[APG Public List] [APG Members] Exciting New Dimension for DNA Research

[JYoung6180 at aol.com]

That is what is so exciting about the new Relative Finder. Before this, it  
was hit or miss trying to locate others who had been tested and who were 
willing  to share enough info to find any cousins--distant or close. 
 
Now, the Relative Finder tool gives us all a list (for me there are 186  
matches ranging from probable 3rd cousins down to distant cousins (probably  
around 7th to 10th cousins). We still have to make the contacts and make  the 
connections but at least we are being given a clue of WHO to contact.
 
I believe a few other companies are also doing autosomal and X testing but  
as far as I know 23andme is the cheapest of the lot because it is partly  
subsidized by the husband of one of the two co-founders of the company (a  
co-founder of Google, Sergey Brin). 
 
I don't know the algorithm they are using for the new tool but it appears  
to be MUCH more accurate than any matching tool they used in the past. My  
experience so far bears that out. 
 
There is always Y search and mitosearch for finding matches of the  
traditional DNA testing for genealogical purposes but most companies don't test  
the exact same markers so it is often like comparing apples and oranges. 
 
23andme has a partnership with AncestryDNA but I don't know yet if or how  
those people tested with AncestryDNA are being included in the data being  
compared by this new tool. 
 
Joan
 
 
In a message dated 10/29/2009 7:40:59 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
scott at appletree.com writes:

I  understand what you were saying now.  Wow, I wonder what the odds are of 
 finding matches.  Do they publish any numbers?  Number of entries in  
their database you can match against, average number of matches?

I'm  also wondering if there are any other DNA testing companies that 
affordably  test X and autosomal chromosomes to the degree necessary to find 
relationships  the way 23andme does?  I see Family Tree DNA offers those tests 
at  reasonable prices.  Are those sufficient?  Of course, then they  would 
also have to facilitate the matching process.

It would be  interesting to either have a master database or service that 
DNA testing  companies participate with to find relationships across DNA  
databases.


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