I am seeing a lot of interest in gene DNA testing here on the THOMAS list. There are pros and cons to this. 1. The basic cost is about $160 for the 12 marker and $250 for the 25 marker test. 2. And, certainly, the 25 marker test is more accurate [99.999%]. There, however, still remains a 1 in 100,000 person mismatch or 10 in 1 million or 3650 in 365 million. So, totally conclusive it is NOT! If you have evidence, from census or other record, that you are the descendant of "JOHN DOE", you probably are. DNA testing would simply confirm it ... if ... 3. And to the end of that confirmation, one has to have a valid, ancestors DNA sample for testing. OK .... so, who is going to have grandpa and great grandpa exhumed? :-) And, at what cost, both financially and in family discontent? This level of DNA testing is, obvious, NOT inexpensive. 4. These are PATERNITY tests, requiring a test sample from a male member of the family. If you are male descendant, or have a living brother or cousin, you have a chance. The farther off of the main family line you are or your sample donor is, the lower the probability of accuracy. 5. OK! So now you have your DNA charter with 25 markers. So, what do you do with the charter? What lab is going to do the matching? More importantly, "WHO" is doing the matching? A qualified genetics professional is required for this and this is NOT a lab technician. These people carry a PhD behind their name and specialize in this field, and not in art, music or business. These are medical research professionals. In today's marketplace, whatever you do, exercise due caution in conduct of business over the internet. Know who you are dealing with and what you are going to receive for what you pay. There are some real scams and scam-artists out there, just waiting to collect the money from those who do not heed these words of warning. Don't be a victim! Otherwise, I hope each person, that participates in this DNA endeavor, enjoys the outcome of this endeavor in good health and spirit. A concerned cousin ... List Administrator, ROOTSWEB.COM

Hi Sam and all, And by the way, I am just a researcher of my family tree. I have no affiliations with any company, lab, advertising, nor do I even work anymore in my profession. I believe that like most all of us it is interesting to read of this development into DNA testing in genealogy. I don't know a lot about it myself and am probably one of the major doubting Thomas'. I have openly posted my hard work on my Thomas line on the Internet and I have also witnessed abuse of my information. But I think I have helped more and sure found a lot of long lost cousins, so it has been rewarding to me in that sense. Many of us shared our information, and never charged for the information. We love looking into the history of our family. I appreciate Sam's concerns and I think we all have them. We don't want to waste money on something that may be a scam, done by unscrupulous people. Some of us have looked into this and some have had the testing done and felt it opened doors for them. By us checking into the various labs and communicating with others it has helped us to learn more about the testing. And what to expect. But I do encourage people to check into this and understand it before making a decision. It is important that everyone do their own research and if you have doubts about a company or think this might not be of value than ask questions, let us know your concerns, and ultimately you may not wish to participate. Check into the lab. Check in person if you are able. I am also dubious of lab work because I know there are real bad labs out there that are used routinely for medical testing. We sometimes never have a choice in who performs the testing that we undergo to determine a specific diagnosis. Are mistakes made? You bet! Are their labs out there only to line their pockets and could care less if they contaminate samples. No doubt, because some are caught. We don't have to have anyone exhumed. We are not going to that level. At least my intentions are not to do that! We need samples from direct male descendants and most of us have done the paperwork to know which line they are in. But, we are in hopes that we can further distinguish those cousins who we think are part of the family tree but we have not being able to tie in with the paper work we have. For example, I have a George Thomas that I cannot find to be the son of my Jacob Thomas. We have about 3 George Thomas' that might fit as his son, but unable to prove which one might be a descendant and the DNA testing might rule out 2 of the George's leaving us with one that may be the direct ancestor. On a broader scale, this might also reveal that all 3 George's have a connection to Jacob. This would tie in to a larger picture that all the 3 George Thomas lines might have a common ancestor. It may not be 100% conclusive but may be enough to determine if any of the lineages do connect or do not connect. This DNA testing has been used for many years now to help fathers determine their paternity, for example. I hope that we can make use of this science to help us in deterring our Thomas lines. There is no substitute for good research and following the paper trail in old documents. This is not a short-cut by any means. A few of us heard about the DNA testing through other related families doing this. In my case a potential cousin or two or three.... e-mailed back and forth for years trying to connect our lines and then we wondered about the Y-DNA test and if this could help us? I didn't have a company solicit me. And I am not trying to drum up business for any company or individual. Thanks, Sam for pointing out things that are so important. Barb http://www.geocities.com/blynnfitzz/KinshipofJThomas1.html http://www.geocities.com/blynnfitzz/index.html and http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=barbfitz&id=I0783 -----Original Message----- From: Sam Thomas [mailto:[email protected]] I am seeing a lot of interest in gene DNA testing here on the THOMAS list. There are pros and cons to this. 1. The basic cost is about $160 for the 12 marker and $250 for the 25 marker test. 2. And, certainly, the 25 marker test is more accurate [99.999%]. There, however, still remains a 1 in 100,000 person mismatch or 10 in 1 million or 3650 in 365 million. So, totally conclusive it is NOT! If you have evidence, from census or other record, that you are the descendant of "JOHN DOE", you probably are. DNA testing would simply confirm it ... if ... 3. And to the end of that confirmation, one has to have a valid, ancestors DNA sample for testing. OK .... so, who is going to have grandpa and great grandpa exhumed? :-) And, at what cost, both financially and in family discontent? This level of DNA testing is, obvious, NOT inexpensive. 4. These are PATERNITY tests, requiring a test sample from a male member of the family. If you are male descendant, or have a living brother or cousin, you have a chance. The farther off of the main family line you are or your sample donor is, the lower the probability of accuracy. 5. OK! So now you have your DNA charter with 25 markers. So, what do you do with the charter? What lab is going to do the matching? More importantly, "WHO" is doing the matching? A qualified genetics professional is required for this and this is NOT a lab technician. These people carry a PhD behind their name and specialize in this field, and not in art, music or business. These are medical research professionals. In today's marketplace, whatever you do, exercise due caution in conduct of business over the internet. Know who you are dealing with and what you are going to receive for what you pay. There are some real scams and scam-artists out there, just waiting to collect the money from those who do not heed these words of warning. Don't be a victim! Otherwise, I hope each person, that participates in this DNA endeavor, enjoys the outcome of this endeavor in good health and spirit. A concerned cousin ... List Administrator, ROOTSWEB.COM

Ok, Cousins .... NOBODY BIT THE BAIT QUESTION: WHO IS GOING TO GO DIG UP GRANDPA? :-) You have to compare a REFERENCE DNA pattern against the SAMPLE DNA pattern, both loci amplitude and incidence. GRANDPA is the REFERENCE. Randy Thomas, Being a geneticist, would you be so kind as to give us some insight into the probability factors and the overall process? How, for example, might I link to my G-G-G-G-G-G Grandfather, without a DNA sample from him? Other than locating cousins, what does one have to gain? Sam Thomas Roswell, Georgia 770-643-8880