DNA testing

[SteveD]

Has anyone had their DNA tested by a private organisation in order to discover information about their origins? If so,

* Which company did you use and would you recommend it?
* How much did it cost?
* Do you feel that you got value for money?

[dothawkes31]

this is such a new area of genealogy that I doubt many people have used thie line o research purely to establish their origins, but look at this and other links available:
http://www.familytreedna.com/Default.aspx?c=1

In around 1993 i went to a conference on genetics in family history at the SOG in London, it was very interesting but quite complex and more than anything, expensive.

[SteveD]

Thanks, Dot. Let's see if anyone else replies who has done this. I tend to feel that, being a white "European", all of whose known ancestors have lived in Europe, a DNA test is unlikely to reveal anything surprising.

[sigma]

DNA testing is still in its infancy with regard to genealogy and as you say it is unlikely to reveal anything surprising. The reason being is that only the Mitochondrial DNA is examined. This is passed on through the maternal side of the family and will only give a generalisation with regards to origin such as Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, North European etc.
For anything more precise would require the cross-matching of the worlds population or comparing with a known origin. This was recently carried out in Germany when the residents of a village had their DNA compared to that of a locally discovered Iron Age human remains. The results showed that a number of people were directly descended.
As I stated, it will only give a generalisation of origin and will only satisfy curiosity.

[SteveD]

Thanks for the answer. However, it seems that both paternal and maternal origins can be checked:

http://www.familytree...al-maternal-test.aspx