President's Message

Exploring and Expanding New Research Paths with DNA Testing

IMFA interest in genetic genealogy is getting rejuvenated by the availability of new types of DNA testing, such as Autosomal, the emergence of new test vendors, and the integration of test results into existing family history platforms, such as Ancestry.com.

Among the IMFA members leading the charge are Mary Porter and Julie Crawford. Julie, a long-time IMFA member has recently completed a serious course of study to expand her knowledge of how to use DNA in genealogical research. See their article “Genetic Genealogy/DNA Project Update: DNA Testing”, and respond to their poll, to help IMFA participants expand their research connections through DNA testing.

To get started with DNA testing at a good price, go to ancestry.com for their St. Patrick’s Day sale, and save $40 or more on DNA kits. Or hit the sale at Family Tree DNA. Upgrade your Y-DNA results to y-111 for deeper insight into your male line.

For a survey of recent advances, Blaine Bettinger published his second edition of The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, in 2019. This is a welcome expansion of his 2016 edition, helping us keep up with a fast-moving field.

So, consider getting yourself or a relative tested and loading your results to one of the popular platforms, like Ancestry. The more tests that are out there, the better everyone’s chances of finding new connections!

Cheers
Steve Mullinax US312
President
president@mx-world.org