The Genetic Genealogist

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I’m currently in the middle of third-year law school exams, so I thought I’d do a round-up of all the interesting stories I’ve seen over the past week or two.

Holiday Specials on DNA Testing

First, it appears that most of the major genetic genealogy companies are offering special deals for the holidays:

Family Tree DNA announces a holiday sale - FTDNA is offering reducing pricing for customers who are part of or join a DNA project.  For example, a 37-marker Y-DNA test is reduced to $119, down from $149.

Ancestry.com announces holiday sale - buy a DNA test between now and December 31st, and you’ll receive 40% off.  For example, a 33-marker Y-DNA test is $89.40 (usually $149) and their mtDNA test is $107.40 (usually $179).

African Ancestry announces a holiday sale - their MatriClan and PatriClan tests, which are normally $349, are on sale for $275.

Genetree offers a special first birthday sale - I’m not sure if this sale is open to everyone or only to those who have already tested, but the relatively new company Genetree is offering $30 off the purchase of a testing kit.  I covered the launch of Genetree back in October 2007.

23andMe Announces Holiday Season Multi-Pack Discount - Customers who purchase three or more kits in a single order will save $200 on the first three kits and $70 for every additional kit.

As always, before buying a genetic genealogy test it is important to do the proper research to understand what you are buying and what the results could mean.

Genetic Genealogy Research Articles

A newly discovered mutation in AP1S1 gene, involved in the development of the central nervous system, has been traced to a group of families from the Kamouraska region in eastern Quebec.  The researchers used a massive genealogy database of Quebec families to trace the gene.  See more at Canada.com.

Using genetic variation to map the ancestry of Finns.  See Genetic Future’s posts here and here.

PLoS Genetics article examines the gene expression of African Americans to estimate how much of the difference in gene expression levels is due to ancestry and how much is due to something else (such as environment, etc.).  See Gene Expression, Popgen Ramblings, Dienekes’ Anthropology Blog, and Genetic Future.

A new paper that examines “The Genetic Legacy of Religious Diversity and Intolerance: Paternal Lineages of Christians, Jews, and Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula.”  To explore the rich diversity of the Iberian Peninsula, the researchers analyzed the Y-DNA of 1140 males from this region.  See more at Tracing the Tribe and Dienekes’ Anthropology Blog.

“Re-creation of the genetic composition of a founder population.”  There will be many more of these types of papers in the future as genetic genealogists try to recreate the genomes of their ancestors (yes we will, believe it or not!).  HT: Yann Klimentidis’ Weblog.

Genetic Genealogy in the News

News from GeneaNet that “The Bodies Of Australian And British Soldiers Buried In A Mass Grave In Northern France During World War I Are To Be DNA Tested.