The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy

by Blaine T. Bettinger

Overview

Unlock the family secrets in your DNA!

Discover the answers to your family history mysteries using the most cutting edge tool available. This plain-English guide (newly updated and expanded to include th latest DNA developments) will teach you what DNA tests are available; the pros and cons of the major testing companies; and how to choose the right test to answer your specific genealogy questions.  And once you've taken a DNA test, this guide will help you use your often-overwhelming results, with tips for understanding ethnicity estimates, navigating suggested cousin matches, and using third-party tools like GEDmatch to further analyze your data.

The book features:


·         Colorful diagrams and expert definitions that explain key DNA terms and concepts such as haplogroups and DNA inheritance patterns
·         Detailed guides to each of the major kinds of DNA tests and tips for selecting the DNA test that can best help you solve your family mysteries, with case studies showing how each can be useful
·         Information about third-party tools you can use to more thoroughly analyze your test results once you've received them
·         Test comparison guides and research forms to help you select the most appropriate DNA test and organize your results
·         Insights into how adoptees and others who know little about their ancestry can benefit from DNA testing

Whether you've just heard of DNA testing or you've tested at all three major companies, this guide will give you the tools you need to unpuzzle your DNA and discover what it can tell you about your family tree.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440345326
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/13/2016
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

Part 1 Getting Started

1 Genetic Genealogy Basics 10

Kick-start your genetic research. This chapter features a brief history of DNA testing and breaks down DNA and the four popular genetic tests, plus how to identify your genetic family tree.

2 Common Misconceptions 20

Debunk your DNA myths. This chapter addresses eleven common misunderstandings about DNA to set you straight as you begin your genetic research.

3 Ethics and Genetic Genealogy 36

Conduct conscientious and responsible studies.This chapter explores some of the ethical issues involved in DNA testing for family research and how to account for them.

Part 2 Selecting a Test

4 Autosomal-DNA (atDNA)Testing 52

Explore your whole genetic family tree with this chapter's guide to the atDNA test, the most popular and (arguably) most useful DNA analysis.

5 Y-Chromosomal (Y-DNA) Testing 93

Find your paternal male ancestors. This chapter discusses how to use Y-DNA to track your male-line descendants and solve genealogical problems

6 Mitochondrial (mtDNA) Testing 116

Discover your female maternal ancestors and answer research questions about them with this guide to the oldest DNA test.

7 X-Chromosomal (X-DNA) Testing 136

Pinpoint your genetic ancestors.This chapter discusses how to use X-DNA and its inheritance patterns to grow your family tree.

Part 3 Analyzing and Applying test Results

8 Third-Party Autosomal-DNA Tools 152

Broaden your DNA analysis with this chapter's tips for using software, online tools, and other third-party programs to analyze atDNA test results.

9 Ethnicity Estimates 173

Unpack the estimates provided by DNA testing companies. This chapter shows what you can-and can't-learn about your ancestry from ethnicity estimates.

10 Analyzing Complex Questions with DNA 194

Dig deeper into your DNA research with these tips and strategies for using your DNA results to break through brick walls and answer challenging research questions.

11 Genetic Testing for Adoption and Other Brick Walls 209

Uncover your hidden past. This chapter provides strategies for adoptees and other individuals who may face an extra hurdle when researching ancestors.

12 The Future of Genetic Genealogy 220

Gaze into DNA's future with these predictions about the field's trajectory and what you can hope to achieve as genetic technology advances.

Glossary 234

Appendix A Comparison Guides 239

Appendix B Research Forms 244

Appendix C More Resources 256

Index 260

Editorial Reviews

"[This] Guide to DNA Testing offers a lot of information for the beginner and advanced researcher alike...[and] is easy to read and comprehend" —Bobbi King for Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

"There are very few titles on my book shelf in my genealogy office that I refer to constantly. I know that The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy will be one of those titles for years to come. I don't think I could have made some of my recent progress in my research without the valuable information provided by a knowledgeable DNA [expert] like Blaine Bettinger." —Thomas MacEntee

"Informative. Understandable. Solid." —Judy Russell, The Legal Genealogist

"[Bettinger] describes, in the simplest of terms, how to begin using genetic technologies to connect with both close and more distant members of our great human family." —Jennifer Wagner for Genome magazine

From the Publisher