Re: A question re: DNA testing


Anybody? You signed up, paid the (exorbitant) fee, got the results
and made a significant breakthrough you would not otherwise have
made.

Bob Melson


I'm running a DNA project for a rare German surname (Jatho) for two
reasons: I was interested in establishing the haplogroup (genetic
group) for my male cousin and his direct line back to our earliest
known ancestor, which was established with a paper trail to c. 1620
in the villages around Dransfeld, Hannover; and I was interested in
possible future matches with others sharing the same surname.

The fees were not, IMHO, exorbitant, but I did wait for sale prices
at the company I used. I tested my cousin using a 67-marker test.

We recently added in a 37-marker test for another fellow with the
same surname but whose ancestry so far doesn't match with our
documentation in the USA, though his family has not yet done any
research in Germany.

The test indicated a 95% possibility of a match within 24
generations, which is just outside of the documentable paper-trail
time frame for this region in Germany, but the probability is strong
enough that I felt the next best step would be to reinitiate German
research with the goal of establishing, if possible, a documented
connection via local parish registries and census records in and
around Dransfeld.

What the DNA test helped me determine was where it would be most
efficient to spend my next allocation of research funds. Further DNA
testing (e.g. an upgrade to 67 markers from 37) was unwarranted
because of the already strong match. I think we'll get more bang for
our buck (or Euro) by pursuing this course of action.

Establishing a project also helped me get discounted rates for the
test. If you're considering DNA testing for yourself and/or other
Melsons, I'd recommend going this route.

The haplogroup for the Jatho men we've tested is one of the most
common in Western Europe (R1b1b2), so it's not inconsistent with
German origins, but it's seen in a number of other regions too
(England, Spain, Portugal, Wales, Scottland, etc.).

For trying to narrow down place of origin in Europe I'm not sure I'd
recommend a DNA test. Most haplogroups arose from their parent
groups well outside a genealogical time frame, some many thousands
of years ago, well before the concept of borders, countries, and
ethnic groups.

Occasionally there's an interesting surprise. I wanted to develop a
separate project for my paternal Danish ancestry, particularly since
surnames were not in use more than 200 years ago in my region of
Denmark (they used patronyms). The goal was to find matches with
others from the region who might have paperwork that established a
link.

There have been a few matches but not many and none with matching
paperwork. The surprise was my father's haplogroup, which was G2a3b.
The Gs exist in only 2% of current Danish population and the
haplogroup arose from a mutation 8,000 - 10,000 years ago in the
northern Middle East, maybe the region where Pakistan or Iran now
exist. So before my Danes were Danes, they had clearly done some
traveling.


--
saki@xxxxxxxx
http://sakionline.net/familypage

.

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