Unlock the family secrets in your DNA! Discover the answers to your family history mysteries using the most cutting edge tool available. This plain-English guide (newly updated and expanded to include th latest DNA developments) will teach you what DNA tests are available; the pros and cons of the major testing companies; and how to choose the right test to answer your specific genealogy questions. And once you've taken a DNA test, this guide will help you use your often-overwhelming results, with tips for understanding ethnicity estimates, navigating suggested cousin matches, and using third-party tools like GEDmatch to further analyze your data. The book features: · Colorful diagrams and expert definitions that explain key DNA terms and concepts such as haplogroups and DNA inheritance patterns · Detailed guides to each of the major kinds of DNA tests and tips for selecting the DNA test that can best help you solve your family mysteries, with case studies showing how each can be useful · Information about third-party tools you can use to more thoroughly analyze your test results once you've received them · Test comparison guides and research forms to help you select the most appropriate DNA test and organize your results · Insights into how adoptees and others who know little about their ancestry can benefit from DNA testing Whether you've just heard of DNA testing or you've tested at all three major companies, this guide will give you the tools you need to unpuzzle your DNA and discover what it can tell you about your family tree.

"The genetic trail an ancestor leaves behind is every bit as important as his paper trail. Though Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA testing, the modern genealogist has a powerful new tool for researching his roots" -- back cover.

Unlock the family secrets in your DNA! Discover the answers to your family history mysteries using the most cutting edge tool available. This plain-English guide (newly updated and expanded to include th latest DNA developments) will teach you what DNA tests are available; the pros and cons of the major testing companies; and how to choose the right test to answer your specific genealogy questions. And once you've taken a DNA test, this guide will help you use your often-overwhelming results, with tips for understanding ethnicity estimates, navigating suggested cousin matches, and using third-party tools like GEDmatch to further analyze your data. The book features: · Colorful diagrams and expert definitions that explain key DNA terms and concepts such as haplogroups and DNA inheritance patterns · Detailed guides to each of the major kinds of DNA tests and tips for selecting the DNA test that can best help you solve your family mysteries, with case studies showing how each can be useful · Information about third-party tools you can use to more thoroughly analyze your test results once you've received them · Test comparison guides and research forms to help you select the most appropriate DNA test and organize your results · Insights into how adoptees and others who know little about their ancestry can benefit from DNA testing Whether you've just heard of DNA testing or you've tested at all three major companies, this guide will give you the tools you need to unpuzzle your DNA and discover what it can tell you about your family tree.

Here's how to open your own online DNA-driven genealogy reporting/interpreting service business. You wouldn't do the actual DNA testing. The laboratory you contract with does the testing and sends you reports that you interpret for your clients. As a DNA-driven genealogist, you would prepare illustrated and text-driven reports, colorful CDs, brochures, press kits, covers, Web sites, and guides to interpreting the DNA-for-ancestry-based information. You would interpret tests for deep ancestry to your clients. What verbal skills and any other preparation would you need to empower consumers with knowledge from reports you receive from your partnering DNA-testing laboratory? Would you also interpret reports from genetics counselors testing for predisposition to diseases? Or emphasize only deep ancestry? Would you need a self-taught science background, a genealogy hobby, or only marketing and communications experience? Who does the actual interpreting? How would you contract with DNA laboratories to send reports and other information related to ancestry? You may be a genealogist, a personal historian, or a life story videographer thinking of partnering with a DNA-testing laboratory. Your business would be to make complex information easy to understand and interpret in plain language DNA reports from scientists to genealogy clients and surname groups. The DNA tests could be for ancestry and/or nutritional genomics issues.

DNA genealogy is a new field of science which considers patterns of mutations, which are different in different human lineages, in the DNA of present-day humans and of our ancient ancestors. Since the DNA is often preserved in ancient excavated bones, including those in archaeological burials, and can be recovered and studied, this approach allows us to compare the mutation patterns in the course of centuries and millennia. This in turn provides us with a knowledge of how often the mutations occur, that they are gradually changed over centuries and millennia, and, hence, calibrate the rate of mutations in various sites of the DNA in terms of time. In other words, it gives us a “molecular tool” aiming at establishing chronology of events along the ancient history of the humankind. Since the DNA is a molecule, DNA genealogy is also called the “Molecular History”. This is a subject of this book. The book begins with an explanation of what is a nature of mutations in the DNA, why the mutations are random, how to measure their rates, in terms of how many mutations occur in the DNA over centuries and millennia, therefore, to calculate their mutation rate constants. This first part of the book provides the reader with many examples of how DNA genealogy employs the mutation rates to uncover hidden puzzles of ancient human history, such as when Homo sapiens first appeared, who were ancient Europeans, Asians, Africans, Americans compared with their present-day descendants in terms of their DNA lineages, and introduces a rather simple calculator which everyone can run on their personal computer devices, iPhones, etc. to conduct such calculations of ancient chronology. Subsequent chapters of the book consider such controversial issues as whether early people came “out of Africa” or “into Africa” (both hypotheses have their supporters among scientists), who were the ancient Aryans and why their language obtained – much later – a name “Indo-European”, where was a homeland of a majority of nowadays Europeans and Native Americans (a hint – South Siberia), who were ancient Jews and Arabs and when their actual common ancestor lived, what DNA was revealed from a few Khazar burials, why look-alike ancient ceramics, made many thousand years ago, was found both in Europe and Asia, how ancient and contemporary languages are connected with the DNA of people, both ancient and contemporary. The book is targeted for multidisciplinary scientists as well as students and advanced general readership.

Finally, in the rapidly evolving field of genetic genealogy an up-to-date resource is here! A Genetic Genealogy Handbook: The Basics and Beyond provides genealogists with the knowledge and confidence to use DNA testing for family research. The book guides genealogists in understanding various tests and determining what DNA segments came from which ancestor. The book explains how DNA testing helps when written records stop and discusses how testing proves or disprove oral family history. Learn which tests help adoptees; understand why you resemble your relatives and how testing can connect you with cousins you never knew. Discover how to encourage potential cousins to test and learn guidelines for becoming a project administrator, genetic genealogy speaker or facilitator for your genealogical societys DNA interest group. A Genetic Genealogy Handbook: The Basics and Beyond helps experienced and fledgling researchers become genetic genealogists able to use DNA testing to resolve genealogical roadblocks.

Comprehensive and easy to use, this invaluable handbook will help you sort through the mountain of genealogy information that's now available online. --back cover.