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One thing I have learned from trying to educate my project members is that I am not a good teacher. Way too many cannot understand what I try to describe--especially SNPs--so I must blame myself. Does anyone know of a good tutorial I could use? Those that I have found online seem to devote just a line or two to SNPs and their importance.
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I don't think that there is. Important is a relative word so it should also be defined in relation to SNPs.
What is the reason you are trying to educate your members on SNPs? Are you trying to convince them to do further testing or are they asking you about it? Many of them probably don't see how SNPs that first appeared in a direct ancestor from thousands of years ago helps them in a genealogical time frame.
If you are trying to show them that SNPs can divide groups of people that look to have common ancestors based on STR markers but SNPs can show that they don't because they have to share certain SNPs then I would think that is all that needs to be said.
If you want them to upgrade to help determine how much of which SNPs exist in a surname, region, or ethnic group then that can be said on top of the others. -
SNP Tutorial
Then there is the story about the old lady who said, "Each to his own taste," as she kissed her cow. I can't imagine NOT recommending SNP testing to my project members who are interested in their ancestry. We received this from a member a couple of days ago whom we asked to SNP test, which is what prompted my query: "Would like to help but much of technical lingo sails over my head with the result that I do not grasp what you're saying. Can you refer me to a source that explains the way the program works." so far, based on SNPs, we have divided his haplogroup (Z255) into five sub-branches, and we are urging the 50 or more members of this clusterwho have not yet SNP tested to do so. While I agree many are not interested in "deep" ancestry (in quotes because SNPs are fast catching up with STRs), I would be remiss to take a passive attitude toward any kind of testing that furthers project goals. But thanks for your comments. Guess we will have to prepare our own tutorial.Comment
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I hope you didn't think that I was insinuating that you shouldn't recommend SNP testing to your project members who are interested in their ancestry. I certainly don't think that I wrote anything that should have been interpreted that way. I am a big proponent of SNP testing. However, I have found a significant lack of interest from a lot of people from various ethnic backgrounds even after it is explained that each SNP belonged to a single individual in their direct paternal and anyone that doesn't have it is not from that branch and each branch can be estimated to it's formation date and also a TMRCA which can be different.
Basically, it could be that your explanation was not going over their head but rather they don't understand how it would help them.
But yes, your own tutorial would be best because then you can use the people that have tested as examples and it can be more specific to your project.Comment
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I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but maybe you could try Kelly Wheaton's page:
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