DNA almost perfect match (General)

by Richard Hulan , Thursday, July 05, 2012, 22:19 (4527 days ago) @ bristolloggerheads

The current exhibit at the Royal Society shows 19 separate clusters for the whole country. These clusters aren't based on Y-DNA so they won't break down by surnames, clans, or other specifically male groupings. However, Y-DNA results were recorded for the samples that came from males, and eventually that can also be mapped. It's not what is shown on these maps.

The sort of study suggested by David Watkins was a Y-DNA Forest of Dean project, that would be based on surnames. After one is organized, it takes a while to accumulate enough test results to be useful. But if that does happen, it will probably get a dose of new, comparable data from the sampling that has already been done for this People of the British Isles project.

The PoBI project is based on blood samples, whereas most DNA sampling for genealogical purposes is done with cheek swabs or saliva. Another difference is that the PoBI project selects its candidates and covers the cost; whereas in genealogical projects the candidates select themselves, and typically pay for the test themselves. This often translates into sampling that is skewed a little in favor of people who can spare a few hundred dollars (or some other currency) on a hobby. But once it's done, the results are useful to a much wider circle. Mine, for example, currently relate directly to my two sons and three grandsons, but indirectly to a much wider circle of people much less closely kin to me. From that perspective, the per-person cost becomes negligible -- but I realize those cousins are never going to pay me back. I'm OK with that, because it's my hobby, not necessarily theirs.