World Families Network
Where Genealogy meets DNA Testing
Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs-1)
Click here for FAQs-2
WARNING!
You are viewing an old version of our website (circa
2005/2006). Much of the information is out-of-date and many of the
links may no longer work. Please visit the new version of our
website at worldfamilies.net.
The new FAQs page is located
here.
Why
Get DNA Tested?
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To
confirm or eliminate relationships.
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To
focus research on
-
related family
-
a
geographical area
-
a
specific timeframe.
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To
establish country of origin.
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To
confirm variant surnames
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To
learn your family's migration.
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To
strengthen weak paper trails.
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To
avoid pursuing false connections
What
is DNA?
DNA or
DeoxyriboNucleic Acid contains the genetic code that exists in each cell
of our bodies. Genealogists can compare certain sequences or markers on
specific chromosomes between living individuals in hopes of finding
common ancestors.
For
purposes of surname genealogy studies, DNA refers to the 23rd
chromosome pair. Females have two x chromosomes, while males have one x
and one y chromosome. The y chromosome is passed from father to son and
is usually identical from father to son. Occasionally, there is a
mutation. Over 1000s of years, these mutations have resulted in
distinctive DNA profiles for different families. These differences are
the focus of DNA testing in genealogy, often called yDNA. Mitochondrial
DNA (mtDNA) is used to look at the DNA that a man or a woman inherits
from the mother’s mother’s side. While not yet as useful for surname
projects, mtDNA can give ethnic origins.
How Do
I Get Tested?
Testing is very easy—a cheek swab comes in a test kit. You simply
follow the instructions to swab the inside of your cheek, send the swab
back to the lab in the return envelope, and wait for the results. You
have a choice of two basic tests: yDNA for the male(paternal) line
(available only for males) and mtDNA for the female line (available for
males or females.)
My ancestors are dead. How do I get their DNA?
DNA tests are taken from the living descendents of your ancestors.
Males carry the same yDNA as their fathers, grandfathers, all the way
back. Females can get their brothers, cousins, or other male relatives
yDNA tested for their father’s DNA.
Will
this test tell me about medical conditions?
No.
There is no medical information in the DNA evaluated in this test.
What
about privacy concerns?
The
results are identified only by a code. Most surname projects list the
results of all participants together in a table, with only the
participant’s code number and/or his earliest known ancestor. Each
testing company makes a written commitment to you respecting your
privacy. You have to click a release to even get your results compared
to other project’s participants in their database.
How
much does the test cost?
Prices
begin at $99 for the yDNA 12 marker test, $150 for the 25-marker test,
and $129 for the mtDNA test and range upward for more markers and more
refined tests.
What
are “markers” in the DNA test results?
When
looking at the strand of DNA, researchers can identify certain
“addresses” or places where a certain pattern resides. By counting the
number of times that pattern repeats at that address, they arrive at a
count for each DNA marker.
How
many markers should I order for my test?
Use as many markers as you can comfortably afford. Generally, start
with at least 25 markers, and upgrade as you want.
Why
join a Surname Project?
Surname Projects allow participants to identify early common ancestors
through pedigrees, paper trails and DNA matches. Based on the matches
and differences in the DNA results of surname project members,
probabilities of relationship to a common male ancestor can be made.
Most projects seek to confirm relationships identified by traditional
genealogy, to locate related families lost through the passage of time,
and to identify the origin of the family’s early ancestors. Large
surname projects may work to catalog all known families carrying the
surname. Many projects are open to all known variant spellings. And,
joining a surname project gives you a reduced price for your test!
How
do I compare my results to other people’s?
Results come in a simple table. The result is primarily a listing of
the markers that have been tested, plus a number for each marker. Your
results will be posted on your Surname Project website, along with the
results of other participants. Results are compared by tabulating the
number of “matches” you have with other participants.
How do
I get started?
Go to
our website www.worldfamilies.net. Type your surname in
the search box. It will tell you whether there is already a surname
project that you can join. If there is, click to go to the surname
project’s web site and follow the links on the home page to be tested,
or you can click directly to Family Tree DNA to order your test. If
there is not a project listed, contact Terry directly at
terry@worldfamilies.net and he’ll
be happy to help you set up a surname project.
Is it
hard to run a Surname DNA project?
Most
Surname DNA Project coordinators didn’t know a lot about DNA testing
when they started. They had an interest in furthering their research
and were willing to start their project and learn as they went. We have
provided advice on how to start and run a project at our World Families
Network site (www.worldfamilies.net/admin.htm), and we will help you
until you are ready to take over.
How can a woman join a Surname Project?
Although a woman can’t be tested with the yDNA test (since women don’t
carry the y gene) she can obtain her surname results by having a male
relative who descends through males from the same common ancestor (a
brother, cousin, uncle, etc).
What
can World Families do for me?
We
help you order your test kit, join a surname project, and understand the
results. We give your project a free website, with pages for pedigrees,
results, recruitment, and discussion. We will run your project for you
until someone from your family is ready to step in and become
administrator. And, we will train that administrator until he or she is
ready to take over the project.
Who is
Worldfamilies.net?
Our
president, Terry Barton, is a committed genealogist who has a good deal
of experience in genealogy research. After starting and administering
the Barton DNA project (which has become one of the most successful
surname DNA projects in the country), he realized he had the knowledge
to help other genealogists start Surname DNA Projects and give them the
tools to be more effective in running their projects. Worldfamilies.net
was established and has grown quickly in the last three years. We now
host hundreds of surname projects. We work with the largest and best
genetic genealogy testing company, Family Tree DNA, who appreciate and
value the services we provide and compensate us for it. Project
participants pay the same price whether Worldfamilies.net
is involved or not. So, our service is absolutely free to you!
What should I do if I
have an idea or suggestion?
We welcome your
ideas! Please
post
on our forums or send an email to
Terry Barton.
"This
information is for the private use of any genealogical researcher to
further their own knowledge. It is not to be reprinted in any form
without the written permission of the World Families Network."
Last Updated 10 December 2006
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Copyright © 2006 World
Families Network.
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Last Published: 07/30/2005 09:27:16
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