Integrating DNA with Traditional Genealogy
Hundreds of sites explore the latest DNA testing, and you can learn all about Y-DNA, mt-DNA and SNP's. But how do the results REALLY relate to updated traditional genealogy?
What this site is:
- a DNA Genealogy starter site
- a place to bring integrating ideas of DNA testing and traditional genealogy together
- a site to explore ways they can be used in tandem. In addition, a well-researched SET OF WEBLINKS for interesting sites bringing together the resources to push this particular meeting ground
Providers of DNA testing like 23andMe and FamilytreeDNA now offer excellent tools for seeking relationships existing in historic times that can dovetail with written records that may still exist. Alternatively, the test results can bridge the gaps where the written records have not survived.
Advances in Traditional Genealogy
From the direction of traditional genealogy, extremely sophisticated and effective search algorithms in ancestry.com and other sites are offering new ways to leap geographical distances and combine search requests involving more than a single generation and more than a single country or continent.
In addition, new database services such as findmypast.co.uk are offering material that was formerly accessible only with a trip to a major archive, and older ones such as the Mormon's familysearch.org have vastly expanded in the past two years, and have become richer in defined resources and overall are now more accurate. Email and internet communications are also making it practical to reach across continents and have tightly focused research undertaken by another individual at affordable costs.
A Classic Paper as an Example:
Chris Pomeroy's paper in the Journal of Genetic Genealogy in 2010 is a classic example of combining genetic and traditional genealogy techniques. Download .pdf
The Objective:
We plan on exploring ways these techniques and resources can be combined to push back the mysteries, and learn more about where we have come from.
Above all, DNA Genealogy is exciting with new revelations and methods taking place even as you read this.
