>"Max Blankfeld" <max@familytreedna.com> wrote: > > > First, both males and females can be tested. Males > > test for the Y-DNA (from father to son...) and females test for the > > mtDNA (from mother to daughter). > >Not true. Mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to all children, >male and female. > > > Females testing their mtDNA will find more anthropological answers: > > deep ancestry and migration. > >Again, not true. Mitochondrial DNA provides the same evidence of >relationships - it's just more complicated to trace as the common >surname is not there as a guide. > > > Although this is a short paragraph, I hope it will shed some light > > into the use of genetics in genealogy. While we say that DNA > > testing is one more tool to be used in conjunction with traditional > > genealogy, there are many people who have tested, and who said that > > one test done to compare two individuals solved a 20, 30 or even 45 > > year puzzle which included many thousands of dollars spent in travel > > and research. > >It still only gives information about a single line. - the one >linked to the surname. It CAN be used to confirm (or not) family >myths and/or apparent male descent lines, but when one considers the >numbers of ancestors about whom nothing can be learned by these >methods, its use for genealogical purposes is very limited. > >Lesley Robertson <l.a.robertson@tnw.tudelft.nl> Dear Leslie, You are correct in saying that mtDNA is passed from mother to male and female children, but when a mother's mtDNA is passed to a son, it stops right there, it doesn't go down the line. That's what I meant. It only goes down the line from mother to daughter to daughter..... Now on your second claim that "Mitochondrial DNA provides the same evidence of relationships", I'll have to respectfully disagree with you since, again, mutation rates are much slower, and therefore an evidence of ancestry would go much back in time that the one that can be obtained by Y-DNA. I completely understand that since the use of DNA in genealogy is something quite new (only 3 years) there are still many skeptical people. This is perfectly understandable. Please check my answer to Ardis, and I'll be happy to stay here and answer any questions you may have. Max Blankfeld max@familytreedna.com