This document, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ),
attempts to answer some
of the basic questions about Genealogy By Genetics.
1. What is Family Tree DNA?
Our service is dedicated to helping genealogists find lost relatives when the paper trail ends and the brick wall takes its place. We use a painless cheek scraping to obtain DNA that can help accurately determine a relationship with either a 99.9% probability of YES or a 100% certainly if NO relationship existed.
2. Why would I want to take a genetic test?
Our service was created for the serious amateur and the professional genealogists who wish to extend their family trees by confirming a link where no conventional source records exist. In some cases our tests can also be used to determine if a person is part of a larger group of people: for example, Jews will be able to confirm they are of Cohanim lineage.
Our tests are also perfect for individuals who want to perform Surname-based family tree reconstruction projects.
3. How much is the test offered by Family Tree DNA?
The cost of the Maternal Match and the Y-DNA tests are $219. A combined test, the Y-DNA12+mtDNA, which will report both a man's mtDNA and his Y-DNA is available for $299. The Cohanim comparison is included with either the Y-DNA test or the Y-DNA12+mtDNA!
4. What do you do with the results of the test?
Results will be placed in our secure, private and confidential database. Once a person's test result has been entered into our genetic library, a connection can be made whenever another related person chooses to have their DNA tested. For a better understanding of the privacy and confidentiality commitment of Family Tree DNA, please see our position on Privacy & Confidentiality
5. I've heard about a Project between JewishGen and Dr. Hammer. What's that all about?
Dr. Hammer is conducting a study on the migrations of the Jews through Europe. He will need about 2,000 males from all regions in Ashkenazi Europe to test. See more here !
6. How is your test different from a paternity test?
Tests performed by other companies determine a relationship between a father and a child, primarily for paternity cases, alimony or other legal purposes. Family Tree DNA offers that same type of test between the child and the great grandfathers' brother's offspring (or other distant relatives) for the specific purpose of recreating lost family links.
7. How is the test performed?
Your genetic test kit consists of a cheek scraper and a collection tube. In about five minutes, you will be able to read the instructions and perform a painless cheek scraping. The effect of using the scraper is about the same as brushing your cheek with a soft bristle toothbrush. A backup scraper & tube is included to insure that a good sample is obtained by our lab. We intend that you use them both!
8. How does your service work?
After you have placed your order, a simple genetic test kit and instructions will be mailed to you. Your genetic sample will be processed, and the results will be entered into our secure, private and confidential non-web-based genetic library. A comparison between your specific genetic markers and those of others in the database will then be performed and you will be notified if a Y-DNA12+mtDNA is found. You will also receive a report that will give you the position of your personal location of each of your 12 markers (Loci).
9. How long will it take for me to get my results?
From the time you return the two specimens to us it will take approximately seven weeks to test your DNA sample, analyze the specimens and compare the results to data in the existing genetic library.
10. Will Family Tree DNA have the right to publish the results of these studies?
No, however if an individual wants to participate in the growing body of data used by Prof. Hammer, like the Special Project they can do so by signing the special consent form sent along with each JewishGen order.
11. Will I have the right to remove my genetic profile from the database at some later time?
Yes. Just like an email list, if you decide that you want your data deleted from the database, you may email us, we will look up you ID number, and ask that it be deleted from the Database.
12. If the marker analysis shows that I carry a problematic gene, will I be informed?
We won't know if you show positive for a disease, as we are only running a test on the DNA to look at 12 specific Loci on the Y Chromosome. We are not doing tests for BRCA1 or BRCA2. The reason we ask people who volunteer to be in Prof. Hammer's study if they have a history of Gauchers, Tay Sachs, etc. is so he can try to identify the geography with the strongest evidence of the disease, in order to determine where the mutation occurred.
13. I am researching a family with many distinct branches. How many people from each branch should I use?
This is an important and very practical question that speaks to the heart of all genealogical testing and research. The chance that a match does not exist due to infidelity or unreported adoptions occurs 2%-5% of the time per generation. For families trying to do clan reconstruction, it is prudent to test 2 different known male cousins from each different branch. In cases of unexpected results, FTDNA will retest at no charge to confirm that a lab error is not an issue.
14. Suppose I have a distant cousin in another country and we both send our specimens separately, how will you know that we want to confirm our family connections?
Unless you ordered together or sent in your samples together we wouldn't know that you wanted to share results with each other, however if you sign the Release Form, included with every test kit, we will automatically release your specific contact information to people who have an exact match to you. Our matches maintain a confidence level of 99.9%.
15. I am female and another potential relative is male. How can we make a DNA connection using Family Tree DNA?
There are two ways to answer this genealogical question. Ideally a match would best be done by testing a known male member of your biological family, (brother, father or first cousin), against the potential male relative. This would be a Y-DNA12+mtDNA or Y chromosome test and would allow us to also search for the Cohanim gene. The other method, while not as straight forward, utilizes the mother who passes her DNA to both male and female offspring and this can be checked using mtDNA or mitochondrial DNA. A match between the mtDNA of a male potential relative and your mtDNA would mean you have a common female ancestor. A male's mtDNA comes only from his mother and is not passed on to his offspring.
16. How far back can you determine a genetic link?
All genetic tests will provide you a probability that you and another person, who have an exact match, in our case (12/12), will have your Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) within a range of time backwards. Our test gives you the following range: 14.5 generations (50%) likelihood, 34 generations (80%) likelihood, and 48 generations (90%) likelihood. To go to the absolute 100.00% certainty that your MRCA has occurred you would have to accept an outside limit of approximately 1800 years back. See the new TechFaq.
17. What tests do you perform?
We perform three specific types of DNA related chromosome tests. We test the Y chromosome to determine descent from the fathers' paternal lineage, and mtDNA (Mitochondrial DNA) testing which traces the mother's maternal lineage. We also perform a test to determine whether you have the much studied "Cohanim gene" written about in the January 1997 issue of the journal Nature
18. When should I use your genetic testing service?
We work in conjunction with existing genealogical records and our tests help you fill in the gaps where no records exist. To be clear, we can determine descent from your father's father or your mother's mother. That means in the case of an individual's great-grandparent's generation, we can determine a link to two of your eight great-grandparents. You can, however, easily determine other family links by obtaining DNA samples from your male and female cousins.
19. What is your policy on confidentiality and privacy?
We understand the extreme need for privacy, even when the goal is genealogy rather than courtroom or medical determinants. Much has been written about privacy and confidentiality of genetic testing over the last 5-10 years, and many states have passed legislation in this area. We follow the most stringent guidelines for privacy. óWe control the Surnames Database Library, while the University of Arizona controls and maintains the genetic library on our behalf. Therefore, there is a double safety net. The first is upon us in the form of State legislation, and the other upon the University of Arizona which, is bound by both State and Federal privacy and confidentiality legislation. To the best of our knowledge, no other genetics testing company has voluntarily placed itself under such strict regulations. Please read our section on Legal.
20.What steps does Family Tree DNA take to keep my results confidential?
Your privacy is assured because the testing facility will not have access to your name. Only your unique number will accompany your collection tube to the testing lab. The computer-generated number is the only information about you that the testing facility will see. Once your test has been completed, the results will be entered in a secure non-web-based database, and the lab will inform us of any matches between two coded numbers. The information placed in our Surnames Database Library will only display your last name on our web site. No specific information about you will be available at the web site. Search the Database
21.Who's Who at Family Tree DNA?
View the people who provide scientific and business support for FTDNA Who's Who?
22. How to order, science boiled down beautifully...So-I buy the kit and get either the Y-DNA12+mtDNA or the Cohanim Match (I'm Male) and I get notified (assuming I sign the Releases Form) of any people (relatives!) I match with and also get notified if I carry the Cohanim gene---Gerson Kaplan
Gerson, I could have taken an entire page to say that... DNA test kit.
23. So you have read all of this and want to visit the Family tree DNA home page?
Visit the Family Tree DNA Home Page?
Only Family Tree DNA will have the capability through our database to cross-reference test results from all submissions in order to identify family links of which you were not even aware! This information will only be available to those people who have signed the Release Form granting us permission to notify others in the database of an exact match.
24. What do these Loci and Allele reports look like, what do the differences look like?
25. What % of Jews are Cohanim?