Developments in DNA Genelaogy World: Genetic Communities, mtDNA, myOrigins

In the last week or two there have been some changes in the DNA Genealogy world.

Over at AncestryDNA, Ancestry.com has released AncestryDNA Genetic Communities. Genetic Communities (GCs) are supposed to link your origins to specific communities based on your shared DNA with others and family trees at Ancestry. Ancestry.com has a brief two minute video on YouTube the gives broad highlights of the AncestryDNA Genetic Communities. In addition, there is a six minute video from AncestryUK which is a bit more helpful with explaining what AncestryDNA Genetic Communities are and how it appears on your AncestryDNA test.

For some more detailed information, you can watch a webinar by Blaine Bettinger over at FamilyTreeWebinars called Exploring AncestryDNA's New Genetic Communities. Unfortunately today, April 6, is the last day for non-subscription members to view it for free. The webinar is about an hour and a half long. Syllabus handouts are for subscription members only.

Over at Family Tree DNA there are been a couple updates. First, with regards to mtDNA, Family Tree DNA recently released its mtDNA Build 17 which updates haplogroups and branches of the mitochondrial DNA haplotree. Some customers will see a change in their mtDNA haplogroup designation. Remember mtDNA is inherited directly through the mother but only female children pass mtDNA onto their children.

Second, Family Tree DNA just the other day released an update to myOrigins 2.0 for its FamilyFinder (autosomal DNA) tests. The myOrigins feature shows the ethnicity and geographic ancestry aka your ethnic percentages and locations on the world map. With myOrigins 2.0 FTDNA now shows smaller trace regions (which might be "just noise" and refined population clusters. So if you have a FamilyFinder test, you might want to look at your ethnicity mix and see what has changed.

Lastly, do not forget that if you have tested at AncestryDNA you can download your DNA data and transfer the data to Family Tree DNA for just $19 and get your autosomal test into a second pool of DNA matches. You never know where a cousin has tested. Data transfers can also be made to GedMatch.com for free where your test can be compared to matches who have uploaded their test results from a variety of testing companies. GedMatch can be viewed by active members only.

See you soon at Mt. Clemens Public Library!
LE