The extra mile - no, make that two

Yesterday we suggested that if Kyle, #40, upgraded to 37 markers he'd be better able to tell whether he and John, #113, were genetic cousins and a 'new' family.    He did us one better.    He upgraded to 67 markers.

Additionally, he did it at the optimum time.    His test won't sit around FTDNA for up to a week waiting for the next batch shipment.    His will go out this evening because, you see, today is 'batch shipment day'.    Save a week, save the world.

John?

A New Family!?

John's, #113, Y-DNA13-25 panel came in yesterday completing his Y-DNA37 order.    It appears likely that John and Kyle, #40, are related, being a genetic distance of one comparing 25 markers.    We could tell with more certainty if Kyle had also tested 37 markers.    They need to at least compare notes.

Another Augusta/Washington Co. Berry!

Victor Berry, #118, is our newest participant and we wouldn't have known about him except that we got a notice of a match from FTDNA.    Victor and I have exchanged emails for several years but I hadn't been aware that he was even considering testing.

As indicated, Victor is our 118th Y-DNA participant and also our 19th Augusta/Washington Co. Berry.    Victor ordered the 67 marker test and, to date, all but the Y-DNA26-37 panel have been reported.    FTDNA only compares the markers up to the break but we can ignore the break, so we will.

Click here to see the Augusta/Washington Co. Berry markers that we'll compare.    Here you can also see the marker differences (mutations) indicated by the lighter shade.

So here are the Genetic Distances -
and the TMRCA -
When Victor's final panel is reported we'll try some cladograms to see if they tell us anything new.

Spring Dulcimer Week

Anyone remember my SFI project last year?    My $9.95 ebay dulcimer.    Here's what I got done then.    Well, this is SDW again (but I have my Macbook with me) and here's the conclusion to that old story.

Here's that dulcimer with the fingerboard leveled and ready for cutting the fret slots -
Here it is, startng to put in the frets -
And here's the finished product, new frets, new nut, new bridge and new strings -
Too bad I can't play it.

This is also the season for ramps in this area.    As you might have expected if you've followed this blog very long, we made a trip or two to Bob's Hot Dogs.    Here's my Yonker with home fries and ramps -
Yum!

125 Participants!

Our newest participant is Johnny Ross Berry, #117, who is being sponsored by his sister, Kathy Berry Parks.    And, guess what?    He's our first Swan Quarter Berry that I'm aware of.    He, together with others, will help us determine whether the Swan Quarter Berrys are all one related family or not.    In addition, we can find out whether these folks are a part of one of our already recognized families or an entirely new and unrelated one.

But that's not all!    Johnny is our first Ancestry.com testee.    They've ordered Ancestry's Y-33 test, the old Relative Genetics 33 marker test through RG's new partnership with Ancestry.com.

Sorenson Animations

Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation has just posted educational animations of the processes involved in molecular biology, the basis for genetic genealogy or, as they call it, molecular genealogy.

These are very well done (as you might expect) and are very worthwhile for a basic understanding of the things we talk about and report on here from time to time.

Sorenson animations
As you have now seen, we've just begun to barely scratch the surface of our molecular database of family information.

You should get their free test now so that you also can participate as they publish more and more of their results.

Batch shipments

Another case of paying close attention to details!    Those Orange Co., NC Berry's have got it together!    You will all recall that on occasion I tend to preach about timing your upgrades with the FTDNA shipping schedule so that your test doesn't sit around for up to a week waiting to be sent to the lab?    Well, last evening was FTDNA's batch shipping day, and   -   Charles', #116, kit for his Y-DNA37 test arrived at FTDNA in yesterday's mail and went right out last evening.    Now some of you may just call that fortuitous but . . . . . . I don't know.    Sort of looked planned to me.    His results are expected 06/13/2008.

Planned for sure was Richard's, #82, Y-Refine37to67 upgrade, also strategically placed yesterday afternoon.    Richard's upgrade results are expected 06/02/2008.    Well done, Richard!

Try this!

This is one of those habituating activities that at once challenges your intellect, increases your vocabulary and feeds the hungry!    What could be better?   While away a little time, decompress, Zen out, simultaneously become a wordsmith and a samaritan, all while preventing alzheimers and ending world hunger   -   with this single, simple activity.

Free Rice
 

Tax Day

Sorry  -   A combination of 'got to finish my taxes' and just nothing going on in the DNA Berry camp.    Lot of activity on the NCHYDE list since I posted that database.    Maybe it'll generate some testing.    There are two or three lines there that would be interesting to see whether they were, in fact, one.    Also, whether they connect with any of the Berry families we already know about.

Intra (Inter?) lab DYS conversions

Adrian's

                     if GATA_H4 is between 22 and 29
                         GATA_H4 = GATA_H4 - 19

                     if lab = 'SMGF'
                         dys19 = dys19 - 1
                         dys389_2 = dys389_1 + dys389_B
                         dys448 = dys448 - 3
                         GATA_H4 = GATA_H4 - 1

                     if lab = 'GB'
                         dys455 = dys455 + 1
                         dys458 = dys458 + 1
                         GATA_H4 = GATA_H4 - 1

                     if lab = 'RG' or 'DNAH'
                         GATA_H4 = GATA_H4 - 1

                     if lab = 'OA'
                         dys389_1 = dys389_1 + 3
                         dys389_2 = dys389_1 + dys389_2

John Chandler -
GB DYS441 +1 = SMGF (RG/DNAH) DYS441
GB DYS446 -1 = SMGF (RG/DNAH) and FTDNA DYS446
GB DYS455 +1 = SMGF (RG/DNAH) and FTDNA DYS455 **
GB DYS458 +2 = SMGF (RG/DNAH) and FTDNA DYS458 **
GB DYS522 +1 = EA DYS522
GB DYS531 +2 = EA DYS531; or +1 = FTDNA DYS531
GB Y-GATA-A10 -2 = SMGF (RG/DNAH) Y-GATA-A10
GB Y-GATA-H4 -1 = FTDNA Y-GATA-H4 **
** marks those that I have witnessed myself.

Colleen Fitzpatrick -
DYS442 RG increased the value by 5
DYS452 RG increased the value by 19
DYS463 RG increased the value by 2
GATA-A10 RG increased the value by 2
GATA-H4 RG increased the value by 10

Jim Pearsall's spreadsheet
Jim's Notes:    I have not been tested with OA, so cannot attest/validate.    However, I believe there are public references to converting OA to others.    DNAH and RG are same as SMGF.

DNA FP Conversions

YSearch Conversions

My suggestion is that you can use the SMGF  'Search the Y-Chromosome Database' template.    Choose the lab where the test was done.    Clear the values and enter yours.    Then change the lab to that you wish to convert to and read the converted values.

Hope dashed

Sorry, Phil!    John's, #113, Y-DNA26-37 markers were reported yesterday (Y-DNA13-25 are still out) and, again, it's the curse of the 12 marker match!!    Remember that John and Philip, #10, matched 12/12?    Well, now they're 17/24 with a genetic distance of 8!    Not related.

Swan Quarter

I may just be putting off doing my income taxes, or I may have a fascination with these seeming 'pockets' of Berrys that seem to gather in an area and pretty much stay there - like the Madison Co. folks and maybe the Benton County and Hawkins Co. Berrys.

Ever since I surveyed the Soule Cemetery in Hyde Co., NC almost five years ago (gosh, it seems like yesterday!) I've been curious about those folks.    So, I decided to do something about it and have put up another database called the Swan Quarter Berrys of some 528 people gleaned primarily from the 1860 to 1930 federal censuses and supplemented with information from the Hyde County GenWeb pages.

As usual, my motivation is the hope that some of these folks will be inspired to test so that we can see whether they really are a separate Berry family or either a part of, or the root of, some other Berry family that we already know about.

If you didn't notice that the 'Swan Quarter Berrys' mentioned above was a link to that new database, here it is again:       Swan Quarter Berrys

Results!

We've been in a bit of a DNA drought lately so it seems like a big deal when we get 12 marker results.    It really isn't.    You all know what I think about 12 marker matches and we have one with these markers.    I hope I'm wrong this time!

Yesterday Y-DNA1-12 marker results were reported for John, #113.    The big deal with these markers is that they're an exact 12/12 match with Philip, #10, who is an adoptee looking for his family.    These are pretty early, not having been 'expected' until 5/2/2008.    Maybe the next couple batches of John's order will be similarly early and hopefully this will be one of those 12 marker matches that pans out!    On the bright side, a 12 marker match keeps hope alive.

Family Fun

I recently had a birthday and typically would have gotten a card from my son, Jon.    Didn't think too much about not having gotten one   -   but Jon did.    He was waiting for a reaction that didn't come.    You'll see why -

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

No Joke

Those Orange Co., NC guys have got their act together!    They're funding 37 marker tests to test the lines of all eight sons of their progenitor (read: brick wall), Robert Berry, c1733-c1814.    The latest is our 124th participant, Charles Berry, #116.    His yAncestry has been posted if anyone cares to take a look.

Way to go Orange Co.!