On November 10, 2011, David Dowell presented Adding DNA Testing at the Fountaindale Public Library in Bolingbrook. David Dowell has over 35 years experience as a librarian and has been researching his family history for decades. He is the author of numerous books, including Crash Course in Genealogy, which is a manual intended for librarians but useful for all genealogists new and old.
David spoke about DNA research in lay terms so it was understandable by everyone. He discussed:
- the reasons to test
- how to test
- which test to take
- where to obtain a test
- where to compare results
He stressed the fact that taking a DNA test and not comparing it to other's results will not help you in your research. He also stressed it is better to have a theory to test before deciding which test to purchase.
David explained the four categories of DNA testing:
- Y-chromosome. This is a chromosome only men have and it is useful for surname studies.
- Mitochondrial. This is a chromosome passed down through the female lines that both men and women carry. This type of test is very helpful when doing deep ancestral studies.
- Autosomal. This type of DNA is in both men and women but is only good in studying recent generation connections.
- X-chromosome. This type of testing is not really used for genealogy research at this time. The other tests are much more widely utilized.
The bottom line is to form a theory about what to test, research the DNA tests and companies to find out which test is best for your theory. Make sure the testing company's database is large so it is more useful for comparing results.
I thoroughly enjoyed hearing David speak. If you get an opportunity, take the time to hear him.
Don't miss this week's upcoming program at the Fountaindale Library. November 16, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. in Meeting Room B - What You Think You Know About the Census. Presented by Mary Ferguson. "Learn to navigate the US census, and discover new information, humorous details, and how to overcome census mistakes."
Comments