquainted with one of whom taught genetics at our local University for many years.   

I've also been told by experts that some of the other firms have been known to employ people  not qualified to do the testing properly.

The big problems of late have all been with European firms and involve people didling with results for obvious political reasons. They got caught so someone is obviously watching even there.

[catfish1957]

@Suppressed

This is one of the BIG reasons I only recommend Family Tree DNA. https://www.familytreedna.com/  They are relatively local to me (In Houston) and have the best reputation in the business or so I'm told by the geneticists I'm personally acquainted with one of whom taught genetics at our local University for many years.   

I've also been told by experts that some of the other firms have been known to employ people  not qualified to do the testing properly.

The big problems of late have all been with European firms and involve people didling with results for obvious political reasons. They got caught so someone is obviously watching even there.

They are the best technically, but their on-line tools for finding matches sucks.   I use both FTDNA and Ancestry.

[Bigun]

They are the best technically, but their on-line tools for finding matches sucks.   I use both FTDNA and Ancestry.

So do I and GEDmatch.com as well.

[Bigun]

If anyone is interested in personal Genealogy Software, the best there is (Roots Magic) is running a GREAT Holiday special right now!

http://www.rootsmagic.com/holidayoffer/?mc_cid=d749bca75a&mc_eid=2f25b9b5ee

[mountaineer]

I got my Ancestry.com DNA results. No "native American" at all, despite family lore that my great-great-great-great grandpa's wife was of that ethnicity. So that's something I have in common with Sen. Lizzy Warren, anyway. We're both white bread. 

[musiclady]

I got my Ancestry.com DNA results. No "native American" at all, despite family lore that my great-great-great-great grandpa's wife was of that ethnicity. So that's something I have in common with Sen. Lizzy Warren, anyway. We're both white bread. 

So I have to stop calling you Pocahontas, then??

(How about Sacajawea?.............. she was really cool!)

[mountaineer]

Yeah, me heap disappointed.

[musiclady]

Yeah, me heap disappointed.

You left out "kimo sabe"  ^-^

[mountaineer]

Huh.

[musiclady]

Huh.

 

[Suppressed]

If anyone is interested in personal Genealogy Software, the best there is (Roots Magic) is running a GREAT Holiday special right now!

http://www.rootsmagic.com/holidayoffer/?mc_cid=d749bca75a&mc_eid=2f25b9b5ee

Why do you say they're the best, @Bigun?

I used to use Legacy because it had great source tracking, then Family Tree Maker for output.  I'm wondering whether I'd like this one better.

[Bigun]

Why do you say they're the best, @Bigun?

I used to use Legacy because it had great source tracking, then Family Tree Maker for output.  I'm wondering whether I'd like this one better.

@Suppressed

I like the way RootsMagic interfaces with Ancestry and Family search. Very useful in helping to keep up databases in multiple locations and for doing research.

Their holiday offer ends Jan. 2nd. You can get $90 dollars worth of their software for $25 right now.

[240B]

I grew up in the New Orleans sewers. My mother was an alligator, and my father was a possum. I grew up the hard way. You know, like all possum/alligator people grow up. I learned to survive.


Man, this crawdaddy, he was so close and so good to eat. I couldn't grab him in enough time. I tried! I grabbed him! The sewer wash just took him away. My daddy never forgave me for that. I will take it to my grave.


Never go to the family reunions. Not concerned with who eats whom. Not my problem. Anymore.....

[Sanguine]

I grew up in the New Orleans sewers. My mother was an alligator, and my father was a possum. I grew up the hard way. You know, like all possum/alligator people grow up. I learned to survive.


Man, this crawdaddy, he was so close and so good to eat. I couldn't grab him in enough time. I tried! I grabbed him! The sewer wash just took him away. My daddy never forgave me for that. I will take it to my grave.


Never go to the family reunions. Not concerned with who eats whom. Not my problem. Anymore.....

That explains a lot.

[bigheadfred]

That explains a lot.

@240B

I know, right?

Another damned vegan on a rutabaga high.

[endicom]

How DNA Testing Botched My Family's Heritage, and Probably Yours, Too

Gizmodo
Kristen V. Brown
Jan. 16, 2018

My grandfather was caramel-skinned with black eyes and thick, dark hair, and until he discovered that he was adopted, he had no reason to suspect that he was not the son of two poor Mexicans as he’d always been told. When he found his adoption papers, according to family lore, he pestered the nuns at the Dallas orphanage where he had lived as an infant for the name of his birth mother. Name in hand, at 10 years old, he hopped a bus to Pennsylvania, met his birth mother, and found out that he was actually Syrian.

At least that’s what we thought until my Aunt Cat mailed a tube of her spit in to AncestryDNA.

More... https://gizmodo.com/how-dna-testing-botched-my-familys-heritage-and-probab-1820932637

[Gefn]

How DNA Testing Botched My Family's Heritage, and Probably Yours, Too

Gizmodo
Kristen V. Brown
Jan. 16, 2018

My grandfather was caramel-skinned with black eyes and thick, dark hair, and until he discovered that he was adopted, he had no reason to suspect that he was not the son of two poor Mexicans as he’d always been told. When he found his adoption papers, according to family lore, he pestered the nuns at the Dallas orphanage where he had lived as an infant for the name of his birth mother. Name in hand, at 10 years old, he hopped a bus to Pennsylvania, met his birth mother, and found out that he was actually Syrian.

At least that’s what we thought until my Aunt Cat mailed a tube of her spit in to AncestryDNA.

More... https://gizmodo.com/how-dna-testing-botched-my-familys-heritage-and-probab-1820932637

Thanks for posting this @endicom

As someone who is adopted and knows next to nothing about bio parents, I've been thinking about this a lot since my dad died. But I've come to the conclusion it would be sort of like oedipus. It's better not to know.

[Bigun]

Thanks for posting this @endicom

As someone who is adopted and knows next to nothing about bio parents, I've been thinking about this a lot since my dad died. But I've come to the conclusion it would be sort of like oedipus. It's better not to know.

I agree with your line of thinking @Freya.  Why would you go looking for some now dead person who never played any part in your life at all?  I know there are many who do not see it that way and want to know what their actual bloodlines are. My wife for example. 

I got DNA testing done to clear up some controversy as to the actual line of decent on my father's side and that worked well for me.  I've told my wife's story elsewhere on this thread already so I won't repeat it here except to say that she would NEVER have known who her biological father was without DNA testing.  If you ever do decide to do that, the absolute best company to go with is http://www.familytreedna.com their integrity is above reproach.

[Victoria33]

Thanks for posting this @endicom   As someone who is adopted and knows next to nothing about bio parents, I've been thinking about this a lot since my dad died. But I've come to the conclusion it would be sort of like oedipus. It's better not to know.

@Freya

I have been meaning to do this DNA thingy.  My great grandfather, according to family, married an Indian woman from a tribe forced to go to Oklahoma - The Trail of Tears saga.  The tribe stopped in Arkansas before moving on to Oklahoma.  Great grandfather lived in Arkansas.  Some kids of that issue went to Oklahoma to live.  My God, what if I am really a fake Pocahontas?  The first members of my family on both sides to come to America, came from England and were in North and South Carolina.  Some of them, Methodist preachers, went to Arkansas and started Methodist churches.

[endicom]

Thanks for posting this @endicom

As someone who is adopted and knows next to nothing about bio parents, I've been thinking about this a lot since my dad died. But I've come to the conclusion it would be sort of like oedipus. It's better not to know.

IMO, you can't know, other than for some vague information about the bio-parents. Hell, what you know of your de facto parents can be no more than vague.