DNA Sale Dec 2010
There are very good DNA sales during Dec 2010! The company we use is Family Tree
DNA. Go to: www.familytreedna.com You can click on the FAQ tab on the top bar for lots more information on any of their tests.
They now have a sale for the best DNA tests: Y37, Y67, mtDNAPlus and Family
Finder. Personally, I don't recommend the Y67 test expect in selected situations - we have been able to determine which line everyone in the project belongs to with just Y25 and Y37 testing, and so far there has been almost no additional info from the Y67 tests.
I also have a word of caution about the mtDNA tests. Don't take this test hoping to find a match you didn't know about - the probabilities are very slim. The DNA matches can go back 500-1,000 years, so most of them are way beyond the genealogical timeframe we usually work in. However, if one of these situations fits you, then the mtDNAPlus test is a good one:
1. You are just interested in your Deep Ancestry, and want to know which one (if any) of the "Seven Daughters of Eve" [google it] you descend from.
2. You know of two distant cousins (one could be yourself) whose common female ancestor you want to confirm - if you both test and match, you have a confirmation.
3. You want to take the mtDNA test, and then find another person with an all-female descent from one of your all-female-line ancestors to also test.
The BEST NEWS is a good sale price on the Family Finder DNA test. When you take this test, Family Tree DNA reports back to you the names and emails of all the people who have DNA matches with you and have a high probability of being a cousin to you. Your common ancestor could be any of your ancestors 3, 4, 5, or 6 generations back, and sometimes much farther back. It all depends on which parts of their DNA your ancestors passed down to you and down to the other person taking the test. So far I have 13 matches that range from a double-third cousin to three 10th cousins and one 12th cousin.
The path between me and these 13 common ancestors passes through 37 different surnames in my tree. I think this is an excellent way to confirm (with DNA) your paper trail research.
If you have any link to any BARTLETT line, you are invited to join our project for any of the tests above (YDNA, mtDNA or Family Finder). You may use this link to see the sale prices and to sign up:
http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.asp?code=C45062http://www.familytreedna.com/surname_join.asp?code=C45062
DNA Testing Kits make great gifts - the whole process is very interesting and informative, and since matches will continue to come in for months and years to come, the gift lasts a long time. The DNA Testing Kit itself will be good for many months, so you can also get one now for a reunion later.
Jim Bartlett