Major Changes at 23andMe

Roberta Estes is a very competent genealogist with extensive credentials in the field. If you're familiar with her blog "DNAeXplained - Genetic Genealogy"you'll likely agree. If you're not familiar  but have interest in DNA and DNA research, I suggest you go to her blog and subscribe.

Rather than have me attempt to describe the goings-on at 23andMe, I thought it would be best to simply offer the link to that specific blog to read at your leisure. All you have to do is click here.
She'll do a much better job that I could ever accomplish!

 

Ancestry Health? Yes, Ancestry Health

This is a little bit disturbing in my opinion.  Maybe even creepy.  But Ancestry.com is diving into the health data field which, on the surface, sounds a bit like what the FDA prevented 23andMe from doing, at least in its original form.  But that's another story!

I refer everyone to the most excellent DNA blog by scientist and genealogist, Roberta Estes.  If you have any interest in DNA whatsoever, her blog provides an excellent resource.  She speaks "English" in her blog rather than "Scientist."  Well, she does for the most part!  Some of the entries get a little long and have a tendency to cause my eyes to glaze over, but I'm always able to get the gist of her knowledge and manage to read most of the information.  Then there's the comments...hundreds of comments from researchers everywhere.

But I digress!  Here's the link where she explains with reasonable clarity the ins and outs of the beta program: http://dna-explained.com/2015/06/06/and-now-ancestry-health/ which should be a heads-up for anyone who may be tempted to jump right into the Ancestry Health pool.

She also references Judy G Russell, a very accomplished genealogist who happens to be a lawyer, a former prosecutor in fact.  That's another blog I would strongly recommend.  You can read and subscribe to her clever, informative, sometimes personal and often humorous words published daily at http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/.

Needless to say, I subscribe to both.  Some posts I have no interest in reading but most of the others and their comments are an education in and unto themselves.

Happy researching!

In closing, I had to share this Father's Day "card" from my kids.  Matthew, Mark and Kimi collaboratively colored this cartoon for a long ago Father's Day sometime around 1995.  They're a prescient group as I recently discovered through 23andMe that I am, in fact, 3% Neanderthal!

Thanks kids!

Visit http://www.oldbones.info for more information about yours truly then "Like" my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OldBonesSearch?ref=hl

AncestryDNA Sale???

Image from AncestryDNA website

You didn't hear this from me, but I was on the phone with Ancestry.com's Tech Support today (very helpful as usual) and before I hung up, I asked if their DNA test was still $99. She said that yes, it was to which I replied that I thought there might be some holiday specials.  Now, she didn't say anything definitive, but she "suggested" that I check the pricing on Black Friday.

Since the start of their DNA project, I have been cynical (or maybe the right word is skeptical) about their early results.  After all, it's hard to tell someone who is obviously of Asian descent that they were 98% Scandinavian.  Now I don't know if they tried to get away with that result specifically, but I do know that the early results were, at best, questionable. But after reading Judy G. Russell, Blaine T. Bettinger, Roberta Estes and others, Ancestry seems to have gotten their act together. They've even tweaked their autosomal results creating a significant trimming of possible matches. Nice job Ancestry!!  

As a result of all this and other factors, I'll certainly check them out again this Friday and see if the "hint" from Tech Support pans out. Or should I say the "shaky leaf" from Tech Support!!

By the way, my original issue was resolved...I think!
I'll leave you with my new mantra: "Climb YOUR tree!"

Related articles

• 10 Strange Claims Debunked By DNA Testing
• Mexican prosecutors say DNA tests confirm bodies found on border were 3 missing US citizens
• Additional tests find no Asian carp DNA in Fox
• DNA Tests Will Finally Be Performed in Up to 70,000 Rape Cases
• Announcing "How-To DNA" - A Multimedia How-To Guide for Genetic Genealogy

Hope for Ancestry DNA Testing???

The title of their blog is "Coming Soon - Ancestry DNA is Evolving".  So I'll post this for the benefit of those who have paid the piper and came back with far from satisfactory results: Native Americans who are told they are 97% Scandinavian, for example!   If I had a nickel for every complaint I've seen....well, you know!!

It seems to me that the first rush of tests that were done at Ancestry produced results based on a very small data base.  Eventually, they were able to purchase a large data base from Sorenson Molecular Genetic Genalogy to help them fine tune their analyses.  We'll see!

 

There's a DNA blog which I've recommended before.  II have to mention Roberta Estes who, I believe, is one of the premiere experts and writes a very down-to-earth blog called "DNAeXplained-Genetic Genealogy".  She has fielded hundreds of the complaints about AncestryDNA and handles them well.   She the right one to follow for your own "personal" course in genetic DNA.  Most of her blogs are not only informative but they're written in the English that most of us speak (not highly technical "scientist-speak") and always injects a bit of humor.

 

Related articles

• Status of the Sorenson Molecular Genetic Genealogy DNA Databases and GeneTree (eogn.com)


• AncestryDNA Rolls Out "Update" (oldbonessearch.com)


• Our Service: Ancestry Features (23andme.com)


• A List of Genealogy DNA Companies (eogn.com)


• DNA testing (deanandcindymartin.wordpress.com)


• I Just Found Out That I'm Not As 'Black' As I Thought (businessinsider.com)


• Family Tree DNA Unveils $39 DNA Test (eogn.com)


• Mitochondrial DNA Variants and Heart Disease Risk (fightaging.org)


• Genetics 101: Where do your genes come from? (23andme.com)


• European link to Jewish ancestry (bbc.co.uk)

NGS Series on DNA Basics - All 4 Parts by Roberta Estes

Roberta Estes posted this in her blog "DNAeXplained - Genetic Genealogy".  Here's the link: NGS Series on DNA Basics - All 4 Parts

("NGS" stands for "National Genealogical Society")

If you're inclined to read up on DNA...as I am... you'd be well advised to FOLLOW her blog.  She's a first class scientist who can speak to "us" at a level where we can understand most of what she's tryiing to explain.  I've been following for a while and I notice that she's very good at responding to questions and comments.

Take a look and let me know if there's something in there that was of particular interest to you!

DNA --- Getting Enough Bang for your Genealogical Buck

I've posted a few...make that VERY few...comments in the area of DNA and DNA testing. I have opinions (everybody's got 'em and well, you know the expression!) but what I lack is an understanding that's deep enough to offer advice. That aspect I'll leave to others.

There are 2 experts to whom I have no qualms whatsoever sending anyone with an interest in this area. The first I've spoken of recently and that would be Roberta Estes. Her expertise is, perhaps, second to none. Here's her blog in case it needs repeating:

http://dna-explained.com/

The other is "The Legal Genealogist." Judy G. Russell is a Certified Genealogist and a Certified Genealogical Lecturer with a law degree. I've participated in a number of her webinars (always worth the time) and listened to her in person (Always worth the time). She speaks in a broad range of genealogical topics with style, expertise and a witty, clever, humorous style. At any rate, here's her latest blog from "The Legal Genealogist" with an update on the value of various DNA testing companies:

http://tinyurl.com/mbtpl8k ( I used "TinyURL.com" to shorten a 192 letter long URL!)

Both of these experts are well worth following and well worth the time!

And don't forget http://www.oldbones.co" title="Old Bones Genealogy and Family Research of New England


By the way, I tried to use the WORDPRESS "link" feature, but it doesn't seem to want to cooperate today! If you received multiple notice for this blog, I apologize.... Another technology melt-down...what a surprise!!

Bigfoot is Real???

I just listened to a DNA presentation by Roberta Estes, the author of the blog where I found this article.  By far, the best DNA presentation I've ever participated in. She really knows her stuff!!

So I went to her blog at dna-explain.com and found this article: Bigfoot is Real???.  At first I thought it might be ajoke.  But after reading the article and the science behind the findings.....

What are your thoughts???