Smgf

[Ann Turner]

What I am trying to understand is how one could ever tell ethnicity from X markers if the X chromosome is always recombining through females? ( leaving out markers 10074,10075,10079 that don't recombine )

FTDNA isn't marketing the test for ethnicity purposes. With larger databases, it may be possible in the future to say that some combination of alleles is more common in one geographic location vs another, but right now, the suggested use is for testing closer relationships. For instance, all sisters should have at least one X allele at every marker.

[Yaffa]

X-str

FTDNA isn't marketing the test for ethnicity purposes. With larger databases, it may be possible in the future to say that some combination of alleles is more common in one geographic location vs another, but right now, the suggested use is for testing closer relationships. For instance, all sisters should have at least one X allele at every marker.

I took the test with my alleged sister because my alleged father was deceased. I know they are not using it for ethnicity purposes but was just curious if it could ever be used for that purpose being that my family is so mixed both European and Native American. If any mixed combination ran in someones family with what ever backround how they could tell which is which when all different backrounds may be recombining in the X chomosome. I guess time will tell when the data base gets bigger.

Thanks again !

[Sonia]

Really?

[QUOTE=tomcat][QUOTE=Jambalaia32]At Sorensons you have to know 4 generations of ancestors to participate and I only know 3, so I couldn't have participated and like I said they don't use haplogroups,and I like knowing my Haplogrup. Jambalaia32

Sorenson makes exceptions for those without a 4-gen genealogy. Write them.

Maybe I should try writing them again. The response I got was, "Thanks, but no thanks" after I had told them that they might miss a number of African Americans because of known antebellum NPEs within the 4 generations. (Which of course didn't help my conspiracy theorist nature that hasn't quite believed that SMGF isn't Mormon-affliliated and that perhaps that wing hasn't joined the "progressive" nature of the group in the last 20 years or so regarding African Americans.)

[tomcat]

Sonia,

Are there any matches to your L3e3 in SMGF database?

[Ann Turner]

SMGF and African samples

Maybe I should try writing them again. The response I got was, "Thanks, but no thanks" after I had told them that they might miss a number of African Americans because of known antebellum NPEs within the 4 generations.

The four-generation requirement is in service of their autosomal research (all the lines that come between the Y-DNA straight paternal line and the mtDNA straight maternal line). Each of those genetic markers has a 1/8th chance of coming from one of your eight grandparents, so date & place information about all of those ancestors is helpful.

I wouldn't think the four-generation timespan would take you back to antebellum times, but in any event, SMGF does have an active program of collecting African samples, as described in this press release:

http://www.live-pr.com/en/sorenson-m...1048163003.htm

When those samples are processed, you can check your mtDNA results against their database. The link in the article to the world map embeds the period at the end of the sentence, so it appears to be broken. Try this instead:

http://www.smgf.org/maps/collections.jspx

[Sonia]

1865 to 1961

The four-generation requirement is in service of their autosomal research (all the lines that come between the Y-DNA straight paternal line and the mtDNA straight maternal line). Each of those genetic markers has a 1/8th chance of coming from one of your eight grandparents, so date & place information about all of those ancestors is helpful.

I wouldn't think the four-generation timespan would take you back to antebellum times, but in any event, SMGF does have an active program of collecting African samples, as described in this press release:

http://www.live-pr.com/en/sorenson-m...1048163003.htm

When those samples are processed, you can check your mtDNA results against their database. The link in the article to the world map embeds the period at the end of the sentence, so it appears to be broken. Try this instead:

http://www.smgf.org/maps/collections.jspx

Hi Ann,

I will check the the collection of African samples against my mtDNA. We'd also like to know where that renigade atDNA came from, and again African populations are going to be different from African American populations. Just take a look at the unusual results that admixed Af-Ams have had from atDNA testing.

From my known biological ancestry and family history (non-biological paters), it doesn't take a lot for me to get back to the antebellum period:
Me - b. 1961
Parents - b. 1918 & 1924
Grandparents - b. 1871, 1874, 1899, & 1905
Great-grandparents - b. 1838, 1838, 1840, 1849, 1858, 1860, 1862, and 1866.

Again, not all of these represent biological relationships, but 7 out of 8 great-grandparents were born prior to 1865. I have successfully found 5 of the 7 and know that they were still enslaved until emancipation. Hey, 3 out of 4 of my grandparents were born prior to 1900, but it was still a no-go. The children of my great-nephews (aged 6, 6, & 8) will probably be able to submit samples unless they follow the new family tradition of marrying adopted folks - all have one adopted granddad & the one has 2!

[Ann Turner]

From my known biological ancestry and family history (non-biological paters), it doesn't take a lot for me to get back to the antebellum period:
Me - b. 1961
Parents - b. 1918 & 1924
Grandparents - b. 1871, 1874, 1899, & 1905
Great-grandparents - b. 1838, 1838, 1840, 1849, 1858, 1860, 1862, and 1866.

Huh! That just goes to show you can't assume the law of averages applies I was mentally thinking of an average of 30 years per generation.

I just noticed there's a typo in your sig line when checking your mutations in the current SMGF database (no matches yet) -- the last mtDNA mutation should read 16527T, I suspect.

Ann

[Sonia]

Thanks!

Huh! That just goes to show you can't assume the law of averages applies I was mentally thinking of an average of 30 years per generation.

I just noticed there's a typo in your sig line when checking your mutations in the current SMGF database (no matches yet) -- the last mtDNA mutation should read 16527T, I suspect.

Hi Ann,

Thanks for letting me know about the typo & checking for matches. Many of the women in the early generations seemed to have children forever - starting before the age of 18 and going into their 40s. My Dad was a big time oops with his Mom being 47!

Does SMGF have a public atDNA database available to check yet?

[DMac]

Where Sorenson could improve is allowing participants to contact one another. There is no method for contacting someone you match in their database. There has been talk of this changing, but I don't expect it anytime soon. As has been discussed, things seem to take a long time at Sorenson.

Sorenson can't improve due to circumstances beyond their control. As a "Research" organization, Sorenson is bound by strict rules that govern research in the U.S. meant to protect the privacy of participants. These rules cover all studies in the heath and DNA fields. If you've got a problem with the rules, contact your representatives in government.

[Yaffa]

SMGF contacting participants

Sorenson can't improve due to circumstances beyond their control. As a "Research" organization, Sorenson is bound by strict rules that govern research in the U.S. meant to protect the privacy of participants. These rules cover all studies in the heath and DNA fields. If you've got a problem with the rules, contact your representatives in government.

I have an application for SMGF

Participant Contact Quote

Users of the online database may desire to contact you ( the participant ) to ask questions or share information. Contact between database users and project participants is completly voluntary and is brokered by SMGF or a third party,such as an email message sent through the SMGF website. None of your personal or contact information will be shared with database users.

[DMac]

I have an application for SMGF

Participant Contact Quote

Users of the online database may desire to contact you ( the participant ) to ask questions or share information. Contact between database users and project participants is completly voluntary and is brokered by SMGF or a third party,such as an email message sent through the SMGF website. None of your personal or contact information will be shared with database users.

Appears SMGF has come up with what is really the only solution possible. As a participant, unless I agreed to any contact, my contact information would remain private. Brokered contact would fall in the realm of informed consent of which I'm sure they'd keep a record.

[Yaffa]

Smgf

Appears SMGF has come up with what is really the only solution possible. As a participant, unless I agreed to any contact, my contact information would remain private. Brokered contact would fall in the realm of informed consent of which I'm sure they'd keep a record.

I think they should give participants the option of signing a hold harmless agreement. Some people may want to be contacted by email directly. Ysearch and mitosearch work this way without publicly posting someones email addy. For the others they have the option of going through a 3rd party. I think it should be up to the participant

[DMac]

I think they should give participants the option of signing a hold harmless agreement. Some people may want to be contacted by email directly. Ysearch and mitosearch work this way without publicly posting someones email addy. For the others they have the option of going through a 3rd party. I think it should be up to the participant

Unfortunately, with people who barely know what's they're doing or agreeing to, I think what SMGF has apparently put in place is in their, SMGF's, best interest. Specific agreement to be contacted would be in hand.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to be able to easily contact some people but I also understand SMGF's issues with the rules.

[Yaffa]

Smgf

Unfortunately, with people who barely know what's they're doing or agreeing to, I think what SMGF has apparently put in place is in their, SMGF's, best interest. Specific agreement to be contacted would be in hand.

Don't get me wrong. I'd love to be able to easily contact some people but I also understand SMGF's issues with the rules.

I guess it is to SMGF's advantage. Hopefully some people get their results off their web and post in Ysearch and Mitosearch!

[rucksack]

SMGF Sorenson database recent update

Sorenson mtDNA and Y-chromosome databases have recently been updated.

http://www.smgf.org

Check it out.