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Genetic testing:

post #1 of 21
Thread Starter 
For anyone that may be interested in doing this, my mom and her sisters are getting pretty deep into genealogy, and recently I've taken a genetic test which traces mtDNA(matrilineal side) and y chromosome DNA(patrilineal side). We figured it's best to test the kids since we're a package of everything in our most immediate family. However to get the female DNA from my dad's side, he'll have to get an mtDNA test and the male DNA from my mom's side, her brother(my uncle) will have to get a y chromosome test.

I haven't been sure what to expect out of the results, but the first batch came through today. It's the results of my mom's, mom's, mom's, mom's, mom's, mom's etc. mtDNA. On that part of the female side, it said I am part of the haplogroup U5a1a, which is defined here:

Haplogroup U5a1a lineage within haplogroup U5 arose in Europe approximately 30,000 years ago, and is mainly found in northwest Europe. In the context of its rather ancient origin, the modern distribution of haplogroup U5a1 suggests that individuals bearing this haplogroup were part the initial expansion tracking the retreat of ice sheets from Europe. Bryan Sykes in his Seven Daughters of Eve book named this mtDNA haplogroup Ursula.

With Haplogroup U5 described as:

The oldest mtDNA in Europe that's human, Homo Sapien and not Neanderthal or other archaic individual is U5. The age of U5 is estimated at 50,000 but could be as old as 60,500 years. The first place scientists find U5 in Europe is in Cyrenaica, and artifacts are found in Iberia, as it's the first in Europe and evolved in Europe.


The presence of haplogroup U5 in Europe pre-dates the expansion of agriculture in Europe. Bryan Sykes' popular book The Seven Daughters of Eve says it shows up 45,000-50,000 years ago in Delphi, Greece and named the originator of haplogroup U5 Ursula. It shows That U5 is the first out of Africa into Europe, and that it shows up as the first Europeans in two places, Delphi and Spain around 50,000 years ago.

By another source haplogroup U5, age is estimated at about 52,000 kya, being the oldest subclade of haplogroup U.[5] Haplogroup U5 and its subclades are most common in Sami, Finns, and Estonians, but it is spread widely at lower levels throughout Europe. U5 is found also in small frequencies and at much lower diversity in near East suggesting back-migration of people from northern Europe to south.[1]

Here is Sykes' description of 'Ursula'

Who was Ursula? According to Professor Sykes, Ursula was likely born about 45,000 years ago in the mountains of Greece. This time period is close to the beginning of the Ice Age. Ursula and her family likely encountered Neanderthals. Her people were slightly taller than Neanderthals and much slimmer, a trait that helped her ancestors adapt better to their previous homelands of the Middle East and Africa. Neanderthals were shorter and stockier, with large broad noses, built better for the colder weather of Europe where they resided for the past quarter million years. It is thought that Ursula's people did not "kill off" Neanderthals, but rather, they were a more social animal, and their communication skills allowed them to more efficiently gather and share the living supplies available in the new land. The average life expectancy at that time is estimated to be around 35 years. Both Sykes ("Seven Daughters of Eve") and Oppenheimer ("The Real Eve") agree that Ursula's Clan, and her mtDNA haplogroup U5, were the first permanent Homo sapiens in Europe. Today, the highest proportion of Ursula descendents are found in Scandinavia, Germany, and the area of the United Kingdom.

So this is pretty interesting. Basically my female side is like, super-cracker-ass. Not really, since Ursula all but came straight from North Africa, but the neat thing is, the DNA test I took linked me to living people who I have recent common ancestors with, all over the world. The majority of which are clustered in Eastern Europe.

In a few weeks, I'll start to get the results of my male DNA lineage, which is alleged to be Dutch, Scotch, Irish, Native American.

If anyone has any specific questions about how the results, I'll answer to the best of my ability.
post #2 of 21
So, how much we talking here?
post #3 of 21
Thread Starter 
I did a google search on my surname, found the gordondnaproject, got a discount through a testing agency that kept track of the Gordon records. Then I split the cost with my parents for a really extensive test - total $433. So I paid $215.
post #4 of 21
That is...much less than I thought.

I know extremely little about my biological father's family...mainly because, after I finally met him at 17, I realized that he was a complete idiot and not worth my time...so this would be a much less stressful way of acquiring that information.

Please update when you get the rest of the info.
post #5 of 21
Thread Starter 
Sure thing.

In the meantime, here's the site that I went to:

http://www.familytreedna.com/

They have an okay FAQ section. It, in conjunction with some google searching can bring you a better idea of what the particular tests are about.
post #6 of 21
Thread Starter 
Most recent results of the 12 marker test of the Y DNA have come in, and placed us as primarily belonging to haplogroup I1a: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb....i1a_part_1.htm

That covers the Dutch and Scotch. The rest will come as they get to the 67 marker test.

The cool thing about this test is that it gave me direct links to people I'm related to, who we had no idea about. That's pretty weird. I have to take a while to absorb it all, but basically there are several people in my family lineage who've participated in this testing database, who are an exact match to me. Kinda bizarre.
post #7 of 21
So like, "This is John Smith, your cousin's cousin's cousin's brother from another mother...he lives in Anytown, USA and likes to read Emerson."

Is there some agreement that you sign when you participate or is your information kept private if you wish it?
post #8 of 21
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jared Melton View Post
So like, "This is John Smith, your cousin's cousin's cousin's brother from another mother...he lives in Anytown, USA and likes to read Emerson."

Is there some agreement that you sign when you participate or is your information kept private if you wish it?
Yeah, it's kind of like that, except they give you specific names, dates of birth and death, town and country of origin, and an email address to contact the most recent relative who has also participated in the test. They don't list the relative connection terms like cousin, uncle etc. I think they expect you to figure that out. For privacy's sake, the most recent relatives information, and their parent's information is not shown. You can contact them directly through email and see if they respond. I've already had a couple of people contact me, and I've sent them too my mother who has the largest collection of the family records.
post #9 of 21
This does sound kind of cool. A cousin of mine started a family tree awhile back, but I don't think she can go more than 2 generations back to the old country (Poland and one of the countries making up the former Czechoslovakia, but I'm not sure which one). It might be interesting to delve farther back.
post #10 of 21
Very intriguing. I bet you feel all special, being like...first colonizer in Europe and all.

Will have to look into it and this will especially be useful on the off chance the girl I'm having kids with (if that ever happens) is related to me! Awkwardness ensues!
post #11 of 21
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doc Happenin View Post
Very intriguing. I bet you feel all special, being like...first colonizer in Europe and all.
Actually, it was a little disappointing.

It's like 'Oh great. I'm extra super fucking white.'
post #12 of 21
Nothing wrong with that, good sir. Nothing wrong with it.
post #13 of 21
So when they find out you got "alien" DNA do men in low coats show up and whisk you away somewhere?
post #14 of 21
Depends. 4th dimensional Lizard DNA, blonde haired, blue eyed, eight foot tall "Aryan" DNA? Or one of the many of interlopers throughout the millennia?
post #15 of 21
Just a general question, since I don't want to be thin sliced.
post #16 of 21
Do they tell you anything actually important such as likelihood of your kids having wolverine's healing factor or galactus' hunger for planets?
post #17 of 21
I think they just tell you if you are a filthy Scott or Irish, or Italian, or filthy whatever.
post #18 of 21
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jared Melton View Post
That is...much less than I thought.

I know extremely little about my biological father's family...mainly because, after I finally met him at 17, I realized that he was a complete idiot and not worth my time...so this would be a much less stressful way of acquiring that information.
I'm in a similar spot in which I've only met my dad once, so I know very little about him. But how would this work, Hunter, if I don't have access to his DNA?
post #19 of 21
Thread Starter 
Diva - Do you have a brother - even a brother from another mother that he begat - or uncle (his brother) that you have contact with? A possible source could be his dad for Y dna, and his mom for mtDNA.
post #20 of 21
Yeah, I have step brother but I'm not in contact with anyone on his side of the family.
post #21 of 21
Thread Starter 
I'd suggest contacting who ever seems to be the most level headed maybe? Is your step-brother an ass or do you not know him?
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