Part 492 - Smith Robertson Genealogy - Trying To Understand DNA Test Results

Good Afternoon,

Well, the results of my most recent genealogy tests, and I mean my most recent DNA tests, are slowly filtering in. All I can say at this immediate moment of time is… I am confused. It appears that I need to go back to school and take some courses in elementary Mendel Genetics plus.

My two new testings are with Family Tree DNA: "Family Finder" and "Walk Through The Y". I can see where I'm going to have to sit myself down and investigate and research the meaning of the results. So you'll have to bear with me as I begin this journey into the realm of some sort of technological and plain elementary understanding.

I will be journalizing and blogging my confusions, my perceived understandings and my "Aha" moments. I will ask a lot of questions and if you have any questions and ideas that may help me along the way please either make a comment or e-mail me.

As a side, I'm also awaiting for the results from the 23andMe test results. My vial of saliva has been sent to California.

From Family Tree DNA "the Family Finder traces all of your ancestral lines. It uses your autosomal DNA to identify confidently relationships for five generations. This is different from the mtDNA and YDNA tests. They trace clearly and exclusively the direct maternal and paternal lines." Also "Family Finder detects your near and distant Cousins by comparing your autosomal DNA with that of other Family Tree DNA Customers. If two people share identical segments of DNA then they may share a recent ancestor. When the Family Finder program finds matching segments, it determines if the segments are Identical By Descent (IBD). If they are determined to be IBD then the Family Finder program calculates the relationship based on the shared segments’ number and size."

And here are a couple of definitions from Family Tree DNA.

Identical By Descent (IBD) – This means the DNA Matches because it comes from a common ancestor. IBD can refer to a single mutation or to a segment of DNA. If a mutation or segment of DNA is IBD among a group of people, it comes from a common ancestor.

Mutation – A heritable change that occurs in genetic material. It may lead to a different number of repeats of a certain sequence or a change in one of the bases sequence.

And this is just the beginning… My, that is, at the moment, mtDNA and YDNA results and related surnames are:

YDNA ---

Smith – Confirmed Haplogroup = R1b1a2a*; Shorthand = R-L23. I believe that the “*” means that there is a further subgroup that has yet to be defined.

Robertson – Predicted Haplogroup = R1b1a2; Shorthand = R-M269.

mtDNA ---

Robertson – Haplogroup = H1a1.

Related surnames of which I am currently aware should include Smith, McNeice, Goodey, Crossley, Parker, Kendal, Elder, Pecht, Hartman, Allen, Gatchell, Vernon, Stevens…

Smith – Haplogroup = J. It is possible, but not as yet confirmed, that the further subgroup is J1b*.

Related surnames of which I am currently aware should include Abraham, Olton, Vogt, Titus, Emery, July, Merle, Castex, Charbonnier, Chevalier, Clergeau, Clopath, Rénier, Brebner, Salmon, Ham, St. Philippe, Beulah…

I am always updating the surname listings as I begin to understand the actual relationships and descendancy and ancestry patterns.

Enjoy,

Jim