Manasota PAF News
Feb 2002 -  Volume 8 Issue 5 - A publication of the Manasota PAF User Group, Bradenton, Florida

MyFamily.com & Relative Genetics Partner to Deliver Genetic Genealogical Service  From: ROOTSWEB REVIEW: RootsWeb's Free Weekly E-zine
Vol. 5, No. 5, 30 January 2002, Circulation: 914,580 (c) 1998-2002 RootsWeb.com, Inc. http://www.rootsweb.com/

MyFamily.com and Relative Genetics, a world-class genomics laboratory and a leader in establishing definitive biologic relationships through DNA testing and analysis, have entered an exclusive partnership to distribute the Ancestry(TM) GenetiKit(TM), the most complete and extensive DNA test available. The partnership and new product combine traditional genealogy with the latest technology making it easier to answer the question: "Where did I come from?"

The Ancestry GenetiKit will be introduced at GENTECH, the conference for genealogy and technology in Boston, Massachusetts, on 25 January 2002. The test will be available exclusively through Ancestry.com, a member of the MyFamily.com network, on 25 January and can be ordered online for $219.00. The home collection kit comes with a swab to painlessly and easily collect a sample of cells from the inside of your cheek, which is then returned to the laboratory where DNA testing is completed within a few weeks.

The Ancestry GenetiKit can be used to test for paternal-line relationships through a test known as the Surname Test or Y Chromosome Test. The Surname test analyzes twenty-three markers making it the highest resolution commercial Y-chromosome test in the world. These markers identify the provider's genetic identity inherited from his ancestors. Other tests available using the GenetiKit include the Mitochondrial DNA Native American Haplotype Test and Mitochondrial DNA Sequencing Test used for establishing maternal relationships.

The genetic identity of the provider will be compared against a database of over nineteen thousand DNA samples, the world's largest database of genetic genealogical samples. The results that will be reported to the provider include an analysis of the provider's personal genetic identity and a comparison with surnames contained in the database to determine relationships. Ancestry.com users can use their personal genetic identity to find other Ancestry.com users who are living relatives. Furthermore, if a match is determined with another sample in the database, the provider will receive ancestral information on that match including a name, place, and date. 

"By gathering genetic data from populations throughout the world, Relative Genetics and The Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, in conjunction with development from the BYU Center for Molecular Genealogy, are building the world's largest database of genetic populations. These populations are sorted by place and time so finding out where and when your genetic ancestors may have lived is easier," said Dr. Scott Woodward, PhD., Professor of Microbiology and faculty member of the Molecular Biology Program at Brigham Young University, Laboratory Director of Relative Genetics. 

Genealogy has traditionally been done using records of people's names in association with dates and places. Almost every genealogist knows that name changes and dates are not recorded and places can be forgotten. Ancestry.com and Relative Genetics have teamed up to help fill in the missing pieces. 

"You carry within your DNA a record of your ancestry," said Tom Stockham, CEO of MyFamily.com. "The Ancestry GenetiKit test accesses the only record that never gets lost; your genetic heritage, DNA. By combining those DNA records with more than 1.5 billion names we currently have available online, we will offer our customers an unsurpassed ability to build family pedigrees and establish relationships between distant relatives." 

For more information on the Ancestry GenetiKit, go to: http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?sourceid=1644&targetid=3346 

Family Tree SuperTools  submitted by Pat Richley DearMYRTLE@aol.com . As we learn more about this program downloadable from www.whollygenes.com we're finding all sorts of neat options. This month we'll cover four more, namely: dates: calculator & regnal date converter, relationship calculator, web searching (including multiple sites, and keyword searching), data presentation: wall charts, multimedia slideshow

Dates: calculator & regnal date converter

This first option makes it possible to take the death date listed on a tombstone, and subtract the years, months and days (also often listed on a tombstone) to calculate an individual's birth date.

Merely type in the starting date, select subtract, type in years, months and days and click the calculate button.  The ending date (or result) is then listed below as shown in the diagram at the left.

The Regnal Date Converter option takes into account the the fact that often dates are related to the monarch in power... such as "during the 25th year of the reign of..." 

Various countries began using the calendar as we know it at different time periods. In earlier times, the first month of the year was March, as compared to January as commonly used today. For many countries, you can use this rule of thumb:

• since 15 Oct 1582 they represent Gregorian calendar
• before 15 Oct 1582 they represent Julian Calendar

For more information about the change between Julian and Gregorian calendars, see:

• Conversion of Julian Date to Calendar Date and vice versa

• Julian Date Calendar

• Julian Date

• Gregorian Calendar

• Julian Calendar Conversion

• Julian Gregorian Calendar

Relationship calculator   This option is available on many genealogy programs. Here you select two individuals from your database, and allow the program to calculate the relationship. Here I have discovered I how I am related to my original immigrant GIST ancestor, Christopher who married Edith Cromwell, and purchased property along the Pautaxent River in Maryland circa 1679. 

Here are some other options, which we will discuss at next month's Manasota PAF Users Group meetings:

March 2002: Preferences & Timeline

1. web searching (including multiple sites, and keyword searching)

2. data presentation: wall charts, multimedia slideshow

April 2002: Preferences & Timeline

1. Researcher Info (name, address, e-mail, etc) Item Tips, Slideshow, Lists, Project Explorer, Tag Box, Colors

2. Advanced: backup file locations, definitions for "circa" and "maximum life span"

3. Setting an automatic "relation tag" to a specific individual.

4. Historical Time Lines - view an ancestor's events "in relation to politics, battles, county line changes, and general history."

You may jumpstart your understanding of the Family Tree SuperTools by working through the following tutorial online at: www.whollygenes.com/ftsttour.htm . Gosh, I LOVE it when programmers provide lessons for using the software!

For Further Reading:
Family Tree SuperTools - www.whollygenes.com/supertools.htm#features The publisher states: "Family Tree SuperTools is a true 32-bit application with support for right-click menus, long file names, user-defined screen configurations, and drag-n-drop of slideshow media and chart elements. It requires at least a Pentium 166 with 64 Megs of RAM running Windows 95, 98, NT, 2000, ME, or XP. Web searching and chart uploading features require an Internet connection."

Ancestry Family Tree: Another FREE Program  submitted by Pat Richley DearMYRTLE@aol.com .  

Free Ancestry Family Tree Software--Download Now!

• Automatically search more than 1.2 billion names at Ancestry.com to find the best matches for trees and records for each person in your family tree
• Publish a family tree online to share publicly or privately
• Download existing family tree files from the Web
• Collaborate with other genealogists through Ancestry.com's Online Family Tree and Ancestry World Tree

Plus, you get all of the functionality you expect in family tree software, including the following:

• Add and edit individuals within a family tree
• Merge multiple files into one family tree
• Save notes and sources for each individual in a tree
• Print genealogy reports in multiple formats
• Add photos and rich media associated with each individual
• Generate HTML pages of the family tree to publish online
• And much, much more

I decided to download the file, and see what all the excitement is about. The file is 4.5 MB, and according to the screen, it should take 17 minutes 37 seconds on a 56K modem or 1 minute 58 seconds on DSL / cable modem. I then imported my sample personal database, to see how it looked in AFT.

What I Liked:

Shortly after progressing up a pedigree chart, a little indication of the NUMBER of RECORDS for that name appear in tiny 4pt size text in the right portion of the pedigree chart box for an individual. I was signed on the internet already through AOL. By double clicking on that UPPER hyperlink, I was taken to Ancestry.com's web site. (As pictured, these hyperlinks are VERY, VERY TINY, and you might miss the fact that there are 2 of them.) 

After entering my Ancestry.com User Name and Password, my screen showed GLOBAL SEARCH HIT LIST  with 12 records from the "New Ancestry World Tree" to work through. This is a free database, so I am not sure why I was asked for my Ancestry.com user name and password.

By clicking on the LOWER HYPERLINK, I was provided a list of other Ancestry.com databases that match my ancestor's name as shown in the green box below. Obviously my William Gist, who died in Edgar, Illinois in 1855 is not the one listed on the Social Security Death Index, nor is he to be found among the 35 Phone & address listings for William Gist.

Search Results: William Gist With Joseph    = Subscription Required (Sign Up!) Featured Databases matches  | info Ancestry World Tree entries for WILLIAM GIST 444    Social Security Death Index 1     Gene Pool Individual Records 2     Phone & Address Listings entries for WILLIAM GIST      Search for WILLIAM GIST in our new message boards      Your search returned 21 hits in the databases below. Biography & History 1  Community & Message Boards 17  Court, Land, & Probate Records 1    Too few hits? Try your query again using a more extensive search. Get additional how-to and learning materials in our Ancestry Library. Refine Search:    First Name Last Name Any AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY INTL Locality Advanced

Another likable and useful set of options is found by clicking INTERNET on the AFT (Ancestry Family Tree) toolbar, shown at right. I particularly like the option to SEARCH ANCESTRY MESSAGE BOARDS. A little backtracking might serve to explain why. Remember that Ancestry.com purchased RootsWeb, and merged the two site's message boards. Remember that RootsWeb genealogy e-mail lists now "gateway" or spill-over into the message boards. That means this SEARCH ANCESTRY MESSAGE BOARDS option is mighty powerful.

Note: We already accomplished the first two searches by clicking each of the hyperlinks after an ancestor's name in the pedigree chart view of AFT (Ancestry Family Tree.)

What I didn't Like

• The names of individuals in pedigree & family view are about 6 pt.  (The program says it is 8 point, but it doesn't look like that to this experienced Windows & Microsoft Word instructor.) That is so VERY tiny for even my bifocals to pick up on. Looking an the name-sorted list did not pose a problem. It is possible to correct this by clicking on TOOLS, then choosing PREFERENCES, and selecting a larger font and point size. This wouldn't be easy for someone just starting out. Although I normally like Arial 10 point, in this program I had to set it for Arial 12 pt. This affected the data, but not the lettering on the TABS for the program views.

So what have we got?

The AFT (Ancestry Family Tree) genealogy software program provides perhaps the quickest, most methodical process for ensuring that you have scoured www.ancestry.com and www.rootsweb.com's message boards/mail lists for any mention of your ancestor is to use this program. We have something similar in the more recent versions of Family Tree Maker genealogy program, if you wish to locate any mention of your ancestor on FTM/Genealogical Publishing co-produced CDs, or in FTM's World Family Tree CDs.

Does this mean we have to throw out my other genealogy program and use only AFT?

By no means must you use AFT exclusively. YES, it can import and export with relative ease. I intend to continue using one program for my main data entry genealogy software. But I don't want to ignore the automatic search capabilities provided by AFT. So periodically, I will import the entire updated file to AFT and work through the links provided by Ancestry.com.