Genetic Genealogy or "Genetealogy"
Not too long ago I received an email from one of my husband's distant relatives. His name is Reg, and we first made contact via WorldGenWeb. We conversed a few times sharing information and he described his relationship to my husband as follows:
"Without going into a long listing of details, your husbands mother and I each have in our DNA makeup, an identical 6.25% of the DNA of our ancestral patriarchs, Samuel McAuslane and Flora Ramsay. Your husband and my daughter(contempories in age) each carry 3.125% of that DNA."
I thought it was a bit strange that he would describe his relationship to my husband using DNA percentages, instead of just saying they're third cousins once removed. But genetic genealogy research, sometimes called "genetealogy," is becoming much more common these days. There's going to be a Genetic Genealogy Seminar the day before the FGS Conference in Salt Lake City next month, which I assume a lot of the genealogists coming into town for the conference will also be going to. I don't know much about DNA testing myself, but here are a few good articles that I'd recommend reading as an introduction.
Genetics & Genealogy by Thomas H. Roderick, PhD
An introduction to Genetic Genealogy by Alan Savin
Genetics & Genealogy - An Introduction With Y-DNA Case Study Examples by Charles F. Kerchner, Jr.
I also found an interesting survey done by Megan Smolenyak, writer for Ancestry.com. The survey asked three multiple-choice questions:
1. How would you describe your participation in genetic genealogy?
(a) Have not done it and am not interested
(b) Am “getting smart” about it to decide whether to try it
(c) Will likely try it within the next 6 months
(d) Have taken (or sponsored/facilitated) one DNA test
(e) Have taken (or sponsored/facilitated) more than one DNA test
(f) Am active participant in a DNA project, but don't manage it
(g) Manage a DNA project
2. If you have not participated in genetic genealogy, which of the following explain why?
(a) Don't understand it yet
(b) Not sure it would help my genealogical research
(c) Concerned about privacy
(d) Too expensive
(e) Other
3. If you have participated in genetic genealogy, which kind of test(s) have you taken (or sponsored/facilitated)?
(a) Y-DNA
(b) mtDNA
(c) DNAPrint/BioGeographical
(d) African Ancestry
(e) Native American Ancestry
(f) Other Ethnic (Cohanim, Tribes of Britain, etc.)
(g) Other
To view her results, click here.