DNA
By Angelo Coniglio
A couple of years ago I sent a sample of my DNA to AncestryDNA, an offshoot of the subscription genealogy site www.Ancestry.com. My hope was that I could use my experience to inform readers about the use of DNA analysis in genealogical research.
Alas, after sending three separate saliva samples, all were rejected for ‘insufficient genetic material’. That had me wondering if I was really a robot with no DNA, but I asked for and received a refund of the charges (then at about $100). A few months later, I decided to try again, with another vendor, 23andMe, also at a cost of about $100. This wasn’t without obstacles, since when I received my test kit, it came with a warning that due to New York State law, my sample could not be accepted if it was taken and/or mailed back from New York State. This was because 23andMe not only analyzes genealogical connections but also addresses medical and health conditions of its participants, and New York State requires such laboratories to involve a physician in the sample-taking. Note, 23andMe now charges about $200 for an autosomal DNA test, while AncestryDNA’s charge is still about $100. Both venues occasionally have ‘sale prices’.
Luckily, I had a planned trip to Philadelphia at the time, so I prepared the sample while there and mailed it in from Pennsylvania, which had no such restrictions. But that wasn’t the end of the problems, because shortly after I got acknowledgement of receipt of my sample by 23andMe, stories began circulating that the firm was at odds with the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA), over the same concerns expressed by New York State. Those concerns still exist to some extent, but 23andMe has reached agreement with the FDA and users who so desire can see and share medical results. Since I was never interested in the medical or health aspects of DNSA testing, I am satisfied with the genealogical information revealed. About three months after sending in my sample, I received an e-mail from 23andMe stating that my genealogical results were available on-line.
Before I get into the details of the 23andMe testing and what it can show in a genealogical sense, consider some reasons for having a DNA test:
• To determine a close familial relationship between two specific individuals (for example, a paternity test). This requires DNA from BOTH individuals.
• To determine whether a person is susceptible to a certain disease, a potential carrier of a disease, etc. This can be determined by comparing one’s DNA with a databases of persons with DNA that shows similar tendencies.
Neither of the above reasons are typically genealogical in nature, and while they may be of great interest to some. neither are appropriate for this column. The genealogical reasons for DNA testing include:
• The desire to know one’s broad ethnic or national origins. Tests can determine the regions (approximately) where our ancestors lived from 5,000 to 25,000 years ago, again by comparison to databases collected from thousands of donors, and to the genetic characteristics of various races, etc. This is what I call ‘cute’ DNA analysis: it gives broad answers to questions like “Am I of Jewish descent?”; “Do I have American Indian blood?”; “Were any of my ancestors Black?” and so on. Answers to such questions may be interesting, but they do little to help define the details of a ‘family tree’.
• Determination of ‘pedigrees’, or family trees of direct ancestors, from one’s self to several generations back. DNA testing in and of itself can NOT do this. However, used in conjunction with family trees developed by conventional ‘paper’ research methods, DNA analysis can ‘fill in’ information, help confirm assumed relationships, or help find living relatives.
Coniglio is the author of the book The Lady of the Wheel, inspired by his Sicilian research. Order the paperback or the Kindle version at http://bit.ly/SicilianStory
Coniglio’s web page at http://bit.ly/AFCGen has helpul hints on genealogic research. If you have genealogy questions, or would like him to lecture to your club or group, e-mail him at genealogytips@aol.com