This book covers the periodfrom 2002 until the end of 2015.

 During that period of time much has changedand continues to change. The general approach to using DNA for genealogicalpurposes has been dictated by the labs who create the tests. Their scientistswould develop a test that they thought would prove something particular in thegenealogical world. They would then sell the tests to the genealogy communityand we the genealogists with tests them with our genealogy data to determinewhat they actually proved. Time and time again they did not add much to our genealogy.

What kind of tests have there been

They did add quite a bit toother fields of endeavor. For example and figuring the relationships to closelyrelated people it the autosomal DNA test has become the mainstay for adoptedpeople to figure out their ancestors. That could be considered by some asgenealogy but for those of us focusing on people in our family back furtherthan four or five generations it has very little value. That test can be usedto figure out very small bits of DNA that are shared by many different cousins.The test does not tell you how you’re related to that person. The relationshipsare determined by how much DNA you share and that can be affected by how manylines you’re related to one another on. In other words if you are cousins onmore than one ancestral line you will have more DNA in common but if you don’tknow you have more than one line you will think you’re more closely related.This field is autosomal will DNA is a whole different subject and will becovered in my next book.

DNA tests completed by Jim Rader

The list below contains allof the tests I’ve taken since 2002. The ones highlighted in yellow are thosewhich apply to the subject of this book, Y-DNA.

1.    BigY                                                         4/28/2015

2.    Y-DNA111                                                12/15/2014

3.    PF1023                                                     5/1/2014    

4.    L163                                                         5/9/2014

5.     Genographic 2.0 Transfer                                4/28/2014

6.     britainsdna                                              31/10/2013

7.     CTS4299                                                  7/2/2013    

8.     mtFullSequence                                    6/14/2013  

9.     23and me upgrade 1.0-v3                    3/4/2013

10.Genographic2.0                                     10/07/2012

11.Family Finder                                          2/6/2012

12.AncestryDNA autosomal                       11/01/2011

13.Original 23andme                                  Oct2009

14.Deep Clade-R                                          3/12/2009  

15.Y-DNA67                                                  9/17/2008  

16.Y-DNA37                                                  4/28/2004  

17.Y-HAP-Backbone                                     3/7/2003

18.BYU ONTARIO, CALIFORNIA                  Aug 7-10-2002  FGS Conference—

19.mtDNA Plus                                             12/6/2002 

20.Y-DNA25                                                  11/8/2002  

21.mtDNA                                                     11/8/2002

22.Kit                                                             09/25/2002