When FTDNA first launched, they had 300 samples,
2001 they tested 1,700 samples,
2002 they tested 4,800 samples,
2004 they had tested over 34,000.
2007 they had tested over 130,139
When the National Geographic Project first met with them, they estimated that they might be doing up to 20,000 samples per year. As things got closer, they were estimating 100,000 samples per year.
Since they started receiving samples in May,
they have processed over 64,000 samples up through October 2005.
At this point, we have established two distinct (meaning unrelated) lines of the Rader family, as well as five unrelated individuals. We will have to wait until more Raders, Roeders, etc. test before we can fill in their lineages.
The “Ancestral Signature” is a prediction of what the shared Rader ancestor’s genetic result would have been if tested. It is based on the results received thus far, but with small groups it is possible that some of the numbers predicted in the signature could be different.
The first line is the R1b. James and Earl Rader match exactly all the way out to 37 markers. You mentioned that you share a common ancestor 7-9 generations ago, depending on who you count back from. The test is supporting that connection, especially since a match at 37 markers means there is a 90% chance you share a common ancestor within 5 generations, 95% within 7 generations.
With a very common haplogroup like R1b, matching at the first 12 markers may not prove a definite connection to the group. If a person tests R1b and matches at the first 12, upgrading to 25 or 37 would be the best step to take to confirm the relationship, in addition to looking for connections in the genealogies. Mismatching more than one marker out of the first 12 shows they are disconnected.
The second group is in haplogroup I. I highlighted any mutational differences from the ancestral signature in pink. There are a relatively low number of differences between these individuals, and it looks like they may share a fairly recent common ancestor. Without additional samples we cannot tell who is more closely related to whom because none of them share the same mutations (unless some of the 25 marker or 37 marker values are shared mutations). As additional people test with us, we will begin to see multiple people with the same mutation, such as another person with a 30 at 389-2, which will connect him more closely to 17292 than to the other Raders of haplogroup I.
I placed the other five individuals in a group at the bottom, not because they are related to one another, but because they are all unrelated to anyone else in the group. click to see the Ancestral Signature chart referred to !
The Y chromosome is passed from father to son unchanged, except for a mutation about every 500 generations. Testing the Y chromosome will provide you with a genetic finger print consisting of 12 or 25 numbers. By comparing this finger print to others with your surname, you can determine if they are related.
The objectives of Surname Projects vary. Here are a few:
Often a Surname Project has multiple objectives, and the objectives may even change over the life of the project.
Most Surname Projects start with the objective to identify others who are related, and through out the project the other objectives are achieved simply as a result of the project.
The following milestones have been achieved as of Jan 1, 2005:
Family Tree DNA now has over 27,690 records in our database of Y-DNA results. We also have over 1,400 Surname Projects, which include over 9,000 surnames.
The powerful tool called FTDNATiP has been implemented for all Y DNA customers. Previously, FTDNATiP had been implemented for Group Administrators. Customers will now find the FTDNATiP icon when you click on the Y-DNA Matches selection on your Personal Page. To the right of each person on your Y-DNA Matches Page, for whom FTDNATiP is available, you will find the FTDNATiP icon.
If you are a member of a Surname Project, the FTDNATiP icon will appear for all matches who are members of your Surname Project. If you have any matches outside your Surname Project, the FTDNATiP icon will appear for matches at 25 Markers and 37 Markers.
If you are not a member of a Surname Project, the the FTDNATiP icon will appear for matches at 25 Markers and 37 Markers.
FTDNATiP does a calculation for two individual to determine the time to their most recent common ancestor. The calculation uses the individual Marker mutation rates. The result is presented in an easy to understand format, showing the probability for each hundred year period.
FTDNATiP is a proprietary algorithm developed by Family Tree DNA in conjunction with our Advisory Board Member, Dr. Bruce Walsh, a leading population geneticist.
The calculation by FTDNATiP utilizes the Y DNA results of two persons, and the individual Marker mutation rates. The individual Marker mutation rates used are a result of the study by the University of Arizona which was announced at the 1st International Conference on Genetic Genealogy, on October 30, 2004.
Documented evidence can also be input into the calculations, by entering the number of generations known that the common ancestor did "not" occur. This option is not available for exact matches, since the result of the calculation would not change.
FamilyTreeDNA is the only vendor to provide this powerful tool to the genealogy community.
FTDNATiP has several important benefits. The calculation comparing two individuals will provide probabilities for each 100 year period for the common ancestor. This information will help participants understand when the common ancestor most likely occurred between themselves and a person they match or closely match. In addition, the probabilities can influence or determine if you pursue a match. A third benefit is that FTDNATiP can be used to make the decision as to whether you should pursue a paper trail connection between the ancestors of two people who are a close match. A fourth benefit would be to identify branches of the family tree that are connected incorrectly.
Different pairs of people with the same Genetic Distance will most likely not have the same report. In other words, since each marker has a different mutation rate, identical Genetic Distances will not necessarily yield the same probabilities.
Since FTDNATiP uses the individual Marker mutation rates, a 37 Marker test is equivalent to a 56 Marker test that uses the assumption that all Markers mutate at a standard rate of .0004 or a 110 Marker test with the standard Marker mutation rate of .0002.
To learn more about FTDNATiP, see:
"Understanding Your Results: Time to the Common Ancestor":
http://www.familytreeDNA.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=3.7
For further information about Matches, the Public/Private setting, and matches with other surnames, see the following articles in past issues of the newsletter:
Understanding Your Results: Matching
http://www.familytreeDNA.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=3.7
Interpreting Results: Why is the Surname relevant?
http://www.familytreeDNA.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=2.8
Understanding Your Results: Matching Other Surnames
http://www.familytreeDNA.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=2.11
Y DNA Surname Projects: Public or Private
http://www.familytreeDNA.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=3.2
http://www.familytreeDNA.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=2.3
http://www.FamilyTreeDNA.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=2.1
Haplotypes: Convergence
http://www.familytreeDNA.com/facts_genes.asp?act=show&nk=1.5
Family Tree DNA has implemented the ability for the Group Administrator to email a FTDNATiP Reports. The FTDNATiP Report analyzes the time to a common ancestor for two participants in a Surname Project.
For a participant, the Y-DNA Matches Page shows those who match based on the following criteria:
Markers Genetic Distance
12 0-1
25 0-2
37 0-4
There may be others who are a more distant match in your Surname Project, and therefore do not appear on the Y-DNA Matches Page. The Group Administrator can generate the FTDNATiP Report comparing these two persons, and can now email the report in PDF format to the two participants being compared, as well as enter additional email addresses to receive the report.
The Group Administrator would follow these steps to generate a FTDNATiP Report. From the Group Administrator Page, click on Member. On the Member List Page, select one person of the two you wish to compare, and click on Report. Then select the other person for the comparison, and click FTDNATiP on the far right.
On the FTDNATiP Report Page, towards the bottom of the page, a box appears that contains the email addresses of the two participants who were analyzed. Additional emails can be entered. Be sure to enter a ; before each additional email address.
Family Tree DNA has implemented an option to display mtDNA results on a Surname Project web site hosted at Family Tree DNA. To add mtDNA results to your Surname Project web site hosted at Family Tree DNA, do the following. From the Group Administrator Page, click on Family Project Website Setup. On the Setup Page, towards the bottom of the page, is the option to display mtDNA results. Click on the box to the right of the label "Display Member DNA Test (mtDNA) Results". Then click Submit. The web site will now display the mtDNA results for members of the Surname Project.
With the start of a New Year, this is a perfect time to start a Surname Project. Anyone with experience with family history research can start a Surname Project. We supply the tools and guidance so your Surname Project is successful. There are just two steps to take to become a Group Administrator of a Surname Project:
1. Find out if a Surname Project exists for your surname. Click on the link below to search our database of Surname Projects:
http://www.familytreeDNA.com/surname.asp
2. If a Surname Project hasn't been established for your surname, then use the email contact below to establish a Surname Project, or to discuss establishing a Surname Project:
bcg@familytreeDNA.com for Bennett Greenspan
The staff at Family Tree DNA would like to wish you and your family Best Wishes for the New Year.