Testing - when to stop

[patthepiper981]

I keep a watching brief on the Dunbar DNA site and occasionally check my results against others, but because I am very busy chasing up paper records, my time spent on DNA results is very limited.

So, please could the experts answer what is possibly a naive question or two?

I took a 67 result test. Checking myFTDNA information, I gather that the next step is a Deep Haplogroup test - would this be correct?

For family history purposes, how necessary is the DH test? The test isn't  for someone with limited means.

Pat Dunbar

[Debra Dunbar Nowell]

Hi Pat,

Thank you for your questions.  They are not naïve and are questions that most participants ask questions about. 

Since your markers are a match with the men in Lineage 1, my answer to you is much different than for our other participants whose markers are in other Lineages or in the Unassigned Haplogroups. 

Lineage 1 is the only confirmed Haplogroup in the project.  All the other men have their haplogroup predicted based on their markers.  Confirmed means a deep Haplogroup test was ordered and tested on their DNA samples.  Those results are noted in Green on the Results page.  All predicted Haplogroups are in Red. 

According to Alice Fairhurst of ISOGG (Int’l Soc. Of Genetic Genealogist), all persons within a Lineage will carry the same Haplogroup designation.  Lineage 1 is now confirmed R1b1b2g.  Three men have tested and a fourth is still at the lab.  Your haplogroup will be the same as these 3 men.   You do not “need” to have a DH test.  However, this is your DNA and you can order any test you want. 

For those men in the Unassigned Haplogroups, their haplogroup designations are only predicted.  Since these men currently do not match with any other Dunbar in the project getting a Deep Haplogroup test will narrow down, to a more specific area of the world, where their ancient ancestors originated.   

The current recommendation, for further testing, is only to test to the maximum number of 67 markers which you’ve already done. 

Some of the men in Lineage 1 have taken an Advanced Panel 5 test which added an additional 30 markers.  We found this panel to be very stable and not worth the total cost of the Panel $102.00.  However, we did find great volatility with marker DYF399X in that particular Panel and we see value in getting as many men in Lineage 1 to test this marker and 399X can be ordered separately for around $16.00 US.  If marker 399X is something you’d like to add, email me and I can give you instructions on how to order.  If not, you’re set and need not do any further testing.  That said, new advances and discoveries are made everyday and possible future recommendations may be advised for Lineage 1. 

Hope this helps, Debra

[patthepiper]

Hello Debra,
Regarding your final paragraph,

<However, we did find great volatility with marker DYF399X in that particular Panel and we see value in getting as many men in Lineage 1 to test this marker and 399X can be ordered separately for around $16.00 US.  If marker 399X is something you’d like to add, email me and I can give you instructions on how to order.  If not, you’re set and need not do any further testing.  That said, new advances and discoveries are made everyday and possible future recommendations may be advised for Lineage 1.

Can you update this information, in particular, the last sentence? Are you waiting for more results from this test? How do I participate?

Pat

[Debra Dunbar Nowell]

Hi Pat,

Currently we do not have any person in Lineage 1 testing DYF399X.  What's appearing on the Results page are the only persons tested so far.  You'll find the results for 399X out to the far right of the Results table. 

http://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/dunbar/results

We'd love to have you test that marker. 
1. Go to any of your FTDNA account pages
2. Click "Order Tests and Upgrades"
3. Choose "Advanced Orders"
4. Go down that page until you find:
  Y-STR DNA-FP Panel 5 Palindromic Pack   
5. 2nd marker down is DYF 399X - $16.00
6. There is a one-time fee of $9.25? to transfer your DNA from Arizona to Houston TX.  (The transfer fee used to be stated but I can't find it anywhere so I'm remembering, what it had been)
7. There is no Invoice method for this transaction.  It's straight credit card if done online. 

As to your last question: "Can you update this information, in particular, the last sentence?"  The last sentence being "That said, new advances and discoveries are made everyday and possible future recommendations may be advised for Lineage 1."

Probably the best example I can give you is on your "Advanced Test" page which I described above.  When we first began this Project in '05, the only test available were up to 37 markers and an very simple Deep Clade SNP test.  All of these test on the Advance page have been added since that time and the list keeps growing. 

FamilyTree has added many autosomal tests which include other chromosome's beside mtDNA and Y-DNA.  These were added to look for some very common health issues. 

Probably the biggest factor in what's driving this industry is the Archon X Prize.  See below.  Already we've seen dramatic improvements in the machinery to read the DNA.  Just last month I read where one organization may be able to read a person's entire genome in 24-48 hours for under $1,000.00. 

"The Archon X PRIZE for Genomics is the second prize launched by the X PRIZE Foundation following the success of the Ansari X PRIZE for Sub-Orbital Space. To win the $10 million genomics prize purse, teams must successfully sequence 100 human genomes within 10 days for less than $10,000 per genome."

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=799122

Currently, I don't have any new recommendations beside DYF399X for our Lineage 1 men.   When something does come along that might help the Lineage 1 men or any of our other Lineages or participants, I'll be notifying those groups or men. 

I hope that answers your questions.  Until next time, Debra
Dunbar DNA Project Admin.

Hello Debra,
Regarding your final paragraph,

<However, we did find great volatility with marker DYF399X in that particular Panel and we see value in getting as many men in Lineage 1 to test this marker and 399X can be ordered separately for around $16.00 US.  If marker 399X is something you’d like to add, email me and I can give you instructions on how to order.  If not, you’re set and need not do any further testing.  That said, new advances and discoveries are made everyday and possible future recommendations may be advised for Lineage 1.

Can you update this information, in particular, the last sentence? Are you waiting for more results from this test? How do I participate?

Pat

[patthepiper]

Hello Debra,
Test ordered, total cost $16:00. No mention of a transfer charge.
Pat

[Debra Dunbar Nowell]

Thanks Pat,  FTDNA must have changed their pricing structure not to include the one-time transfer fee for the Advanced Testing.  This is very good news and the reason I was no longer seeing that additional charge in pricing.  Super!!!

Debra,
Administrator Dunbar DNA Project