1st International Conference on Genetic Genealogy
for
Family Tree DNA Group Administrators

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On October 30th, 2004 I attended the First Conference offered by our DNA test provider Family Tree DNA Company, in Houston, TX.

Over 200 of us met the men who are in the forefront of genetic research for genealogical purposes from the University of Arizona, given a wealth of valuable information that will be passed along to you via the FTDNA site Newsletters and at other locations linked to the home site, and we as administrators were given confirmations of what those of us on the front lines of this field have been seeing unfold before our eyes.

In addition, We were treated to lectures presented not only by the scientists but by a fellow administrator detailing his early project and given a copy of a newly released book that will interest you all as it has me.

Ann Turner and Megan Smolenyak have written a very informative book entitled Trace your Roots with DNA which is now at your local bookstore and may be purchased online through amazon.com which is simple enough to be easily understood by those of us who are not scientists. The ladies have explained all of the processes and results for genealogists, not just research geneticists. To answer the first question begged by this information, Ann�s husband will be joining our project.

You can find Ann at DNACousins@aol.com  She administers the Shreiner project with FTDNA.

One review of her book states:

� Inviting and informative, this work presents an easily understood yet wonderfully detailed explanation of a complex subject. From the well-written text to the excellent overall presentation. Trace Your Roots with DNA is a significant contribution to the understanding of genetic testing for genealogical endeavors.�

                         Curt Witcher, Former President,
                          National Genealogical Society

Doug Mumma, BA in Physics and a fellow administrator gave us his case study of the Mumma Surname project which was the first one ever created by FTDNA company in its infancy only 4 years ago.

Taylor Edwards, a research specialist at the University of Arizona, gave us an overview of what actually happens to your samples from the time they get to the lab and what they are looking for in the lab basically telling us how the cells from your cheek get transformed into the numbers you receive from Family Tree DNA.

Matt Kaplan, FTDNA lab manager and doctoral candidate at the University of Arizona, explained the importance of mutations within families to enable them to separate the various branches of the family using the less stable last 12 markers of the 37 marker test after the first more stable 25 markers have proven we are a related set of individuals. With Matt we got into a serious explanation of the importance of Haplogroups and began to see how different haplogroups are showing slightly different mutation rates enabling certain family units to more easily pick out branches than others.

Bruce Walsh, PHD Population geneticist and co-author of one of the leading texts in this area explained how the time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor is calculated not using surnames as a filter and made us all glad we were using that extremely important piece of data to help with our own genealogy/DNA projects.

You can find more about all of this and the individuals who spoke to us on the FTDNA home site.

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FTDNA has decided to extend its offer of matching dollar for dollar money contributed to our Turner General Fund through the end of November.�We�used�the fund to sponsor a portion of three kits in October.�Donations�totaled $84 and�FTDNA�matched that amount.

Here is a log of our General fund for October.

10/17/04	member donation	$25
10/17/04	FTDNA matching gift	$25
10/17/04	Total available	$50
10/20/04	member donation	$59
10/20/04	FTDNA matching gift	$25
10/20/04	Total available	$168
10/20/04	member donation	$59
10/20/04	FTDNA matching gift	$25
10/20/04	New Kit ordered from FTDNA	-$25
10/20/04	Total available	$143
10/29/04	New Kit ordered...	-$51	-$26 GF, $25 FTDNA
11/01/04	New Kit ordered...	-$50	-$25 GF, $25 FTDNA
11/01/04	Total available	$42

Total Available (includes FTDNA matching gift): $42.00
FTDNA Matching Gift Balance: $25.00

If you would like to contribute to the Turner General Fund for this project, use the following link:

http://www.familytreedna.com/contribution.html

There are 3 conditions for the use of FTDNA's matching dollars:

1. no more than $25 that has come from FTDNA can be used per test,
2. FTDNA matching gift can be used only for new kits,
3. FTDNA contributions from the matching gift need to be used before the end of this year, as they will expire on 12/31/04, whether used or not.

If all Surname Projects took advantage of this matching gift, Family Tree DNA will be committing a total of over $250,000 to new tests!

Come on and let�s use some of THEIR money to further our research.  Sounds like a plan to me!!!

Nancy Turner Grogan
Administrator
Turner surname Project FTDNA