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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2002-08 > 1028415846


From:
Subject: Re: [DNA] Test Variability
Date: Sat, 3 Aug 2002 19:04:06 EDT


In a message dated 08/03/02 2:47:43 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
writes:


> While it is exciting and exotic to believe that one
> has found a mutation in an allele between two brothers, there is a much
> higher probability of a "false positive reading of 24 for Ken" or a "false
> positive reading of 23 for the other brother" or a "clerical error in the
> lab for either brother", or a combination of all these possibilities.

It's certainly possible, but I'd disagree that the probability of laboratory
error was higher than the probability of a mutation. But my estimate is
purely based on reports we've had of people who have compared results from
different testing labs -- there seems to be a very high concordance rate.

Ann Turner
GENEALOGY-DNA List Administrator
http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Miscellaneous/GENEALOGY-DNA.html
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