Not for genealogists
Today is National DNA Day, a special day chosen by the National Human Genome Research Institute to honor two major developments in genetic research.
First, it honors the discovery in 1953 of the DNA double helix by Cambridge University scientists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick1 (with a very large reliance on research originally done by English chemist and X-ray crystallographer named Rosalind Franklin who did much of the early data modeling2).
And, second, it honors the completion in 2003 of the Human Genome Project — the first time ever in history that we knew what the entirety of a human’s genetic code looked like.3
Which means, of course, that there are lots and lots of sales going on for DNA test kits for genetic genealogy.
The Legal Genealogist wrote about the key sales last week, and in that post urged folks to consider doing good for others while doing tests for themselves: by buying their test kits through the DNA Detectives Kits of Kindness Program, with a small percentage of the testing fee going to finance the purchase of test kits for people with special needs for DNA testing (adoptees, foundlings and the like) who couldn’t otherwise afford to test.4
And… sigh… I woke up this morning to at least two emails touting sales from companies that — well — let’s just say they’re not tests that are really good for genealogists.
One company — ConnectMyDNA — is one I wrote about as far back as 2012, in a blog post entitled “A DNA test not to bother with.”5 And my opinion of the utility of that test for a genealogist hasn’t changed one bit. Don’t bother.
The other — called GPSOrigins — is also greatly lacking in utility for day-to-day genealogy, and has other issues as well. I strongly urge anyone who’s even thinking of it to read Debbie Cruwys Kennett’s blog post, “A review of the GPS Origins test: four ethnicities and four reports.”6 Bottom line: don’t bother.
If you want to get a DNA test kit as a genealogist this National DNA Day sale period, stick to the big genetic genealogy testing companies: in alphabetical (and numeric) order, 23andMe, AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA and MyHeritageDNA (the last one being a newcomer and just getting off the ground).
As far as those other options… don’t bother.
SOURCES
- National Human Genome Research Institute, “National DNA Day” (http://www.genome.gov/ : accessed 20 Apr 2017). ↩
- See Wikipedia (http://www.wikipedia.com), “Rosalind Franklin,” rev. 12 Apr 2017. ↩
- National Human Genome Research Institute, “National DNA Day.” ↩
- See Judy G. Russell, “DNA Day sales for 2017,” The Legal Genealogist, posted 20 Apr 2017 (https://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog : accessed 25 Apr 2017). ↩
- Ibid., “A DNA test not to bother with,” The Legal Genealogist, posted 1 Apr 2012. ↩
- Debbie Cruwys Kennett, “A review of the GPS Origins test: four ethnicities and four reports,” Cruwys news blog, posted 30 Nov 2016 (https://cruwys.blogspot.com/ : accessed 25 Apr 2017). ↩
I have an Ancestry.com DNA test. Following your recent post about the apparent differences among the tests you undertook, do you recommend getting a second or third test?
Considering the price point on these tests, it absolutely is worth testing with as many companies as you can afford. The reason is that the key value is to connect with cousins who have pieces of your family history you don’t have — and you never know, until you test, what company that critical cousin has chosen to test with. You’re fishing for cousins, using your DNA as bait — so fish in as many ponds as you can.
Thanks for sharing this Judy. It’s so important for users to be aware of what’s out there and what is useful for the purpose they are testing.
Thanks for recognizing Rosalind Franklin’s contribution to the double helix discovery in your post. ;D
Having tested with Living DNA I would like to mention them.
All of my ancestors that I have discovered so far are from the UK.
They offer a regional breakdown which may assist my research.
I also have just tested with Living DNA. Many Ancestors from England. Hope it works well. They also do the maternal line which I thought would be fun. I have already done Ancestry and uploaded raw data to a couple of the other sites.
They will tell you your maternal haplogroup; they don’t provide data for mtDNA matching. Right now, they don’t provide any matching. New company, just getting started, so not in the top group yet.
True, but anyone thinking about it has to understand this company is in its infancy, and doesn’t even offer cousin matching yet.
What about when it is no longer worth getting another test? I started testing years ago with Oxford Ancestors, then NatGeno, ver.1, then 23andME, then FTDNA/FF & Y-37 (YSearch), then Ancestry, and Genes for Good. I am an adoptee looking for my any information on my paternal side and am not having much luck. Other than the most recent FTDNA “update” my heritage has been pretty consistent on all the testes and averages out to about 47% GB/Scotland and 44% Scandinavian (Norway). I have been debating whether to do MyHeritage or Living DNA. ANy suggestions. Thank You.
You can transfer your raw data to MyHeritage for free
If you’re looking for ethnicity, you’ve done more than enough (nobody — repeat, nobody — is truly valid below the continental level). If you’re looking to find that one key cousin, then the only answer is: test with every company you can afford to test with.
I am doing that because of this ONE PERCENT Pacific Islander (Polynesian). None of my paternal side has it.
4 companies already (MyHeritage, 23andMe, Ancestry with GPSOrigins using 23andMe for only 29 dollars due to discounts I received at Rootstech) and am waiting for LivingDNA since they already started German sector.
I ordered the Nat Geo test for myself, which I now understand can be transferred to Family Tree. I would like to order the Y kit for my brother as a gift. What do I need to do?
The only way to get that YDNA kit is to go to Family Tree DNA and order it.
I recall Nat Geo transferred their Y DNA database to FTDNA (Family Tree) years back. If you want to see your Y results, you should have been sent a login by Nat Geo for FTDNA. If you want a new kit, just order one through FTDNA.
I had to laugh when I learned of the TeloYears testing company. “TeloYears is a simple genetic test that reveals the cellular age encoded in your DNA so you can know how well you’re aging.” If the results indicate that you have short telomeres, what is there to do about it – teloplasty?
I am English French German Italian Some Irish Scottish. Ancestry picked it up as did 23and me. Though both showed traces of Scandinavian Iberian.west Asian on AncestryDna . For ancestry main group was GB 37% Italian/Greece 27% East European 15% west European 9% .Trace regions Ireland 4% Scandinavian 2% Iberian <0.1 European Jewsish and 3% west Asian Caucuses. 23andme almost same. Others were somewhat close. But family tree way off till they updated the algorithm. My heritage gave me similar results but said I was 3% Somalia.I think its mistake. Is it possible course but have extensive tree and find no records. Need research. Deeper.
Which company has the most African heritage DNA samples and has the ability to connect relatives of samples taken?
All of the companies are a bit behind in African sampling, but at the moment I believe that AncestryDNA probably has the best reference samples.
Another one to watch out for is AncestryByDNA. Have tried them but too many people have ordered from them thinking they are getting the Ancestry DNA Kit.
Sorry that should have been havent tried them.
I don’t think DNA testing is worth that much considering my sister did ancestry and didn’t get anything we didn’t already know. We are Sicilian and French Canadian. Our maternal grandfather was an orphan there so that is a complete dead end.
It certainly won’t hand you the answer, but properly used could well lead you to your great grandparents. It takes work and study but is doable.