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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2001-01 > 0979067110


From: Terrence Carmichael <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] Re: GENEALOGY-DNA-D Digest V01 #2
Date: Tue, 09 Jan 2001 11:05:10 -0800
References: <5.0.2.1.0.20010108215750.027e3ec0@firstnethou.com>


Hi Bennett:

The number of repeats at a specific y-chromosome loci is the most 'efficient'
format to achieve a standardized representation of results from an STR
analysis. This is because it offers a tangible measurement that is repeatable.
Does anybody dispute this?? Actually, sequence data would be better, but is
hard to get good sequences in these repeated regions. Therefore, it is more
expensive and laborious to obtain. DNA laboratories have used the number of
repeats in a STRs as a standard for years to determine biological relationships
such as paternity, siblingship, and matching identities in the case of forensic
testing. Just because there is no commercially available kit that will easy the
analysis of the y-chromosome, and allow for increased reproducibility, does not
mean that we should ignore providing the data in the most standardized and
tangible format possible. I believe that it is important that researchers, such
as genealogists, get data from their tests that they can use in papers that
they may publish. Then others can compare their data many years form now, and
etc. Maybe I am wrong.

Terry


Bcg wrote:

> Hi All
>
> Some questions have arisen lately about the non-standard nature of the
> alleles reported by Family Tree DNA . I appreciate these questions as they
> give me an opportunity to answer the questions and provoke, I'm sure, a
> lively round of exchanges which will be to the betterment of us all.
>
> Our studies reporting of the allele results is somewhat non--standard. In
> fact there is no standard for Y chromosome testing, which I expect is some
> years away. Let me explain it this way:
>
> On the female side, a Standard was set about 20 years ago. It is variously
> known as either the Anderson Sequence, or more commonly know as the
> Cambridge Reference Sequence. That standard is tested by people all
> over, and used for crime labs, genealogy, medical testing, etc.
>
> There is no standard in testing the Y chromosome, the research is just too
> new, and scientists are testing today the very locations on the Y
> chromosomes that will produce the Cambridge Standard of the future. Until
> all the useful Y chromosomes are discovered, quantified and accepted as a
> standard, the issue will NOT be comparisons between labs due to a numbering
> mechanism, but rather between labs at all, in any practical sense.
>
> Our company has previously released the DYS #'s for the 6 markers (of our
> 12) that have been placed in the public domain by Dr. Hammer or
> others. The rest of our alleles will be released as further articles are
> published that use them, with the intent being to release all current Loci
> as we add new markers being researched now.
>
> Quite frankly let me posse a few questions... Given that the scientific
> world is publish or perish, would you not agree that labs doing nascent
> technological research would consider their in-house discovered loci to
> have some, perhaps great, value?
>
> If so, can we smartly assume that Loci freely released for genetic testing,
> before they have been "properly promoted" by the University lab, has
> "great" or even "significant" value to science or its researchers? Or is
> the marker just another location on the Y with little or no diversity?
>
> When someone is tested on the Y by Family Tree DNA we currently compare you
> with our database of Western Europeans...we are willing to release the
> repeat information for the 6 loci mentioned above to any customer who asks
> so they can access the ethnic calculator at:
>
> https://www.agenus.com/ClassA/ClassB/ychrome.cfm
>
> Given the above , do you want to have a certificate that reads,
> and/or talk to potential relatives by using a string of 1 digit or 2 digit
> numbers. 4, 7, 5, 8, 5 or 12, 21, 12, 16, 12. That's about as non
> standard as we are. To be clear our numbers are reported on a scale to
> allow us to test your Loci with the newest markers available. When the
> opportunity presents itself for us to have top notch research and those
> alleles in the public domain we will freely provide the crossover table to
> allow all who have tested with us to access any Y calculator on the
> market. Until them we will continue to offer the tightest commercially
> available Y Chromosome test on the market and the genealogical comparison
> that our test offers.
>
> Best Regards
> Bennett Greenspan
> President
> http://www.FamilyTreeDNA.com
>
> The World's only website dedicated to Genealogy by Genetics
>
> ==============================
> Search over 900 million names at Ancestry.com!
> http://www.ancestry.com/rd/rwlist1.asp




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