| Q1. How is DNA used in genealogy? |
| Q2. Why does this Project only use Y-DNA
and not mtDNA? |
| Q3. What is the difference in Y-DNA and
mtDNA? |
| Q4. How do we find the DNA signature
of ancestors who lived long ago? |
| Q5. Will a DNA test tell me who my ancestors
are? |
| Q6. Why should I get tested? |
| Q7. Can the test data be used to tell
me of potential medical problems? |
| Q8. Can these results be used to compromise
my identity? |
| Q9. Will my test results be used for
any other purpose? |
| Q10. I'm told I have a match with someone
else -- what does that mean? |
| Q11. How many markers should I test? |
| Q12. I'm told my sample is too far apart
from another person for us to be related. Is this true? |
| Q13. If Y-DNA only traces the paternal
line, and mtDNA only traces the maternal line, how do I find out about my
ancestors in the other lines? |
| Q14. I am a woman, can I participate
in the Project? |
| Q15. I know I was adopted. Is there
any benefit in my joining the Project? |
| Q16. How do I get my relatives to join
the Project? |
| Q17. I'm told I don't match other members
of the Project. Does this mean I'm not a Cloud? |
| Q18. How do I join the Project? |
| Q19. How will my DNA information be
used? |
|
| Q1. How is DNA used in genealogy?
-- (top) |
A1. We compare the DNA of two people to see if their
samples match and, if they do, those two people may be related.
If their DNA does not match, we know they are not related. All of
your DNA came to you from your parents as an identical copy of their DNA
-- half from your mother and half from your father. Most of it is a random
"jumble" of fragments from your mother and father. This jumble means we
can't tell who contributed which part and it is of little use in tracing
ancestry. This jumbled DNA is called "autosomal" DNA. There are two types
of DNA which are not jumbled up when passed to the child. Each of them comes
from only one parent and they are virtually identical to that of the parent
and to their parent. One type comes from the mother and is called mitochondrial
DNA (abbreviated mtDNA). The other type comes from the father to his sons
and is called Y-chromosome DNA (abbreviated Y-DNA).
|
| Q2. Why does this Project only use
Y-DNA and not mtDNA? -- (top) |
A2. The DNA of all humans is virtually identical --
we use the slight differences as a sort of marker or signature that can
define a sub-group of our human race. Genealogists are primarily interested
in researching family ties within the last thousand years or so, and this
means they're looking for very small and specific sub-groups that we refer
to as family branches. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is so stable that it doesn't
change often enough to create any useful markers within our time frame of
interest. Y-DNA, on the other hand, has been found to change more rapidly
and those minute changes can be used to differentiate one family branch
from another within a much more recent time frame. (You are welcome to
purchase an mtDNA test at our group rate discount for your own benefit,
but it can't be used in our Y-DNA Project research.)
|
| Q3. What is the difference in Y-DNA
and mtDNA? -- (top) |
A3. Both forms of DNA can be compared to a family crest
-- in that they are unique to that line. The mtDNA identifies the maternal
line and the Y-DNA identifies the paternal line. Mitochondrial DNA is passed
by a mother to her children. This makes it useful for tracing the maternal
line -- a person's mother, her mother's mother, her mother's mother's mother,
and so on. Every woman descended from the same ancient female ancestor will
carry virtually identical mtDNA. The Y chromosome is carried only by a man
and the son receives a virtually identical copy from his father. Every man
descended from the same male ancestor will have very similar Y-DNA though
it changes more often than does the mtDNA.
|
| Q4. How do we find the DNA signature
of ancestors who lived long ago? -- (top) |
A4. DNA test results from several lines of living descendants
(or people who believe they are descendants) of a common ancestor are compared
to each other. An analysis of the results can paint a picture of the ancestor's
DNA signature. The most effective and accurate method involves determining
signatures of recent ancestors first and then comparing their results to
determine the signature of more distant ancestors as we work our way back
in time. The accuracy of the results depends on the number of test results
available, the distance (in relationship) of the test subjects and the availability
of paper trail information to help in the analysis.
|
| Q5. Will a DNA test tell me who my
ancestors are? -- (top) |
A5. No, but the DNA test results can be used to tell
you if you might be related to someone else. That evidence is combined with
traditional forms of evidence to prove the relationship to the other person
or persons. As more people contribute their test results to the study, it
is possible to narrow the focus for a common ancestor to within a few generations.
|
| Q6. Why should I get tested? --
(top) |
A6. You might consider participating in the DNA Project
for several reasons: 1 - You want to resolve the mystery of an unknown ancestor.
2 - You are the last male in your line and you want to preserve the DNA
for future generations to help with their research. 3 - Other researchers
need a sample from your family branch to help them in their research.
|
| Q7. Can the test data be used to tell
me of potential medical problems? -- (top) |
A7. No, the type of testing done for this test has
no medical value. (Our testing company offers such tests, but you will
have to order them apart from this Project.)
|
| Q8. Can these results be used to compromise
my identity? -- (top) |
A8. The DNA results alone cannot identify you or any
of your relatives. They must be combined with other information, such as
a surname or vital records and, even then, all they do is identify your
branch of your larger family. This is because there are very likely other
people living who share very similar or even identical DNA signatures to
your family group. Even with that additional data, your test results are
either identical or very nearly identical to those of all your male relatives,
including your father and uncles and cousins, you grandfather and granduncles,
etc. The test results can only identify family groups to which you might
be related.
|
| Q9. Will my test results be used for
any other purpose? -- (top) |
A9. No. The privacy of your identity and that of your
test results are guaranteed by numerous safeguards. See the company's
Privacy and Confidentiality
statement.
|
| Q10. I'm told I have a match with
someone else -- what does that mean? -- (top) |
A10. One must be careful to not infer too much from
a close DNA match -- and they must also be careful to not go to the other
extreme and decide that DNA is meaningless. A match can mean you share a
Recent Common Ancestor or it might not, depending on several factors. -
The number of markers tested is important -- close relatives should see
a near perfect match at 12 markers, but that same near match could also
mean the two people only share a common ancestor who lived thousands of
years ago. This might seem contradictory at first, but DNA must be used
in concert with other data to help us know it belongs to our group and not
to another. Also, a close match using more markers increases the possibility
the two people share a recent common ancestor. - The presence of other proofs
is required to be certain the match isn't one of perhaps many from the larger
world family. A common surname is one indicator, when combined with a DNA
match, of a possible close relationship, and other traditional genealogical
proofs also increase the probability of a close relationship.
|
| Q11. How many markers should I test?
-- (top) |
A11. The current number of markers tested are 12, 25,
37 and 67. - The 37 marker test has proven to be the most useful for our
family Project. - A 12-marker test is best suited to tell you whether you
are NOT related to another family. If you don't match at 12 markers, you
can be assured there is no recent common ancestor. On the other hand, it
is common for people to match at 12 markers and not be recently related.
This is because we are all so closely related. More markers will give a
better idea of whether a recent relationship exists (within a reasonable
genealogical time frame of 1,000 years or less). - The 25 marker test can
be a good indicator whether a recent relationship exists. - The 67 marker
test, at least for our group, appears to be most useful for sorting out
very recent relationships.
|
| Q12. I'm told my sample is too far
apart from another person for us to be related. Is this true? --
(top) |
A12. Great care must be exercised when interpreting
DNA matches and mismatches. - A close match indicates you have a high probability
of sharing a recent common ancestor, but it could also mean your family
group's DNA signature "drifted" in the same direction as another group.
Though not very likely, it could mean your common ancestor might have lived
thousands of years ago and not recently. - A distant match usually means
you're not related within a genealogical time frame of interest -- but the
possibility always exists that you are related. This rare circumstance can
occur when one or both branches experienced a large number of mutations.
- Keep in mind that the odds of any one house in the United States being
hit by a tornado is about 10 million to 1, but someone's house gets hit
every year nonetheless. - Both a close match and a mismatch require work.
The close match is usually easier to confirm than a mismatch which must
find supporting evidence of a relationship to reconcile the apparent mismatch.
|
| Q13. If Y-DNA only traces the paternal
line, and mtDNA only traces the maternal line, how do I find out about my
ancestors in the other lines? -- (top) |
A13. Search your other family lines in the same way
we're researching this one -- find a male from that line and have him tested.
|
| Q14. I am a woman, can I participate
in the Project? -- (top) |
A14. We really want your contribution and help with
the Project The Project uses Y-DNA and only men have that, but you can contribute
to the effort by helping us recruit men into it. You can contribute to the
Project for your branch by getting your father or an uncle or your brother
or cousin to submit a test sample. You can also submit a sample of your
own DNA for a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) test. If you purchase it through
our Project you will receive our group discount. The mtDNA test results
won't be used in our Project analyses, but they might be of interest to
you if you want to research your maternal lineage.
|
| Q15. I know I was adopted. Is there
any benefit in my joining the Project? -- (top) |
A15. You would do this if you wanted to locate the
line from which you are genetically descended. If you know the surname of
your biological father, then you'd be best served by joining the Project
for that surname. If you don't know, you're welcome to join the Cloud DNA
Project. Once your results are in, they can be uploaded to the
Y-Search worldwide database. You'll
find information there on others who share similar signatures as you.
|
| Q16. How do I get my relatives to
join the Project? -- (top) |
A16. You can tell them this is important to you, you
can offer to pay for the test for them, you can tell them their data will
help other people who are trying to see how they fit into the family. Share
with them your copy of the Cloud Family Association Journal and tell this
is not a whimsical endeavor, but that we're a group of people seriously
trying to preserve our heritage.
|
| Q17. I'm told I don't match other
members of the Project. Does this mean I'm not a Cloud? --
(top) |
A17. A surname is an artificial and arbitrary designation.
Your surname is simply an identifier for the family group you identify with.
No one even had a surname in the middle ages and before. Someone, somewhere
settled on using this surname -- what does it matter whether it was adopted
500 years ago or 50 years ago -- it's still your surname and it is valid.
We suspect there are many unrelated families with the surname Cloud. There
are records of Clouds coming from many countries of origin. William Cloud
left England in 1682 to travel to America, and early census records, ship
manifests and even the Ellis Island records show Clouds who immigrated from
other countries besides England. There are also Native American people who
took the surname Cloud. These are all distinct family groups that aren't
related to each other -- but they all are Clouds.
|
| Q18. How do I join the Project? --
(top) |
A18. You will purchase a test for 12, 25, 37 or 67
markers from our testing company. You will need to submit whatever information
you know about your pedigree to the Project Administrator. When you receive
the test kit in the mail, you'll use the two swabs to collect samples from
the inside of your cheek. Then you'll return the samples to the testing
company.
|
| Q19. How will my DNA information
be used? -- (top) |
A19. Your DNA test results will be compared with the
results of other participants to see if there is a possible match. If there
is, your pedigree information will be compared to theirs to find any common
factors. That will give you and other researchers clues on where to look
to resolve the broken links.
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