A Taste of Genetic Genealogy

presented by Marjorie “Margie” STEIN Beldin

margiebeldin@gmail.com
Walla Walla Stake Family Discovery Day
14 April 2018

I. What is Genetic Genealogy?

Genetic genealogy uses BOTH traditional genealogical research and DNA testing to prove or
disprove familial relationships.
II. What is DNA?
A. DeoxyriboNucleic Acid - “the instruction manual for how to build life”
B. Human DNA is 99.9% the same
C. The Book of Life: the genome is made up of chromosomes which are made up of genes which
are made up of nucleotides, Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine
III. Types of DNA and Tests
A. Y-Chromosome DNA (Only males can test)
B. “Junk” DNA
C. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (Passed down ONLY by the mother to all her children)
D. X-Chromosome DNA (everyone has at least one X chromosome)
E. Autosomal DNA (atDNA) (everyone can test for all the lines of their ancestors)
IV. Why Test?
A. Everyone’s doing it
B. Learn new and amazing facts about what makes you you
C. A new tool in your genealogical toolbox
D. Verify your paper research
V. Which Testing Company?
A. Ancestry.com - https://www.ancestry.com/dna/
1. Probably the best test to start with for autosomal testing
2. Has the largest database by millions
3. Will NOT accept other testing companies raw data
B. Family Tree DNA - https://www.familytreedna.com/
1. Tests all 3 kinds of DNA - Y-DNA, mtDNA and autosomal DNA
2. Accepts DNA raw results from others - AncestryDNA, MyHeritageDNA and
23andMe
C. 23andMe - https://www.23andme.com/
D. MyHeritage - https://www.myheritage.com/dna
1. Accepts raw DNA uploads from Ancestry.com
2. Upload NOW, get free DNA matching FOREVER
E. Living DNA - https://www.livingdna.com/en-us
1. Offers only origins info at this time;
2. Matches will eventually be provided
3. Will accept data from the other testing companies in the future
VI. Ethnicity
A. Ethnic groups are determined by each testing company independent of each other
B. Ethnicity is an estimate, not a report
C. Reference populations are “assumed” to be alike as determined by each testing company

VII. Where to Begin

A. On the web
1. Learn.Genetics: Genetic Science Learning Center, U. of Utah -
 http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/
2. Genetics Generation - http://knowgenetics.org/
3. Karen Wheaton's Beginning Genetic Genealogy Lessons - http://tinyurl.com/phn7b7x
4. Genealogy Junkie - http://www.genealogyjunkie.net/genetic-genealogy.html
5. Diahan Southard's RootsTech Video: “DNA: The Glue that Holds Families Together"
- https://www.rootstech.org/videos/diahan-southard (How DNA leads to finding an
adoptee’s family)
6. Glossary of Terms
a. http://www.genome.gov/Glossary/?textonly=true
b. http://anthro.palomar.edu/mendel/glossary.htm
7. Ethnicity
a. AncestryDNA: https://tinyurl.com/y74vjfh6
b. MyHeritage: https://tinyurl.com/yc4ljo9a
c. FamilyTreeDNA: https://tinyurl.com/y96wsq5p

B. YouTube videos
1. Ancestry.com
2. National Geographic
3. "DNA - Episode 1 of 5: The Secret of Life - PBS Documentary."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7ET4bbkTm0
4. "Cracking the Code Of Life | PBS Nova | 2001."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObGUes6c1eU
5. DNA - Chalk Talk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_GOv0fggl4
6. “What is DNA and How Does it Work?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwibgNGe4aY
7. “DNA - What is DNA? - Basics of DNA”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXdzuz5Q-hs
8. “What is DNA?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YDTOcAVJrE
9. “Animation - How DNA works”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmDG_fKUTR8
C. Books
1. Genetic Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond by Emily D. Aulicino
2. The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine Bettinger
3. Genetic Genealogy in Practice by Blaine T. Bettinger and Debbie Parker Wayne
4. NextGen Genealogy: The DNA Connection by David R. Dowell
D. Blogs and Websites:
1. Blaine Bettinger – The Genetic Genealogist blog
2. Cece Moore (“Finding Your Roots” fame) – Your Genetic Genealogist blog
3. Diahan Southard – Your DNA Guide website
4. Judy Russell – The Legal Genealogist Blog
5. Angie Bush – Molecular Genealogist
6. ISOGG – International Society of Genetic Genealogists
7. DNA-Newbie message board (ISOGG)
8. DNAeXplained - Genetic Genealogy: http://dna-explained.com/
9. Learn.Genetics: Genetic Science Learning Center, University of Utah:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/
10. Genealogy Junkie: http://www.genealogyjunkie.net/genetic-genealogy.html
11. Karen Wheaton’s Beginning Genetic Genealogy Lessons: http://tinyurl.com/phn7b7x
 12. Visual DNA Chart: http://tinyurl.com/nu6hu9m

E. Webinars
1. 2014 International Genetic Genealogy Conference videos ($4 ea or $50 for all 27)
http://i4gg.org/product-category/videos/
2. Legacy Family Tree Webinars - Webinars by Dr. Blaine Bettinger ($10/ea or $50/year
for all webinars) https://familytreewebinars.com/blainebettinger

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Chromosomes Fact Sheet." Chromosomes Fact Sheet. National Human Genome Research Institute,
16 June 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.

"Chromosomes - Pull up Those Genes." Biology4Kids.com: Cell Structure: Chromosomes. Andrew

Rader Studios, 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. <http://www.biology4kids.com/files/cell_chromosome.html>.

"Cracking the Code Of Life | PBS Nova | 2001." YouTube. YouTube, 6 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Oct.
2015.

"DNA - Episode 1 of 5: The Secret of Life - PBS Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 18
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Dowell, David R. NextGen Genealogy: The DNA Connection. Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited,
2015. Print.

Janzen, MD, Tim. "Advanced Techniques for Use of Autosomal DNA Tests to Break through
Genealogical Brick Walls." RootsTech 2014. Salt Palace, Salt Lake City. 6 Feb. 2014. Lecture.

Moore, Cece. "DNA Testing for Genealogy – Getting Started, Part Three." DNA Testing for
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<http://www.geni.com/blog/dna-testing-for-genealogy-getting-started-part-three-376261.html>.

Southard, Diahan. "Thursday: Getting Started in Genetic Genealogy." RootsTech. Intellectual

Reserve, Inc., 2015. Web. 07 Oct. 2015. &lt;http://rootstech.org/video/4052965123001&gt;.

Southard, Diahan, “http://www.yourdnaguide.com/”

Turner, James C., “X Chromosome Inheritance 5 Generation Chart,”

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hulseberg/DNA/xinheritance.html, accessed 15 Oct
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Varvio, Sirkka-Liisa: Introduction to Bioinformatics, Autumn 2009; Basics on Bases: A-G-T-C as

Words: http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/bioinformatiikka/mbi/courses/09-10/itb/Lecture_100909.pdf

"What Is Mitochondrial DNA?" Genetics Home Reference. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 12
Oct. 2015. Web. 18 Oct. 2015. <http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/basics/mtdna>.

Wheaton, Kelly. "Beginners Guide to Genetic Genealogy - Wheaton Surname Resources." Beginners
Guide to Genetic Genealogy - Wheaton Surname Resources. N.p., 2013. Web. 07 Oct. 2015.
<https://sites.google.com/site/wheatonsurname/beginners-guide-to-genetic-genealogy>.