2012 Holiday Sale

[xajapa]

For those who have been interested in getting their dna tested, or if you would like to upgrade, FTDNA is having a sale from now until the end of the year:

This is a courtesy e-mail to you about a sale that we are announcing to all of our customers, therefore you do not need to re-post it in your administrator's bulk e-mail system.

As we ended our 8th Annual Genetic Genealogy Conference, several conference participants asked us to start our year-end sale as soon as possible. In answer to those requests we decided to start it immediately:

Code:
New Kits Current SALE
Y-DNA 37 $149 $119
Y-DNA 67 $239 $199
mtFullSequence (FMS) $299 $199
SuperDNA (Y-DNA 67 and mtFullSequence) $518 $398
Family Finder $289 $199
Family Finder + mtDNAPlus $438 $318
Family Finder + mtFullSequence $559 $398
Family Finder + Y-DNA 37 $438 $318
Comprehensive (FF + FMS + Y-67) $797 $597

Upgrades Current SALE
Y-Refine 12-25 Marker $49 $35
Y-Refine 12-37 Marker $99 $69
Y-Refine 12-67 Marker $189 $148
Y-Refine 25-37 Marker $49 $35
Y-Refine 25-67 Marker $148 $114
Y-Refine 37-67 Marker $99 $79
Y-Refine 37-111 Marker $228 $188
Y-Refine 67-111 Marker $129 $109
mtDNAPlus $149 $129
mtHVR1toMega $269 $179
mtHVR2toMega $239 $179
mtFullSequence Add-on $289 $199
To order this special offer, log in to your personal page and click on the Order An Upgrade button in the upper right corner. A link to the login page is provided below. ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED AND PAID FOR BY MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2012 11:59:00 PM CST TO RECEIVE THE SALE PRICES.

Log In to Order an Upgrade.

Best Regards,
Bennett Greenspan
President
Family Tree DNA
www.familytreedna.com
"History Unearthed Daily"

[Sultan Suleiman]

And people actually pay real life money for this :D

[Blackout]

What does a persons 'DNA' tell them?

[xajapa]

Yes, they do pay. For some people, especially a person who may not know their ancestry, there can be an interest in such things. I have corresponded with Europeans who can recount their ancestors back 500 years. Many new world individuals lost that trail when their ancestors immigrated, but they still have an interest in it. I have discovered some interesting things about my genetic and genealogical background. Furthermore, it is a hobby. I don't waste my money on alcohol and drugs, so I figure I may as well spend it in something. One more point, I have found that some people don't wish to discover their actual genetic and genealogical background. They have a preconceived notion of who they are and where they have come from and they might be shocked and disappointed to find out they aren't what they claim to be, or they are something they don't wish to be. For example, Hitler's y-dna (passed on from father to son) is E1b1b. It is most commonly found in the Berbers of Morocco, in Algeria, Libya and Tunisia as well as among Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews.

[Artek]

For example, Hitler's y-dna (passed on from father to son) is E1b1b. It is most commonly found in the Berbers of Morocco, in Algeria, Libya and Tunisia as well as among Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews.
What a dumb propaganda, they haven't revealed Hitler's E1b1b subclade.
It's probably E-V13, which is between 5 and 10 % in Austria and Southern Germany.

[zlakopistou]

What a dumb propaganda, they haven't revealed Hitler's E1b1b subclade.
It's probably E-V13, which is between 5 and 10 % in Austria and Southern Germany.

Propaganda? Where? :laugh2:

It's just ignorance.

[xajapa]

I just know what I read. Still, this demonstrates some of the interesting aspects of getting your dna tested.

[Albion]

I'm tempted to get the ydna 12 marker + family finder. What does family finder test though? Is it str or snp? Do they show admixture?

[Legion]

There are a number of meaningful reasons to get DNA tests, including medical ones.

[Artek]

I'm tempted to get the ydna 12 marker + family finder. What does family finder test though? Is it str or snp? Do they show admixture?
It looks like http://s10.postimage.org/fgw14wfp5/FTDNA.png.
You also receive raw data (your genome uploaded to a file), so you can use it with admixture calculators like Dodecad and many other tools. Without this raw data FamilyFinder is almost worthless.

I hope you plan to extend y-dna markers to at least 37 in the nearest future, brother.

[Albion]

It looks like http://s10.postimage.org/fgw14wfp5/FTDNA.png.
You also receive raw data (your genome uploaded to a file), so you can use it with admixture calculators like Dodecad and many other tools. Without this raw data FamilyFinder is almost worthless.

I hope you plan to extend y-dna markers to at least 37 in the nearest future, brother.

Does Y-DNA 12 marker provide much subclade information or does it just show R1b, I1 or whatever else without any further info?
I think I'm going with Y-DNA 12 + Family finder for now. I might do 37 marker along with mtDNA next year. A haplogroup alone isn't much, especially if it's very common - it'd make for a boring result.
It comes to around £155 with the offer, still expensive when one thinks about it logically - some haplogroup and admixture data. Its irritating not knowing though, I've discussed haplogroups for a few years and don't yet know which one I'am.

[xajapa]

Does Y-DNA 12 marker provide much subclade information or does it just show R1b, I1 or whatever else without any further info?
I think I'm going with Y-DNA 12 + Family finder for now. I might do 37 marker along with mtDNA next year. A haplogroup alone isn't much, especially if it's very common - it'd make for a boring result.
It comes to around £155 with the offer, still expensive when one thinks about it logically - some haplogroup and admixture data. Its irritating not knowing though, I've discussed haplogroups for a few years and don't yet know which one I'am.

12 markers will not indicate much, unless your y dna is very rare or unusual. You are right that the ydna test alone doesn't tell much, unless there is some surprise to your ancestry. You could later get some snp tests, which might help. The Family Finder is based on your autosomal dna (which you inherit from both parents, and down the line from grandparents, etc.). I have learned much about myself from both tests.

[Artek]

Does Y-DNA 12 marker provide much subclade information or does it just show R1b, I1 or whatever else without any further info?
I think I'm going with Y-DNA 12 + Family finder for now. I might do 37 marker along with mtDNA next year. A haplogroup alone isn't much, especially if it's very common - it'd make for a boring result.
12 marker Y-STR provides basic haplogroup, like R1b, R1a, I1 etc., in most cases without entering into detailed final clades like R1b-L21, R1a-L664. Good project admin may predict your detailed/final haplogroup even if you have 12 markers, just basing on a tendency. (For example, R1b U106 tend to have number 30 at DYS444, R1b L21 tend to have DYS444 = 22etc.). It's possible, but quite rare situation.

Your idea is right, I started from 25 markers myself. Ordering 111 markers test just to see that you are in the most boring/common clade - total waste of money.

[Albion]

12 marker Y-STR provides basic haplogroup, like R1b, R1a, I1 etc., in most cases without entering into detailed final clades like R1b-L21, R1a-L664.

Ah, that's what I thought. Since around 70% of the English and a similar number for my surname on FTDNA are R1b, I think it's highly likely I will be too. R1b is quite a boring haplogroup sadly - it's distribution is generally good, but there aren't many mysteries to be solved apart from how it reached Europe.

[Artek]

Ah, that's what I thought. Since around 70% of the English and a similar number for my surname on FTDNA are R1b, I think it's highly likely I will be too. R1b is quite a boring haplogroup sadly - it's distribution is generally good, but there aren't many mysteries to be solved apart from how it reached Europe.
If an Y-DNA distribution of England coorelates with the distribution among the people with your surname, you can expect every haplogroup.
It seems, that your surname was given to many unrelated people.

[Albion]

If an Y-DNA distribution of England coorelates with the distribution among the people with your surname, you can expect every haplogroup.
It seems, that your surname was given to many unrelated people.

It's a locational surname meaning that my ancestor came from that particular place. I think my family is a branch of a family of the same name in the next county. There's one bearer of the surname in the next county that has quite an unusual haplogroup (like 2% of the population sort of unusual). I can't prove descent from them, but it could be likely. I'll let you know if I book the test.
BTW - what is shipping like to Europe? Does FTDNA pay for the shipping back to America or do I have to do that?

[Artek]

It's a locational surname meaning that my ancestor came from that particular place. I think my family is a branch of a family of the same name in the next county. There's one bearer of the surname in the next county that has quite an unusual haplogroup (like 2% of the population sort of unusual). I can't prove descent from them, but it could be likely. I'll let you know if I book the test.
BTW - what is shipping like to Europe? Does FTDNA pay for the shipping back to America or do I have to do that?
You don't have to pay for shipping back. You've already paid for it. They give you a ready-to-send envelope to give the kit back.
All to do is to follow the written instruction you receive with a kit.

What's this quite an unusual haplogroup? G? I2?

[Albion]

You don't have to pay for shipping back. You've already paid for it. They give you a ready-to-send envelope to give the kit back.
All to do is to follow the written instruction you receive with a kit.

What's this quite an unusual haplogroup? G? I2?

Good. The unusual haplogroup is G2a. The bearer of it goes back a few hundred years, but I think it might be Turkish in origin. I think this because coincidentally, whilst my surname is typically English it also has an Irish form, but also exists in Turkish from a different derivation (although both refer to geographic features). I'll rep you the link.

[kabeiros]

Good. The unusual haplogroup is G2a. The bearer of it goes back a few hundred years, but I think it might be Turkish in origin. I think this because coincidentally, whilst my surname is typically English it also has an Irish form, but also exists in Turkish from a different derivation (although both refer to geographic features). I'll rep you the link. Do you remember around three months ago, when I predicted that you have some short of relation with Turkey? I actually ''accused'' you of being a Turk because of your support for Turkey in the Cyprus issue. It seems I was right :D

[Albion]

I've just ordered Family Finder + Y-DNA12. Isn't shipping with the FTDNA one $80 or something ridiculous like that? International shipping for FTDNA was only $6 if I remember right. I could have gone for 23andme, but I don't want to pay the money (it's not too much higher, but ~£160 is all that I'm prepared to pay for such a test at the moment. It's still a bit of a luxury at that).

[Albion]

Do you remember around three months ago, when I predicted that you have some short of relation with Turkey? I actually ''accused'' you of being a Turk because of your support for Turkey in the Cyprus issue. It seems I was right :D

Don't even joke about it. :p I'll come back as R1b and prove my Britishness.

[Graham]

Albion will end up as a Gypsy or a Turk. Nae Britishnes :D

Joke aside, hope you get a cool result.

[Azalea]

Don't even joke about it. :p I'll come back as R1b and prove my Britishness.

Hi. R1b Turk here. :rolleyes:

--

Hmm, I am wondering if it's worth getting a mtDNA + familyfinder test if you have 23andme test done already?

[Loki]

I'm sorry, but 23andme offers much better value at one price ... and you can have further free analysis done on 23andme raw data through Gedmatch, Eurogenes, etc.

[Graham]

You can still use FTDNA through Gedmatch like 23andme. Don't know about the Admix part.

[Albion]

Hi. R1b Turk here. :rolleyes:

--

Hmm, I am wondering if it's worth getting a mtDNA + familyfinder test if you have 23andme test done already?

A typically British or NW European subclade of it.

I thought the 23andme test showed y-dna, mtdna and adna anyway?

[Artek]

International shipping for FTDNA was only $6 if I remember right
Yeah, it's something around 6 dollars indeed.

G2a3b1a is quite indo-european in origins, by the way.

[xajapa]

Good. The unusual haplogroup is G2a. The bearer of it goes back a few hundred years, but I think it might be Turkish in origin.

I think haplogroup is originated in the Caucasus region or Anatolia.

[xajapa]

I'm sorry, but 23andme offers much better value at one price ... and you can have further free analysis done on 23andme raw data through Gedmatch, Eurogenes, etc.
True. If one is interested in autosomal dna matches, 23 and me may be the better way to go, while submitting your data to Gedmatch so those from other companies can compare. For y-dna information FTDNA is by far better.

[Albion]

I'm sorry, but 23andme offers much better value at one price ... and you can have further free analysis done on 23andme raw data through Gedmatch, Eurogenes, etc.

I'm not made of money though. I only want a basic aDNA + YDNA test (maybe mtDNA and extended YDNA at a latter date, perhaps if they have a sale on this time next year).
£155 + any other costs (fluctuating exchange rate, etc - although it's been rather constant over the days I've watched it - £ didn't get much stronger so it didn't get any cheaper :( ) is more than enough. It's nice to know some of your genetics, but I wouldn't spend hundreds of £ on it.


Yeah, it's something around 6 dollars indeed.

G2a3b1a is quite indo-european in origins, by the way.

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/1126/haplogroupg2a.gif

It's an interesting haplogroup because it survives in some strange areas. It's common in West Asia, but is found very frequently in Neolithic graves and in some mountainous areas. Then there are mysterious subclades of it such as this one:


The G2a2a subgroup (M286) is tiny. Samples indicating British Isles and Turkish ancestry have been identified. The British samples have inconsistent double values for STR marker DYS19 in many cases. M286 was first identified at Stanford University at chromosome position 21151187, and is a mutation from G to A.

How did that subclade get to Britain? I think crusaders brought back people with them (Armenians or Anatolian Greeks?). I know in a village nearby there is an old tale that a lot of the men descend from 'Turks' brought back as prisoners / hostages during the crusades. I never took that seriously though - it'd be interesting to test people there though.

I've done a bit of research into the lineage that carries my surname and G2a (haven't proven a link though, I've only gone back ~100 with my ancestry so far). Apparently that family was common in a village in the next county and were originally joiners and latter invested in the canals (there's a bridge named after them in the village) and a branch headed north and opened mills in Northern England.


But G2a is rare in Britain, but commonest in Wales where it is at 4%. In England it's something like 2 or 3%. Some could be from the Neolithic, although I personally think most is Roman (which would account for the higher frequency in Wales) or more recent.
G2a is more common in Southern Europe. It's patterns looks a bit like Neolithic enclaves, it's lower numbers in the Balkans could be due to the Neolithic developing there largely from cultural diffusion than migrations. In Italy some of it could be Etruscan (if they came from Anatolia), and the Rhaetians in the Alps could have been descended from Etruscans which could account for some of it there.


This is what I mean about R1b though - there's no mystery to it, it's not so interesting. I2a2 is an interesting subclade because it's working out whether it's Neolithic or Germanic derived in the British Isles.

http://www.eupedia.com/images/content/Haplogroup-I2b.gif

[Artek]

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/1126/haplogroupg2a.gif

It's an interesting haplogroup because it survives in some strange areas. It's common in West Asia, but is found very frequently in Neolithic graves and in some mountainous areas. Then there are mysterious subclades of it such as this one:



How did that subclade get to Britain? I think crusaders brought back people with them (Armenians or Anatolian Greeks?). I know in a village nearby there is an old tale that a lot of the men descend from 'Turks' brought back as prisoners / hostages during the crusades. I never took that seriously though - it'd be interesting to test people there though.
Well, such history is possible but I wouldn't rely so much in modern percentages, being the highest among the inbreds from the mountains.
Some G2a in Britain is an offshoot of Neolithic LBK(Linear Pottery) culture, the rest is brought there by Roman settlers, another portion is brought in small numbers by Germanics from continent.This is, unfortunately, not so simple. I would go enough far to say, that G2a men were also present among Megalithic cultures. AND NOW WE HAVE A BIG MISHMASH. I hope that more skeletons from certain cultures will be tested to as many markers as they can. The only thing is, that Y-DNA is far from being durable.


But G2a is rare in Britain, but commonest in Wales where it is at 4%. In England it's something like 2 or 3%. Some could be from the Neolithic, although I personally think most is Roman (which would account for the higher frequency in Wales) or more recent.
G2a is more common in Southern Europe. It's patterns looks a bit like Neolithic enclaves, it's lower numbers in the Balkans could be due to the Neolithic developing there largely from cultural diffusion than migrations. In Italy some of it could be Etruscan (if they came from Anatolia), and the Rhaetians in the Alps could have been descended from Etruscans which could account for some of it there.
I wonder how frequent they were in Britain, let's say, at 500 n.e.
Mystery about the Rhaetians and Etruscans is still unresolved, but pattern seems to be quite simple. Those people descend from the mountaineous areas around the Alps, where G2a seems to be more frequent. Still, this percentage could have been different. We are reaching the tale of many possible startings and endings. Everything is not certain :(



This is what I mean about R1b though - there's no mystery to it, it's not so interesting. I2a2 is an interesting subclade because it's working out whether it's Neolithic or Germanic derived in the British Isles.

http://www.eupedia.com/images/content/Haplogroup-I2b.gif
I2a2, as you said, came probably from both sources. I doubt that I2a2(former I2b) was geniuinely Germanic by itself, since even I1 is not so exclusively Germanic as people want to. There are numerous clades being present exclusively outside Germanic nations. That's the proof for tri-hybridness of this culture - it arose when I1, R1a and R1b people started to coexist(VERY SIMPLY saying).

[xajapa]

I'm not made of money though. I only want a basic aDNA + YDNA test (maybe mtDNA and extended YDNA at a latter date, perhaps if they have a sale on this time next year).
£155 + any other costs (fluctuating exchange rate, etc - although it's been rather constant over the days I've watched it - £ didn't get much stronger so it didn't get any cheaper :( ) is more than enough. It's nice to know some of your genetics, but I wouldn't spend hundreds of £ on it.



http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/1126/haplogroupg2a.gif

It's an interesting haplogroup because it survives in some strange areas. It's common in West Asia, but is found very frequently in Neolithic graves and in some mountainous areas. Then there are mysterious subclades of it such as this one:



How did that subclade get to Britain? I think crusaders brought back people with them (Armenians or Anatolian Greeks?). I know in a village nearby there is an old tale that a lot of the men descend from 'Turks' brought back as prisoners / hostages during the crusades. I never took that seriously though - it'd be interesting to test people there though.

I've done a bit of research into the lineage that carries my surname and G2a (haven't proven a link though, I've only gone back ~100 with my ancestry so far). Apparently that family was common in a village in the next county and were originally joiners and latter invested in the canals (there's a bridge named after them in the village) and a branch headed north and opened mills in Northern England.


But G2a is rare in Britain, but commonest in Wales where it is at 4%. In England it's something like 2 or 3%. Some could be from the Neolithic, although I personally think most is Roman (which would account for the higher frequency in Wales) or more recent.
G2a is more common in Southern Europe. It's patterns looks a bit like Neolithic enclaves, it's lower numbers in the Balkans could be due to the Neolithic developing there largely from cultural diffusion than migrations. In Italy some of it could be Etruscan (if they came from Anatolia), and the Rhaetians in the Alps could have been descended from Etruscans which could account for some of it there.


This is what I mean about R1b though - there's no mystery to it, it's not so interesting. I2a2 is an interesting subclade because it's working out whether it's Neolithic or Germanic derived in the British Isles.

http://www.eupedia.com/images/content/Haplogroup-I2b.gif

Then FTDNA is your best bet. You will get your y-dna test, with the ability to upgrade later. You can take your a-dna information and upload it to places like Gedmatch. I have received a number of matches with those who have tested with other dna companies through Gedmatch.

[Albion]

Then FTDNA is your best bet. You will get your y-dna test, with the ability to upgrade later. You can take your a-dna information and upload it to places like Gedmatch. I have received a number of matches with those who have tested with other dna companies through Gedmatch.

Is DIY Dodecad any good? Has anyone used that?

[xajapa]

Is DIY Dodecad any good? Has anyone used that?

Sure. There are 2 versions: Gedmatch and the actual programs. If you get your autosomal dna tested you can upload it to Gedmatch. There, you will find 4 Oracle tools: Dodecad, Eurogenes, MLDP, and Harappa. They are quite interesting and should be used as a guide. If you are fortunate, you can become an actual participant in some of these programs. Dodecad has an open selection process every once in awhile, unless your ancestry is of special importance to Dienekes. Eurogenes usually only takes certain ethnicities (usually a person whose 4 grandparents' ethnicities are the same). I am a participant in both Dodecad and Eurogenes. The results from being an actual participant are a little more accurate, but, honestly, the Gedmatch is good enough for the casual genetic enthusiast. There are other things you can do with your a-dna, like submit it to Dr. McDonald for his analysis. I must say, many think he is spot on. You have to get your a-dna tested of course to take advantage of these programs.

[Loki]

For y-dna information FTDNA is by far better.

I don't understand why Y-DNA is so important. You get the main info through 23andme anyway. Sorry but unless you're rich with a couple hundred dollars burning a hole in your pocket, there's no point.

Your Y-DNA only makes up a fraction of your DNA.

[Artek]

I don't understand why Y-DNA is so important. You get the main info through 23andme anyway. Sorry but unless you're rich with a couple hundred dollars burning a hole in your pocket, there's no point.

Your Y-DNA only makes up a fraction of your DNA.
Autosomal DNA is very practical to compare people today, but Y-DNA tells us about what was very much before today. It's also a part of our masculinity and that's why many men want to know more about that's part of the DNA they will pass on through next generations of males(if paternal line doesn't end up for some reasons).

23andMe doesn't test markers but only SNP's(FTDNA tests both ). Imagine when you have a delicious cheese-cake and you eat only raisins in it. Raisins can be tasty alone too, but why the hell was cheese-cake made for? To eat a WHOLE of it :).
SNP's don't allow to precisely compare male individuals, such men also cannot be placed in a micro-clades (for better ordination within a clade and subclade). And the next thing, you can't use an Ysearch base and Molgen.ne base to look for a matches - you need markers.

I have no doubt that 23andme is much more user-friendly, after all.

[Loki]

Autosomal DNA is very practical to compare people today, but Y-DNA tells us about what was very much before today. It's also a part of our masculinity and that's why many men want to know more about that's part of the DNA they will pass on through next generations of males(if paternal line doesn't end up for some reasons).

23andMe doesn't test markers but only SNP's(FTDNA tests both ). Imagine when you have a delicious cheese-cake and you eat only raisins in it. Raisins can be tasty alone too, but why the hell was cheese-cake made for? To eat a WHOLE of it :).
SNP's don't allow to precisely compare male individuals, such men also cannot be placed in a micro-clades (for better ordination within a clade and subclade). And the next thing, you can't use an Ysearch base and Molgen.ne base to look for a matches - you need markers.

I have no doubt that 23andme is much more user-friendly, after all.

For example, I am E-V13, as per 23andme. What more can FTDNA tell me?

[Artek]

For example, I am E-V13, as per 23andme. What more can FTDNA tell me?
EV-13, like any other haplogroup also has minor specialities called "clusters". Those clusters are based on very minor differentations in markers and are used to precise ancestry.
Actually I'm not so much into E1b but there are, for example, very detailed R1a projects with many possible clusters to be in among just one SNP!
http://www.tropie.tarnow.opoka.org.pl/images/drzewolappa1.gif

For more information, go through this link:
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/r1a/default.aspx?section=results

FTDNA can offer you as much as people working on the projects. If EV-13 is poorly researched here, 23andMe is probably a better choice.

[xajapa]

I think like you Artek. It is true that your y-dna is but one line of your ancestry. But, as a man, I do relate first and foremost to my father and his father. It is very important to know my paternal line and my paternal ancestry. There are many subclades within many y-dna lines. Take R1a. It is quite expansive, but recent studies have been able to pinpoint regions, even areas with countries, where a particular subclade first emerged and/or is primarily situated. In my particular case, it has helped me actually pinpoint the region from where my paternal lineage originated, knowledge i did not have prior to getting my y-dna tested. As for the cost, it isn't cheap, but it is my hobby and interest. My brother spends more on beer in 6 months than I have on all my y-dna tests.

[Jackson]

Hmm, i might consider getting a y-DNA 67 or something similar. The origins of my direct paternal line are a mystery at the moment. It would be nice to firstly run the chance of getting a close match and helping resolve that line, and secondly to go into finer detail of my y-haplogroup (the sub-groups), for example from 23&me i know that i'm I1, not I1d, so i'm in one of those numerous AS clades that is typically more common in southern Scandinavia relatively speaking, combined with my paternal line coming probably from north-east England that makes me think it's probably Anglian rather than Norse, but i might get some finer detail from a specific y-DNA test.

I transferred my 23&me data to FTDNA for the family finder utility. Their population finder is very primitive, but the matching on there seems to be quite handy, and of course i can go into more detail on my mtDNA and yDNA which i can't on 23&me.

@Albion
Looking forward to finding out your Y-DNA :D. Expect R1b and you might be surprised i guess. The problem is that you might find you want to upgrade after that anyway, given that there are three major groups of R1b in NW Europe & Britain, geographically distinct but overlapping. Good thing about R1b is that you will never fall short of information in the coming years. It's massive. (That's if you are R1b).

[Albion]

I think like you Artek. It is true that your y-dna is but one line of your ancestry. But, as a man, I do relate first and foremost to my father and his father. It is very important to know my paternal line and my paternal ancestry. There are many subclades within many y-dna lines. Take R1a. It is quite expansive, but recent studies have been able to pinpoint regions, even areas with countries, where a particular subclade first emerged and/or is primarily situated. In my particular case, it has helped me actually pinpoint the region from where my paternal lineage originated, knowledge i did not have prior to getting my y-dna tested. As for the cost, it isn't cheap, but it is my hobby and interest. My brother spends more on beer in 6 months than I have on all my y-dna tests.

Yeah, that's why I wanted the Y-DNA tested as well - it's interesting to have a general idea of where an ancestor came from many millennia ago.


Hmm, i might consider getting a y-DNA 67 or something similar. The origins of my direct paternal line are a mystery at the moment. It would be nice to firstly run the chance of getting a close match and helping resolve that line, and secondly to go into finer detail of my y-haplogroup (the sub-groups), for example from 23&me i know that i'm I1, not I1d, so i'm in one of those numerous AS clades that is typically more common in southern Scandinavia relatively speaking, combined with my paternal line coming probably from north-east England that makes me think it's probably Anglian rather than Norse, but i might get some finer detail from a specific y-DNA test.

Don't you want to test aDNA as well? aDNA is more likely to disappoint though - with Y-DNA you just get a haplogroup, but aDNA can turn up any African or whatever other unknown admixture one might have... :D


@Albion
Looking forward to finding out your Y-DNA :D. Expect R1b and you might be surprised i guess. The problem is that you might find you want to upgrade after that anyway, given that there are three major groups of R1b in NW Europe & Britain, geographically distinct but overlapping. Good thing about R1b is that you will never fall short of information in the coming years. It's massive. (That's if you are R1b).

Do you want to know what I'm expecting - this below (it'd be a good {European} result, but very, very boring):

http://www.eupedia.com/images/content/Haplogroup-R1b-L21.gif

[Albion]

I wish the test kit would arrive already. It's probably the worst time of year to send anything in the post - near to Christmas. I'm wondering if I can get it before Christmas and get it back before then too. I've heard FTDNA are a bit slow at providing results though...

[Artek]

I wish the test kit would arrive already. It's probably the worst time of year to send anything in the post - near to Christmas. I'm wondering if I can get it before Christmas and get it back before then too. I've heard FTDNA are a bit slow at providing results though...

I've had my y-DNA results in 2 and a half of a week after they received a kit.

[xajapa]

If you do it when they have a sale, be prepared to wait. Patience will be needed.

[Otto Prohaska]

If you do it when they have a sale, be prepared to wait. Patience will be needed.

No doubt. They just pushed back the date on my full mito sequence after the 2.5 months they originally projected had passed.