| Genetic genealogy is the application of
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| | DNA tests.
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| genetics to traditional genealogy.
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| | These tests involve the comparison of
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| Genetic genealogy involves the use of
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| | certain sequences of DNA pairs of
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| genealogical DNA testing to determine the
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| | individuals in order to estimate the
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| level of genetic relationship between
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| | probability that they share a common
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| individuals.
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| | ancestor in a genealogical time frame
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| The investigation of surnames in genetics
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| | and, through the use of a Bayesian model
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| can be said to go back to George Darwin,
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| | published by Bruce Walsh, to estimate the
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| son of the founder of evolutionary
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| | number generations separating the two
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| science. In 1875, Darwin fils (french
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| | individuals from their most recent common
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| "son") used surnames to estimate the
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| | ancestor.
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| frequency of first-cousin marriages and
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| | Y-DNA research involves short tandem
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| calculated the expected incidence of
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| | repeat (STR) and, sometimes, single
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| marriage between people of the same
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| | nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) testing of
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| surname (isonymy). He arrived at a figure
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| | the Y-chromosome. The Y-chromosome is
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| between 2.25% and 4.5% for
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| | present only in males and reveals
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| cousin-marriage in the population of
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| | information on the strict paternal line.
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| Great Britain, with the upper classes
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| | These tests can provide insight in the
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| being on the high end and the general
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| | recent (via STRs) and ancient (via SNPs)
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| rural population on the low end.
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| | genetic ancestry. A Y-chromosome STR test
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| Admittedly, this was a pretty crude
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| | will reveal a haplotype, which should be
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| effort by modern scientific standards but
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| | similar among all male descendants of a
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| quite innovative for its era. The next
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| | male ancestor. SNP tests are used to
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| stimulus toward using genetics to study
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| | assign people to a paternal haplogroup,
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| family history had to wait until the
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| | which defines a genetic population.
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| 1990s, when certain locations on the Y
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| | mtDNA research involves sequencing the
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| chromosome were identified as being
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| | HVR-1 region, HVR-2 region or both. A
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| useful for tracing male-to-male
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| | mtDNA test can also be used to assign
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| inheritance.
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| | people to a maternal haplogroup.
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| When a Canadian nephrologist of Ashkenazi
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| | Either Y-DNA or mtDNA test results can be
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| parentage attended synagogue one morning,
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| | compared to the results of others via
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| he noticed that a Sephardic congregant
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| | private or public DNA databases.
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| with the same surname as his – Cohen
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| | Biogeographical and ethnic origins
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| — seemed to have completely different
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| | Additional DNA tests exist for
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| physical features. According to the
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| | determining biogeographical and ethnic
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| traditions of Judaism, Cohens are
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| | origin, but these tests have less
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| descended from the same male ancestor,
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| | relevance for traditional genealogy.
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| the priest Aaron, brother of Moses. Dr.
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| | See biogeographic ancestry, genealogical
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| Skorecki reasoned that if Kohanim (plural
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| | DNA test and population genetics (the
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| of Cohen) were indeed the descendants of
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| | study of the distribution of and change
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| only one man, they should have a common
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| | in allele frequencies).
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| set of genetic markers and should perhaps
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| | Human migration
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| preserve some family resemblance to each
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| | Genealogical DNA testing methods are also
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| other.
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| | being used on a longer time scale to
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| To test that hypothesis, he contacted
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| | trace human migratory patterns and
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| Professor Michael Hammer of the
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| | determine, for example, when the first
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| University of Arizona, a researcher in
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| | humans came to North America and how they
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| molecular genetics and pioneer in Y
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| | got there. For several years, a number of
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| chromosome research. Their report in the
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| | researchers and laboratories from around
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| Nature in 1997 sent shock waves through
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| | the world have been sampling indigenous
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| the worlds of science and religion. A
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| | populations from around the globe in an
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| particular marker pattern (now known as
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| | effort to map historical human migration
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| the Cohen Modal Haplotype, or CMH) did
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| | patterns. Recently, several projects have
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| indeed appear in 98.5% of Jewish men
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| | been created that are aimed at bringing
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| bearing the surname Cohen (or a variation
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| | this science to the public. One example
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| thereof such as Cone). It was apparently
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| | is the Genographic Project, which aims to
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| true that knowledge of their priestly
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| | map historical human migration patterns
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| calling and descent from the Biblical
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| | by collecting and analyzing DNA samples
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| Aaron had been strictly preserved for
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| | from over 100,000 people across five
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| thousands of years. Moreover, the data
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| | continents.
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| showed that there were very few
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| | Typical customers and interest groups
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| “non-paternity events."
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| | Male DNA testing customers most often
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| The first to test the new methodology in
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| | start with a Y chromosome test to
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| general surname research was Bryan Sykes,
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| | determine their father's paternal
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| a molecular biologist at Oxford
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| | ancestry. Females generally begin with a
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| University. His study of the Sykes
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| | mitochondrial test to trace their ancient
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| surname obtained valid results by looking
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| | maternal lineage, which males often have
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| at only four markers on the male
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| | tested for the same purpose.
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| chromosome. It pointed the way to
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| | A common consumer goal in purchasing DNA
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| genetics becoming a valuable assistant in
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| | testing services is to acquire
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| the service of genealogy and history. In
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| | quantified, ‘scientific’ linkage to a
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| 2001, Sykes went on to write the popular
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| | specific ancestral group. A compelling
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| book The Seven Daughters of Eve.
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| | example of this motive is found in the
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| In the wake of that book's success, and
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| | expressed desires of some consumers to be
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| the growing availability and
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| | proven to have Viking paternal ancestry.
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| affordability of genealogical DNA tests,
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| | In keeping with this marketplace demand,
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| genetic genealogy as a field began
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| | one British DNA testing service, Oxford
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| growing rapidly. By 2003, the field of
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| | Ancestors, offers a Y chromosome test
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| DNA testing of surnames was declared
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| | purporting to measure whether given males
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| officially to have “arrived” in an
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| | are of "Viking stock." Those whose DNA
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| article by Jobling and Tyler-Smith in
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| | falls into the designated haplogroup are
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| Nature Reviews Genetics. The number of
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| | issued Viking Descendant certificates by
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| firms offering tests, and the number of
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| | the testing service. The same DNA testing
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| consumers ordering them, had risen
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| | company (Oxford Ancestors) participated
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| dramatically.
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| | in producing a televised documentary,
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| Another milestone in the acceptance of
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| | "The Blood of the Vikings," in
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| genetic genealogy is the Genographic
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| | conjunction with the BBC, which showed
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| Project. The Genographic Project is a
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| | how DNA testing could reveal Viking
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| five-year research partnership launched
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| | ancestry.
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| by the National Geographic Society and
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| | The Rootsweb DNA-Genealogy Internet
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| IBM in 2005. Although its goals are
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| | discussion group has a membership of 750
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| primarily anthropological, not
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| | subscribers from around the world. Some
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| genealogical, the project's sale of over
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| | subscribers have had various DNA tests
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| 150,000 testing kits (as of July 2006) of
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| | performed and are seeking advice and
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| its public participation kits, which test
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| | guidance in interpreting their results,
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| the general public for either twelve STR
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| | and the list also includes administrators
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| markers on the Y chromosome or the HVR1
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| | of DNA projects that examine surnames
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| region of the mtDNA, has helped increase
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| | (e.g., Stewart, Hurst, Wells, etc.),
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| the visibility of genetic genealogy.
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| | geographic regionans (e.g., the Shetland
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| Annual sales of genetic genealogical
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| | Islands, Mexico, Scotland, etc.), or
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| tests for all companies, including the
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| | ethnic groups (e.g., the Pennsylvania
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| laboratories that support them, are
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| | Deutsch, African Americans, etc.). The
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| estimated to be in the area of $60
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| | sophistication of subscribers ranges from
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| million (2006).
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| | expert to novice, and, in some cases,
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| Uses
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| | subscribers have been credited with
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| Paternal and maternal lineages
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| | making useful and novel contributions to
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| The two most common types of genetic
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| | knowledge in the field of genetic
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| genealogy tests are Y-DNA (paternal line)
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| | genealogy.
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| and mtDNA (maternal line) genealogical
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