The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy

Genetic genealogy is one of the hottest topics in genealogy today. This expanded, updated guide will walk readers through the benefits of DNA testing for genealogists as well as outline the most frequently used tests and services.

Discover the answers to your family history mysteries using the most-cutting edge tool available to genealogists. This plain-English guide, newly revised and expanded, is a one-stop resource on genetic genealogy for family historians. Inside, you’ll learn what DNA tests are available, with up-to-date pros and cons of the major testing companies (including AncestryDNA) and advice on choosing the right test to answer your specific questions. For those who've already taken DNA tests, this guide will demystify and explain how to interpret DNA test results, including how to understand ethnicity estimates and haplogroup designations, navigate suggested cousin matches, and use third-party tools like GEDmatch to further analyse data.

Inside, you'll find:

• Colourful diagrams and expert definitions that explain key DNA terms and concepts, such as haplogroups and DNA inheritance patterns
• Detailed guides to each of the major kinds of DNA tests: autosomal-DNA (atDNA), mitochondrial-DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosomal DNA (Y-DNA), and X-chromosomal DNA (X-DNA)
• Tips for selecting the DNA test that can best help solve your family mysteries, with case studies showing how each test can be useful in research
• Information about third-party tools you can use to more thoroughly analyse your test results once you've received them
• Test companion guides and research forms to help you select the most appropriate DNA test and organise your results and research once you've been tested

75 colour illustrations

About the Author

Blaine T. Bettinger is a writer, blogger and genealogy educator. He is the author of the bestselling The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy and has written numerous DNA-related articles for the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly, Family Tree Magazine, and other publications. He has been an instructor at the inaugural genetic genealogy courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), Virtual Institute of Genealogical Research, Family Tree University, and Excelsior College (Albany, NY). He is a former editor of the Journal of Genetic Genealogy, and a co-coordinator of the ad hoc Genetic Genealogy Standards Committee.