free genealogy test?

3 Comments

1. Shirley T says:

   November 12, 2009 at 3:39 am

   If you are talking about DNA, SMGF will do them for free. They will not send you a report but will put the results online. This will take about 6 months and probably will not make any sense to you. However, they have contracted with Gene Tree to interpret the results. They did my mitochondrial for only $19.50. You will need a signon with GeneTree which is free.

   http://www.smgf.org/pages/how_it_works.jspx

   Right now, all companies are using Y & Mitochondrial because they go back in a direct line without any changes. However, that is really a very small part of your total DNA.

   Y DNA is passed soley from father to son.

   Mitchondrial DNA is passed from mother to both sons and daughters but only the daughters pass it on to their children.

   Most of your DNA is autosomal which you get 50-50 from both parents. It is the only DNA that relates a female to her father or anyone to the spouses and their families of those in their direct Y or Mitochondrial lines, except for their parents, of course.

   For instance,if you go back to your 6xgreat grandparents, you are directly descended, barring any duplicates, from 510 individuals. Of those 510 individuals, you have your mitochondrial DNA from 8 and if you are a male you have your Y DNA from 8. You have your autosomal DNA from all 510.

   If you want to get vague ethnic percentages they would have to use autosomal. It is not specific. It will tell you something like Northern European, East Asian etc.

   SMGF is working to use autosomal DNA in the future. FamilyTreeDNA is another company that test but it is not free.
2. carpediem2 says:

   November 12, 2009 at 3:39 am

   whats a genealogy test?
3. Ted Pack says:

   November 12, 2009 at 3:39 am

   Do you mean a free DNA test, or a quiz on research skills necessary to track down dead ancestors?