BBC: Eddie Izzard follows his DNA Trail

[supermoussi]

The Geno 2.0 test is useful if you want to know about your deep ancestry and if you want to see if you have any new Y-SNPs. The Geno 2.0 test has effectively replaced the old FTDNA deep clade test. You get over 12,000 Y-SNPs on the Geno chip.

The 23andMe test is of more interest if you're interested in the health aspects. It's not so good for the Y-SNPs. They've reduced the cost of their test so that they can increase the size of their database.

Agreed. Mostly. Its probably a question of semantics, but at the rate that we are now finding new SNPs, that span the gap between surname times and ye olde ancient times, it is a bit of a misnomer to call it "Deep" ancestry anymore. We may be looking at being able to say that a person is related to one group of people from regions W within 500 yrs, another group from regions W,X within 1000 yrs, another group from W,X,Y within 1500, another from 2000, etc., within the next few years. Some subgroups uncovered by WTY and 1K Genomes can pretty much do this already.

[DevonCruwys]

Agreed. Mostly. Its probably a question of semantics, but at the rate that we are now finding new SNPs, that span the gap between surname times and ye olde ancient times, it is a bit of a misnomer to call it "Deep" ancestry anymore. We may be looking at being able to say that a person is related to one group of people from regions W within 500 yrs, another group from regions W,X within 1000 yrs, another group from W,X,Y within 1500, another from 2000, etc., within the next few years. Some subgroups uncovered by WTY and 1K Genomes can pretty much do this already.

You're quite right and in fact this is indeed already happening. Both the Barton and Irvine DNA projects have private SNPs that arose in the last 500 years or so. Many of the new SNPs are hovering around the 1500 years mark and are getting tantalisingly closer to the beginnings of surnames. At the moment it's only advanced users who are getting this information by joining haplogroup projects and testing for the appropriate Y-SNPs. The companies are not doing the analysis. It's all being done by citizen scientists. There is a small army of volunteers collecting Geno 2.0 Y-SNP data. They are trying to identify the correct position of all the unplaced SNPs on the Geno chip in their respective haplogroups:

http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Genographic_Project#What_to_do_with_your_Geno_2.0_results

[supermoussi]

It's all being done by citizen scientists.

Sigh, We used to call them DNA junkies but guess we have to move with the times.   

[davidft]

@ DevonCruwys

Thank you for the reply and links, they were very helpful.

Don't think a Geno 2.0 is for me at the moment. I'll just wait for more people with my surname to do a Y-DNA test

[BristolClark]

Oh that's no good!  My OH keeps saying he is a Viking. I keep telling him he isn't. I was going to buy him a test to prove that I was right.  Will I be wasting my money? 

No test can provide you with a concrete answer, of course, but they can hint at the British Isles origins of your other half. My ancestry is predominately English with lots of English surnames, but I also have a sprinkle of Welsh surnames, but - as of yet - no Welsh ancestors found, and the tests have simply confirmed all this. McDonald even slapped me right on the English/Welsh border in two separate occasions.

I'd say the tests provided by FTDNA and 23andme are well worth investing in.

[Ruskie]

Thanks for that. 

I intend to get a test for him in the very near future. 

[Polldoll]

Thanks for starting this thread Rena .. It has been fascinating  and most informative . Thank you for the helpful links and explanations everyone.    I took the Family Finder DNA Test with FTDNA  at the WDYTYA  show a few weeks ago and am looking forward to  seeing what  I learn from the results in another 6 weeks  time. I no doubt will be back on this board to ask questions  when that happens .
Poll

[DevonCruwys]

I know it's rather late in the day now but I've written a blog post explaining some of the problems with this programme. I've also discussed the wider issue of concerns relating to the BBC's handling of this whole affair:

http://cruwys.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/britainsdna-bbc-and-eddie-izzard.html