Re: Ethnic Origins DNA Testing
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In reply to:
Ethnic Origins DNA Testing
Tana Etheridge 2/10/08
Tana,
Good question.I used to wonder the same thing.It seems that FTDNA is always offering something new, or that there's some feature on their website that I don't know about.Nevertheless, I think that the short answer is that FTDNA does not offer ethnic origins testing.Below is a long answer.
On your WELCOME page, there is a line to the left that says "Order Tests & Upgrades."If you click on that you can look at all the various tests that you could order.Those you have already ordered appear in a very light shade (which is good).I don't think you'll find any ethnic testing offered there.However, there is a lot that you can tell about ethnic origins from the testing that they do offer, and in my opinion, it's quality information.
For example, sometimes after you have your Y chromosome tested, as your brother has done, they will find something interesting about it and then put a small square icon on your personal WELCOME page.I don't think that most people get an icon like that, but sometimes the company instantly knows that your Y results match up with something of known historical significance.For example, there is an icon for people who match members of the Jewish high priesthood.I think there may be one for Genghis Khan's family, and icons for some well-known Western European genetic groups.These are things that FTDNA knows its customers are interested in.So, first check you brother's WELCOME page to see if you have a little icon.It's nice that FTDNA tells you that for no extra charge.I know of at least one company that knows if you match a well-know haplotype (series of marker results) like the Genghis Khan haplotype but won't tell you unless you send an extra fee.If you do have an icon for Genghis Khan (highly unlikely with your brother's surname!), it doesn't mean that ethnically you are Mongolian like Genghis Khan -- but it would mean that way, way back on the straight male line, probably the founder of your family was.Ditto for the other icons.
The good news is that at 37 markers, your brother probably already had a fairly good read on the origins of his male line, regardless of whether it goes back to Genghis Khan or for any other reason gets an icon.Again back on the WELCOME page, but to the right, there is something called "Recent Ancestral Origins" also called RAO.If you click on that you'll see in which countries your brother has haplotype matches.As you work down the page to 37 markers, you'll see the countries that customers and other testees identified as the counties in which their ancestors originated.At 37 markers, most of the time you're talking about the past few hundred years or so.Therefore, up at the 12-marker part of the page, you might find matches all over Europe and the Middle East.By the time you take it down to people who did more extensive testing, like you, at 37 markers you'll probably see a cluster or just a few countries.
BTW, there are companies that offer tests which are supposed to tell you what percentage Asian or Indo-European you are etc., or where your genetic profile (not just the Y chromosome) is found (Sweden, India, etc.), but FTDNA is not one of them to the best of my knowledge.FTDNA does offer some Advanced testing of certain markers that you could send to at least one of those companies (DNA Tribes).There are a lot of different opinions about the validity of those tests -- although I will tell you that I have used one of them myself.
Anyway, for a quick, fairly good look at where your strict male line came from, have a look at the Recent Ancestral Origins feature of you brother's WELCOME page.No new testing is required.
Regards
David
More Replies:
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Re: Ethnic Origins DNA Testing
Tana Etheridge 2/10/08