About us
to be determined
Some information to ponder...
Family Tree DNA Genealogical Research Project
All humans originated from African ancestry. Humans migrated out of Africa (as determined by DNA testing) thousands of years ago.
DNA is the carrier of our genetic information, and is passed down from generation to generation. All of the cells in our bodies, except red blood cells, contain a copy of our DNA.
At conception, a person receives DNA from both the father and mother. We each have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Of each pair, one was received from the father and one was received from the mother. These 23 pairs of chromosomes are known as nuclear DNA because they reside in the nucleus of every cell (except red blood cells).
The 23rd chromosome is known as the sex chromosome. As with the other chromosomes, one is inherited from the father, and one from the mother. The 23rd chromosome from the mother is always an X. From the father, a person either inherits an X chromosome or a Y chromosome. The chromosome inherited from the father determines their gender. An X from the father would result in an XX combination, which is a female, and a Y from the father would result in an XY combination, which is a male.
Y DNA
The Y chromosome is transmitted from father to son. Testing the Y chromosome provides information about the direct male line, meaning the father to his father and so on. The locations tested on the Y chromosome are called markers. Occasionally a mutation occurs at one of the markers in the Y chromosome. Mutations are simply small changes in the DNA sequence. They are natural occurrences and take place at random intervals. Overall, they are estimated to occur once every 500 generations per marker. Mutations can sometimes be valuable in identifying branches of a family tree.
Each marker has a name assigned to it by the scientific community, such as DYS#391, DYS#439 or GATA H4. The scientists classify these markers as Short Tandem Repeats (STR) because at each of these marker locations a short DNA code repeats itself. The result for a marker is the number of times the code repeats at that location and is called the allele value.
The result received for a Y-DNA test is a string of allele values called a “haplotype.”
There are a wide variety of applications for Y-DNA testing. Y-DNA testing can be used to confirm the paper genealogical research for your family tree. It can determine which family trees with the same or variant surnames are related, and can provide clues to help you with your genealogy research. These are just a few of the applications for Y-DNA testing.
Since the Y chromosome is only found in men, those who take the Y-DNA test must be males. For females who are interested in the Y-DNA result for their surname or family tree, a close male relative with that surname would need to provide the sample.
Y-DNA Haplogroups
Using the results of a Y-DNA marker test, Family Tree DNA estimates the tester’s haplogroup. The haplogroup identifies the person's major population group and provides information about the ancient origin of the male line. Family Tree DNA also offers a haplogroup test which participants can use to confirm their haplogroup assignment. The “Backbone” haplogroup test confirms the base haplogroup assignment, and the “Deep Clade” haplogroup test identifies the branch of the haplogroup the person belongs to.
Foresta
DNA TEST
Haplogroup E3b One of the oldest groups of humans. They have been living outside of Africa for more than 60,000 years.
Since we all descent from one person, and then from a few families, and as times goes by those families keep branching out up to the point where we get to our own family nest, it would be natural that when we check our DNA, the less markers we check, the less unique they are, and the more markers we test, the more unique the whole string of markers is.
If you compare the 12 marker result to someone else who does not have the same surname, but the scores match, you are most likely NOT recently related. When we use the term recently related, we are talking about a time frame within the last 1000 years or 40 generations, a time depth that accommodates the earliest known use of surnames.
Dr. Luigi Lucca Cavalli-Sforza, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, in his fascinating book: The Great Human Diasporas: The History of Diversity and Evolutions says that the total population of Europe was 60,000 people at the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago. Now Europe has a population of 300 million people. This increase is almost entirely due to a natural increase in population rather then immigration from other continents. Keeping this in mind it is reasonable that many people alive today in Europe will match with other Europeans from BEFORE the time that our ancestors began the adoption of surnames, and when you match someone who has a different surname your first thought should be that the ‘connection’ is distant rather then recent.
Belarus
Is a landlocked nation-state in Eastern Europe, which borders Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Its capital city is Minsk, and other important cities include Brest, Grodno, Gomel, Mogilev and Vitebsk. Throughout much of history, the area which is now known as Belarus was part of various countries including Lithuania, Poland and the Russian Empire. Eventually, in 1922, Belarus became a republic in the Soviet Union as the Byelorussian SSR.
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim
Davin is a city in Slovakia.
Bialystok: English meaning is White Slope. It is the largest city in north-eastern Poland
Livite
In the Jewish tradition, is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. The Levites were the only one of the Israelite tribes who received cities but no tribal land when Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan. The Tribe of Levi served particular religious duties for the Israelites and had political responsibilities as well. In return, the landed tribes were expected to give tithe to the Levites.
Odessa
Is a city in southwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast (province), and is designated as its own separate raion (district) within the oblast. Odessa is a major port on the Black Sea.
Babruysk
The city of Babruysk is located in the Province of Belarus on the Berezina river. It is a large city in Belarus.
Kamenitz Litovsk is a small town in Russia.
Some information to ponder...
Family Tree DNA Genealogical Research Project
All humans originated from African ancestry. Humans migrated out of Africa (as determined by DNA testing) thousands of years ago.
DNA is the carrier of our genetic information, and is passed down from generation to generation. All of the cells in our bodies, except red blood cells, contain a copy of our DNA.
At conception, a person receives DNA from both the father and mother. We each have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Of each pair, one was received from the father and one was received from the mother. These 23 pairs of chromosomes are known as nuclear DNA because they reside in the nucleus of every cell (except red blood cells).
The 23rd chromosome is known as the sex chromosome. As with the other chromosomes, one is inherited from the father, and one from the mother. The 23rd chromosome from the mother is always an X. From the father, a person either inherits an X chromosome or a Y chromosome. The chromosome inherited from the father determines their gender. An X from the father would result in an XX combination, which is a female, and a Y from the father would result in an XY combination, which is a male.
Y DNA
The Y chromosome is transmitted from father to son. Testing the Y chromosome provides information about the direct male line, meaning the father to his father and so on. The locations tested on the Y chromosome are called markers. Occasionally a mutation occurs at one of the markers in the Y chromosome. Mutations are simply small changes in the DNA sequence. They are natural occurrences and take place at random intervals. Overall, they are estimated to occur once every 500 generations per marker. Mutations can sometimes be valuable in identifying branches of a family tree.
Each marker has a name assigned to it by the scientific community, such as DYS#391, DYS#439 or GATA H4. The scientists classify these markers as Short Tandem Repeats (STR) because at each of these marker locations a short DNA code repeats itself. The result for a marker is the number of times the code repeats at that location and is called the allele value.
The result received for a Y-DNA test is a string of allele values called a “haplotype.”
There are a wide variety of applications for Y-DNA testing. Y-DNA testing can be used to confirm the paper genealogical research for your family tree. It can determine which family trees with the same or variant surnames are related, and can provide clues to help you with your genealogy research. These are just a few of the applications for Y-DNA testing.
Since the Y chromosome is only found in men, those who take the Y-DNA test must be males. For females who are interested in the Y-DNA result for their surname or family tree, a close male relative with that surname would need to provide the sample.
Y-DNA Haplogroups
Using the results of a Y-DNA marker test, Family Tree DNA estimates the tester’s haplogroup. The haplogroup identifies the person's major population group and provides information about the ancient origin of the male line. Family Tree DNA also offers a haplogroup test which participants can use to confirm their haplogroup assignment. The “Backbone” haplogroup test confirms the base haplogroup assignment, and the “Deep Clade” haplogroup test identifies the branch of the haplogroup the person belongs to.
Foresta
DNA TEST
Haplogroup E3b One of the oldest groups of humans. They have been living outside of Africa for more than 60,000 years.
Since we all descent from one person, and then from a few families, and as times goes by those families keep branching out up to the point where we get to our own family nest, it would be natural that when we check our DNA, the less markers we check, the less unique they are, and the more markers we test, the more unique the whole string of markers is.
If you compare the 12 marker result to someone else who does not have the same surname, but the scores match, you are most likely NOT recently related. When we use the term recently related, we are talking about a time frame within the last 1000 years or 40 generations, a time depth that accommodates the earliest known use of surnames.
Dr. Luigi Lucca Cavalli-Sforza, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, in his fascinating book: The Great Human Diasporas: The History of Diversity and Evolutions says that the total population of Europe was 60,000 people at the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago. Now Europe has a population of 300 million people. This increase is almost entirely due to a natural increase in population rather then immigration from other continents. Keeping this in mind it is reasonable that many people alive today in Europe will match with other Europeans from BEFORE the time that our ancestors began the adoption of surnames, and when you match someone who has a different surname your first thought should be that the ‘connection’ is distant rather then recent.
Belarus
Is a landlocked nation-state in Eastern Europe, which borders Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Its capital city is Minsk, and other important cities include Brest, Grodno, Gomel, Mogilev and Vitebsk. Throughout much of history, the area which is now known as Belarus was part of various countries including Lithuania, Poland and the Russian Empire. Eventually, in 1922, Belarus became a republic in the Soviet Union as the Byelorussian SSR.
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim
Davin is a city in Slovakia.
Bialystok: English meaning is White Slope. It is the largest city in north-eastern Poland
Livite
In the Jewish tradition, is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. The Levites were the only one of the Israelite tribes who received cities but no tribal land when Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan. The Tribe of Levi served particular religious duties for the Israelites and had political responsibilities as well. In return, the landed tribes were expected to give tithe to the Levites.
Odessa
Is a city in southwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast (province), and is designated as its own separate raion (district) within the oblast. Odessa is a major port on the Black Sea.
Babruysk
The city of Babruysk is located in the Province of Belarus on the Berezina river. It is a large city in Belarus.
Kamenitz Litovsk is a small town in Russia.