DNA Genealogy by Corlee Ann Morris

For the first DNA Genealogy contribution to our new COMPU.GEN Blog, I would like to cover three topics.

First Topic:  Family Finder DNA Projects.  The original DNA Projects when testing became available were focused on Surname Projects.  Now that Autosomal DNA testing is available, the structure of a Surname Project is not a good fit.  So now Projects based on the Family Finder results are being developed.  FTDNA just came out with some guidelines for Group Administrators on Family Finder Groups.

Second Topic: In the twentieth Century we have had an amazing increase of technological development.  Computer electronics have been constantly getting more powerful and cheaper.  Now the things we study with computers have been speeding along at a faster and faster pace as well.  Beyond traditional genealogy research, many tools have become available to assist in our quest for knowing all we can know about our family connections.  Genetic Genealogy has advance so far that CeCe Moore says that we can build a family tree based on DNA testing.  The Autosomal DNA testing is adding to our ability to make connections where paper trails quit.  There is a movement in the genealogy world that parallels much of the Citizen science currently in vogue.  Citizen science is research conducted by interested amateurs. People have become so fascinated by what our genes can tell about ourselves that they are creating innovative tools to analyze DNA testing results.  I hope to share these with you as I learn how to use them.   

Third Topic:  A new area of exploration involves what is called the “x” Chromosomes.  The males have only one “x” while the female has two (one from her father and one from her mother).   The “x” chromosomes are not the same things as the mtDNA.  An “x” Chromosome is a chromosome, while the mtDNA is/are DNA material(s) found with in each cell. Mitocondria¹  is a specific organelle in the cell that helps it to produce energy. The mtDNA² is the genetic material found in mitochondria.  How the males “x” chromosome manifests itself and how the female “x” chromosomes manifests themselves yields some surprising information.  I am doing more research on this subject. More to be explored later.   

^{1 &2}(From the Glossary at www.familytreedna.com)

Corlee Ann Morris

CGSSD Board Member and past President.