"Ancestry by DNA" Offers New Tests --- But What Good Are They?

Updated from the post earlier today:

Ancestry by DNA is NOT Ancestry.com although this branding is sometimes confused because the more established Ancestry.com sometimes calls itself DNAAncestry. Ancestry by DNA has announced new testing options in an offering to subscribers of Find My Past: 

The website makes it appear there are three product lines and of course there are: 

DNA Origins Ancestral Ethnicity

DNA WorldView  Compare Your Past vs. Present

Lineage Testing  Ancestral Migration Routes

One seems to be intended to look similar to the autosomal test Ancestry.com has been offering since 2012. It is not by accident that this offering looks like Ancestry.com. Brand confusion seems to be by intent. The 15 customer reviews on Yelp gave Ancestry by DNA a generous 1.5 stars out of 5. 

One wonders why FindMyPast partnered in this deal. Perhaps it is because some kind of mt-DNA and Y-DNA tests would seem to be offered abroad:

Get 50% off a DNA kit today Lineage testing can determine your Haplogroup which can show you how your ancient ancestors migrated out of Africa and what route they took on their journey to where you call home. Halpogroups are determined by analysing the DNA that is passed down from either your paternal or maternal side and can be traced back over 100,000 years. Your results will provide you with your Haplogroup, map, and guidebook for beginning your journey of self-discovery through DNA. Buy your kit

It is hard to see what the bargain is even at 50% off. Some STRs values are to be provided to males who test; but it is unclear how many. There seem to be two or possibly 3 levels of mtDNA results offered. What one gets at what price is also left open to guess. It is clear that the price for a full mtDNA test may be $199 (US) but does the 50% off apply to this? 

One more shot over our bow is the warning that:

Your certificate is accompanied by a manual, which discusses the interpretation of test results in greater detail. You will also receive a page with an in depth description of your haplogoup. All three are available for download in PDF format. Please note that results will only be available through our website for 1 year.

 

So if you take this test, be sure to download them promptly.

This is a flashy website; but what are we being offered? Check it out and give me your take. What are we being offered and at what price?

Dr D can think of no reason why persons serious about their family history would be benefited by any of these tests. Ancestry.com, FTDNA and 23andMe all offer far more useful information at comparable prices.  

YDNA Upgrade Sale at FTDNA for Father's Day

FTDNA has just announced a YDNA upgrade sale. If you or a close family member have already tested and you have been contemplating upgrading it to improve its precision, the following sale may be of interest.

Dear FTDNA Customer,   Since last summer's upgrade sale was such huge success, we thought we'd repeat history! We are offering discounts to our Y-DNA upgrade products just in time for father's day.  So, please spread the word and we'll make this year's upgrade sale even bigger!

From June 12, 2013 through June 19, 2013,  we will reduce the following prices. Y-DNA 12 to 25 was $49 Now $35 Y-DNA 12 to 37 was $99 Now $69 Y-DNA 12 to 67 was $189 Now $148 Y-DNA 25 to 37 was $49 Now $35 Y-DNA 25 to 67 was $148 Now $114 Y-DNA 25 to 111 was $249 Now $224 Y-DNA 37 to 67 was $99 Now $79 Y-DNA 37 to 111 was $220 Now $188 Y-DNA 67 to 111 was $129 Now $109   To order an upgrade at these special prices you may log into  your personal page with your kit number and password.  Click on the "Order Upgrade" button located on the  right side of the menu bar. Then click on the "Special  Offers" button. ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED AND PAID FOR  BY 11:59pm, JUNE 19, 2013, TO RECEIVE THE SALE PRICE.

$39 Sale Price Only Good in February

Although this was not clearly stated in the initial coverage, the price reduction of a entry level, 12 marker Y-chrome test by FTDNA is a limited time only event. It now appears that the price will only be offered through February 28th. This does not prevent you purchasing kits during the sale and using them sometime in the future. The kits have a good shelf-life. So if you have been contemplating whether or not this new offer is worth taking advantage of, you will have to decide and ACT before the end of the month. It is possible the sale will be extended; but there is no guarantee that this will be the case. To take advantage of such sales in the past, one must have ordered AND paid for kits by midnight Houston time in order to get the sale price.

Entry Level Paternal Line DNA Test Lowered Drastically

FTDNA drastically lowered the cost of it's entry level Y-chromosome DNA test today. This is a test that can be taken by men to trace their paternal surname line up their family tree. This test will allow men to determine their general haplogroup (ancient clan) but will not be specific enough to answer many family history questions. However, as Your Genetic Genealogist pointed out today, this will get samples stored for 25 years--or until it is used up by further testing. So this is a very economical way to collect samples from several members of the older generation of your family for future family research.

Also buried in the press release below is an announcement that a price reduction is likely to be in the offing for mitochondrial tests which can be taken by members of either gender to test their maternal lines:

 Toward Universal Access by Individuals to their Own Genetic Data

Date:2/20/2013 

HOUSTON, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- FamilyTreeDNA.com, the genetic genealogy arm of Gene By Gene, Ltd., is dramatically lowering the price of one of its basic Y-DNA tests to $39, making it the lowest-cost DNA test available on the market, in order to take a major step toward universal access by individuals to their personal genetic data.

By dropping the price of its basic Y-DNA test by 60 percent to $39, Family Tree DNA -- the world's largest processor of Y-DNA and full mitochondrial sequences -- is working to eliminate cost as a barrier to individuals introducing themselves to the insights and knowledge to be gained from personal genetic and genomic research.

Family Tree DNA pioneered the concept of direct-to-consumer testing in the field of genetic genealogy more than a decade ago, and has processed more than 5 million discrete tests for more than 700,000 individuals and organizations since it introduced its Y-DNA test in 2000.

The test investigates specific Y-DNA locations for males that provide individuals with their haplogroup, or the deep ancestral origin of the paternal line.  In addition, it can indicate if different individuals are likely to share a common male line.


Gene By Gene is also working to lower the cost of Family Tree DNA's comparable mtDNA test, which would be applicable to both females and males and provides data on the direct maternal line.  The company expects to unveil new pricing for this test in spring 2013.

As the sponsor DNA Workshop of "Who Do You Think You Are - Live" in London this February, Family Tree DNA expects that the reduced price test will add a great number of individuals to its already large database – the largest of its kind in the world.

"We believe the first step to unearthing your personal and family history is to better understand your DNA," Gene By Gene President Bennett Greenspan said.  "That's why we are continuously investing in new technology and experienced scientists at our Genomics Research Center, enabling us to conduct tests more accurately, efficiently and at lower prices.  Our $39 Y-DNA test is just the latest example of how we are working to help individuals gain access to their genetic data."

Customer Inquiries
Individuals interested in Family Tree DNA's $39 Y-DNA test, or any of its ancestral testing products, can visit www.familytreedna.com for more information.
 
About Gene By Gene, Ltd.
Founded in 2000, Gene By Gene, Ltd. provides reliable DNA testing to a wide range of consumer and institutional customers through its four divisions focusing on ancestry, health, research and paternity.  Gene By Gene provides DNA tests through its Family Tree DNA division, which pioneered the concept of direct-to-consumer testing in the field of genetic genealogy more than a decade ago.  Gene by Gene is CLIA registered and through its clinical-health division DNA Traits offers regulated diagnostic tests. DNA DTC is the Research Use Only (RUO) division serving both direct-to-consumer and institutional clients worldwide.  Gene By Gene offers AABB certified relationship tests through its paternity testing division, DNA Findings. The privately held company is headquartered in Houston, which is also home to its state-of-the-art Genomics Research Center.

Y-chromosomal and Autosomal DNA Sale at FTDNA

On the FTDNA website today a sale has been announced. This sale runs only for the rest of this week -- through July 15th. The details for the sale seem to be as follows:


37 marker Y-chromosome test:    now $129 (men only to test surname line)
67 marker Y-chromosome test:    now $199 (men only to test surname line)


"Family Finder" Autosomal test:   now $199 (either gender to test for close relatives)


What test one should take and who in a family should take it depends almost entirely on what genealogical question one is trying to answer. Generally a 37 marker test is a good place to start to determine whether a male of a given surname biologically belongs an established surname cluster. A 67 or even 111 marker test may be useful in narrowing down a specific line of descent within a family cluster. 


Family Finder tests are almost certain to find close cousins of either gender who have tested. More distant cousins may or may not show up as matches even if they are in the database. For example 2nd cousins are almost certain to show as matches. However, the probability of matching with an actual cousin who is is in the database decreases with each generation further back in time. very distant cousins may show up; but the probability of matching with a specific person who is more than a 5th cousin is less than 5%. You will sill get a lot of matches at this level because you have a lot of distant cousins. Even if you and a distant cousin both have well developed pedigree charts, it will be difficult to determine on which of your lines this match occurs.


I am not surprised that the Family Finder autosomal test is on sale now that there are now three competitors offering similar products---FTDNA, 23andMe and Ancestry.