FAQ
If you have a question not covered below, or just want some feedback on this group and your place in it, or anything else...the best way to reach me is directly via email at dnadeb@gmail.com Also, have you checked the info under the other tabs (background, goals, news, results)? Your answer may be there!
I joined this group awhile ago, why haven't I heard anything?
You should have received an automatic "welcome email" from me that is actually sent by FTDNA. If you responded to that and didn't hear back, it means I somehow missed your reply...so please contact me again: dnadeb@gmail. com
What more do you need from me, other than joining the group?
If you haven't made your results "visible" to the group administrator. please do...I need to see your coding region results to properly place you within the group and evaluate where you fit into our group migration story. I also could use whatever you know about your older maternal ancestors...even if you are not sure of places or dates, "family stories" and "rumors" are valuable clues. (That often turn out to be closer to fact than people think!) Some of you who have been in this group for years have already done this, so no worries...it's you newer folks I'm talking to. Not sure if I have your info or not? Email me! dnadeb@gmail.com
Am I likely to find a cousin I can confirm with a paper trail via this DNA testing?
To be blunt, no. It's possible but not likely. (Although if you have a particular person you THINK is a relative, the DNA test can be a great way to confirm or deny that!) The reason it is not likely otherwise is that via DNA testing, the time to the common ancestor is usually farther back than people's paper trails go. And in many cases, such as with most Jews, surnames are not ancient or even hereditary, once you are tracing back more than a few generations. Your matches do give you clues, though, as to your maternal family history. Indeed, you can learn some absolutely awesome things...see next FAQ:
What exactly will I get out of being in this group?
It's going to be a wild ride, so buckle your seat belt. First, if you haven't already clicked on the "LINKS" tab, please do so as there are many items there of interest already. Second, as soon as I have updated our private group chart---this is a chart different than the FTDNA list of results---I will post it and send it to members so you can see exactly who you match and how closely and how significantly. Thirdly and most thrilling, from this information I will be creating a phylogeny (group tree) which combines your results with family history information, world history information and the results from recent genetic studies to tell our story of how our predominantly Jewish and Armenian subclade originated and migrated over the millennia. It's going to be a very good story!
Should I do more DNA testing now?
The answer varies quite a bit from person to person, so please feel free to email me directly to get an individualized reply. But in general, for MtDNA, it is VERY valuable to have done the full mitochondrial genome sequence (FMS)...so if you have only tested HVR1 and HVR2 levels, upgrading would be well worth the money. However, it is not cheap. If your results might make a big difference in our group analysis, I'd be willing to help cover the cost. And keep your eyes peeled for sales---FTDNA usually sends emails about them.
Although we are an MtDNA group, if you have other questions about DNA testing (ydna, family finder, Geno 2.0 etc.), email me. I've done almost every test known to man and can guide you!
I joined this group awhile ago, why haven't I heard anything?
You should have received an automatic "welcome email" from me that is actually sent by FTDNA. If you responded to that and didn't hear back, it means I somehow missed your reply...so please contact me again: dnadeb@gmail. com
What more do you need from me, other than joining the group?
If you haven't made your results "visible" to the group administrator. please do...I need to see your coding region results to properly place you within the group and evaluate where you fit into our group migration story. I also could use whatever you know about your older maternal ancestors...even if you are not sure of places or dates, "family stories" and "rumors" are valuable clues. (That often turn out to be closer to fact than people think!) Some of you who have been in this group for years have already done this, so no worries...it's you newer folks I'm talking to. Not sure if I have your info or not? Email me! dnadeb@gmail.com
Am I likely to find a cousin I can confirm with a paper trail via this DNA testing?
To be blunt, no. It's possible but not likely. (Although if you have a particular person you THINK is a relative, the DNA test can be a great way to confirm or deny that!) The reason it is not likely otherwise is that via DNA testing, the time to the common ancestor is usually farther back than people's paper trails go. And in many cases, such as with most Jews, surnames are not ancient or even hereditary, once you are tracing back more than a few generations. Your matches do give you clues, though, as to your maternal family history. Indeed, you can learn some absolutely awesome things...see next FAQ:
What exactly will I get out of being in this group?
It's going to be a wild ride, so buckle your seat belt. First, if you haven't already clicked on the "LINKS" tab, please do so as there are many items there of interest already. Second, as soon as I have updated our private group chart---this is a chart different than the FTDNA list of results---I will post it and send it to members so you can see exactly who you match and how closely and how significantly. Thirdly and most thrilling, from this information I will be creating a phylogeny (group tree) which combines your results with family history information, world history information and the results from recent genetic studies to tell our story of how our predominantly Jewish and Armenian subclade originated and migrated over the millennia. It's going to be a very good story!
Should I do more DNA testing now?
The answer varies quite a bit from person to person, so please feel free to email me directly to get an individualized reply. But in general, for MtDNA, it is VERY valuable to have done the full mitochondrial genome sequence (FMS)...so if you have only tested HVR1 and HVR2 levels, upgrading would be well worth the money. However, it is not cheap. If your results might make a big difference in our group analysis, I'd be willing to help cover the cost. And keep your eyes peeled for sales---FTDNA usually sends emails about them.
Although we are an MtDNA group, if you have other questions about DNA testing (ydna, family finder, Geno 2.0 etc.), email me. I've done almost every test known to man and can guide you!