I had the pleasure last month of being interviewed via Zoom for the website DNA Weekly. The interviewer, Ditsa Keren, transcribed and edited the interview, and it’s presented in print form. Here’s the link if you’d like to read it: Organize Your Family History for Future Generations.
I don’t do much with genetic genealogy so I was a little surprised to be asked, but I was happy to talk about organizing traditional genealogy. And I shared my views on genetic genealogy.
DNA Weekly looks like a great resource for those interested in genetic genealogy. In addition to its blog (where my interview appears as well as interviews with others), it offers reviews of different testing platforms and weighs in on what it considers the best testing kits for various types of DNA tests.
I hope you enjoy the interview!
Great interview, Janine! I wish she had let you vet her transcription so that your talk, “The Imperfect Genealogist” didn’t morph into “The Imperfection Genealogist.”
The sad truth is that she did let me vet it and I apparently didn’t notice! (How’s that for imperfection?) I’ll ask her to change it. Thanks, Christy.
Janine
A recent memo for SAR Registrars on the use of DNA as historical proof
DNA – Limited Use & Requirements
Since the last Genealogist General’s email, there have been questions regarding the limited use of DNA evidence and what is required to use that evidence.
At this time DNA evidence is only accepted for situations where an applicant is trying to establish his own biologic parentage. DNA matches found through autosomal DNA tests such as FamilyTreeeDNA’s FamilyFinder testing, AncestryDNA testing, other similarly recognized testing companies must be closely related to the applicant within two biological generations; parent, sibling, half-sibling, grandparent, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew. Automsomal test results for matches in those close relationships would show a minimum of 20% shared DNA. Most of the testing companies test about 6800 DNA locations on the 22 chromosomes (not including the sex chromosome). The measurements of common DNA on segments of these chromosomes is measured in centimorgans (cMs). A parent-child match would be exactly a 50% DNA match or about 3400 cMs. A grandparent, half-sibling, aunt, uncle, niece or nephew match would vary from about 20% to 30% match and a full-sibling match could be 20% to 40% match. More distant relationships would be less than 20%.
In addition to providing the testing company’s report showing the matching data, the applicant and his match must also provide evidence of the connect to each other through the common parent. That means that there must be evidence proving the matches relationship to the claimed parent.
Because of the privacy concerns of using another person’s DNA evidence, both the applicant and the match must also include in the application, signed consent forms indicating that they are all aware of the how the DNA will be used and are providing informed consent to use their DNA as evidence. The Consent Forms are posted on the NSSAR website under “Genealogy/Genealogy Resources”.
The SAR will also accept reports of results of a paternity test provided by a court recognized paternity testing company when the report provides 99%+ likelihood of the paternity. Again the consent forms must also be submitted.
Thanks so much for sharing that information, Jerry!