Y-DNA SNP Database Characterization (FTDNA February 2019)

Vertical bar chart showing the five most densely sampled countries for Y-DNA: Ireland, Finland, UK, Norway, and Sweden.

Introduction As a DNA Project administrator, I am often asked how to interpret someone’s Y-DNA results in terms of the participants expectations and curiosity as to “what country do I come from?” One aspect that new participants in the field of genetic genealogy may not appreciate is the wide variance in how much DNA has […]

Design Concepts for a Law Enforcement Assistance Genetic Database (LEAGD)

Introduction A fierce controversy has arisen in recent days on the legality and appropriateness of law enforcement using private consumer genetic genealogy databases where the consumer paid for the test and had an expectation of privacy. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/salvadorhernandez/family-tree-dna-fbi-investigative-genealogy-privacy https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20190207/how-genealogical-sleuthing-led-to-suspect-in-warwicks-joggers-death While many are outraged at this dramatic policy change, there are also individuals who wish to assist […]