..on Wednesday, March 3

The work is scheduled to take approximately 8 hours. During this time you will not be able to access your account online. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Ah, it’s the month of March – the month of fun and unique holidays..

It’s Women’s History Month…

The Ides of March…

Dr. Seuss’ Birthday…

Alexander Graham Bell’s Birthday…

Albert Einstein’s Birthday and let’s not forget…..

….it’s National Noodle Month !!…

And on top of all that,  we have St. Patrick’s Day..

So, while 50% of us can celebrate Woman’s History Month, probably none of us are too keen on the Ides of March..

And although my favorite author, my favorite genius and my favorite inventor  (I love my cell phone, Mr. Bell, thank you!)  all have birthdays, and while we could celebrate each of them…that much birthday cake is not good for anyone…

However, anyone can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day..it’s the one day a year that everyone is a wee bit Irish..or wishes they were

So with that said, GeneTree wants to know, just how Irish are you?

We’ve decided to have a little trivia contest.

The person who gives the most correct give the answers in the blog comment section on Tuesday, March 16, will win a special Irish gift from GeneTree!

So, use your “Noodle” and answer these 17 trivia questions:

1. What does “Erin go bragh” mean? (For extra credit: What language is it?)

2. In the song “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling,” what can you hear in the lilt of Irish laughter?

3. Before baking Irish soda bread, why is a cross traditionally slashed in the top of the loaf?

4. What type of meat goes into a traditional Irish stew?

5. What are the colors of the Irish flag and what do they represent?

6. What is a Claddagh?

7. During which years did the Irish Potato Famine take place?

8. Who was the first High King of Ireland?

9. The Titanic was built at which Irish shipyard?

10. Which actress played the part of Mary Kate Danaher in “The Quiet Man”?

11. In which town in Co. Roscommon is the Irish Famine Museum?

12. What does the circle in the centre of the celtic cross represent?

13. By legend, one who kisses the Blarney Stone receives what?

14. In Irish surnames, what does “Mac” mean?

15. What about O’?

16. Waterford, Ireland is popularly known for making what?

17. What is the “profession” of the leprechaun?

The Luck ‘O the Irish be with ye..now, let us know the answers. In case of a tie, the winner will be picked by random drawing..

…and if you’re just not sure how Irish you are…why not purchase a DNA kit and find out where your ancestors came from?

Most any couple spends some time considering about their similarities and differences. Surely our ancestors did too – they were probably aware of how alike they were in religion, culture, social class, and other areas. One thing that they didn’t know, however, was their ancient ancestry.

Knowing their deep origins probably wouldn’t have changed how they felt about each other, although they would have learned more about each other. The technology wasn’t available to them, but it is to us. And, because we carry the DNA of our ancestors, we can learn more about them after they are gone.

 People who are closely related to us genealogically can quite different from us genetically. Most people find that their own mtDNA haplogroup is different from their father’s and their grandfather’s. On the flip side, you might find out that your genetics are more alike than you thought. We know of one couple who discovered that their mtDNA was identical, meaning they probably share a maternal ancestor about 2000 years ago.

Our friend Anna started a new pedigree chart mapping out the mtDNA haplogroups of her family to see how genetically different some of her closest ancestors are. Take a look below to see how she did this. When asked why she made a new pedigree chart, Anna responded “I did this to show my parents the larger picture of how DNA works. It is fun to see where deep ancestry takes each of us in our whole pedigree chart rather than just the individual lines. I have also tested all 3 of my brothers-in-law and their mtDNA has all been from haplogroup H. I joke with my sisters that they have all been fishing in the same genetic pond.”

“So, what’s your haplogroup?” might not be the next catchy pickup line, but it can make for an interesting conversation. Whether you are testing yourself and your own sweetheart, or exploring the relationship of another couple in your family tree, you’re discovering a piece of history that hasn’t yet been written down.

How do you get started preserving the legacy of love in your family? Here are a few things to keep in mind … and in your heart!

Although you want to have as many genetic lines as possible to add to your family tree, you don’t need to test all your relatives! If you have had an mtDNA test, you already know your mother’s DNA. And if you are a male with Y results (or if you have a brother with Y results) you already know your father’s line.

But you can’t be tested for your father’s mtDNA or your maternal grandfather’s Y or mtDNA. If they are alive, have them take a DNA test. If they are no longer with us, it’s usually possible to find a relative who can take the test instead. (We can help you with that if you need it.)

When you are tracing the family of one ancestor, it is also a good idea to know the DNA of their spouse. Chances are you can learn more about grandpa through exploring grandma’s records and connections.

Each DNA test you add to your genetic family tree gives you a better picture of your family. And it preserves your family’s DNA, genealogy, and legacy of love for generations to come.

 (images from http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/vintageresources.html unless otherwise attributed)

And don’t forget our February special! $30 off a kit, $49.95 off a 5-hour consultation, or both (see http://blog.genetree.com/2010/02/all-because-2-people-fell-in-love-and-a-wonderful-money-saving-offer/ for the details)

Hello Blog Readers !

You know, I’ve inherited a lot of things from my parents: the stamp collection from my Father. The Better Homes & Gardens cookbooks from my Mother..

And of course, their DNA.

Because DNA is passed down through the generations almost unchanged, we all inherit our DNA from our ancestors, going back many, many generations.

And now, GeneTree has a feature to let your family inherit your DNA readings from your profile!

Just add family members to your pedigree along with their email addresses in the area provided on the family tree. Then, when they sign-up for their free GeneTree account, they will be able to transfer or inherit your DNA readings into their account!

If they have families, they can have their spouses DNA tested and the branches of your tree become even stronger and more telling than ever before.

It’s much like the lattice on your garden vines – the more support it gets, the stronger and more lasting it becomes.

This is a wonderful opportunity to get all your family interested in not only learning about their history and genetic make-up, but to feel as though they’re writing the next chapter!

Just have them sign-up with GeneTree and the available DNA to inherit is just a click away.

Try it today – you’ll be happy you did.

www.genetree.com

Greg came to our office recently to meet with one of our consultants. He had just received both Y chromosome and mitochondrial DNA results, and wanted some personalized advice regarding what his test results meant and how he could add choose to Buy Clomid Online low cost discount drugstore Buy Nolvadex Online low price DNA into the genealogy research he was already doing. His first question as he sat down with a consultant at a computer was “What are the differences between Y and mitochondrial DNA?”

The answer to Greg’s question is Y DNA and mtDNA trace different specific family lines. Greg’s Y DNA traces his direct paternal line – his father, his father’s father, and so on, because fathers pass Y chromosomes directly to their sons. His mtDNA traces his maternal lineage – his mother, her mother, her mother, and so on, because mothers pass mtDNA to their children.

Next, Greg logged into his GeneTree account to look at his Y markers and his consultant explained that the DYS numbers are the locations on the Y chromosome that were tested. The values assigned to the DYS locations make up Greg’s personal DNA pattern.

The next step was to search for matches. When he clicked on ‘Find Matches’, the search compared his set of YDNA values to those of other men in both SMGF and GeneTree Y databases. The search results were listed with best matches first, so Greg started at the top and worked his way down, viewing the pedigree charts of his matches and looking for names and places similar to the ones in his own pedigree chart.

Greg’s DNA consultant advised him to look closely at matches where 30 or more markers were compared and there were three differences or fewer, as shown in the Matching Markers column. Greg requested a DNA connection with a 36/37 match, someone with who 37 markers had been compared and 36 markers were the same (only one difference). This match also has ancestors from the same geographic region as Greg’s family. If his DNA match is willing to communicate with him, they may be able to find an ancestral connection and help each other extend their family trees.

Greg also explored his mitochondrial results and learned that the numbers are locations on the mtDNA and the letters represent the particular marker at that location. Although his mtDNA was tested at about 1000 locations, he only sees six markers. These are his differences from a standard reference sequence, and his search for matches showed others who have the same pattern of differences. Greg wasn’t able to find any exact mtDNA matches with similar pedigree information, but he plans to check back regularly to see what new information has been added to GeneTree.

“What are my next steps?” was Greg’s last question. His consultant led him through several possibilities, including pursuing DNA connections, doing some additional genealogical research, and tracing some other family lines using the DNA of his relatives. Greg went home very excited that just one hour of consulting had opened his eyes to so many options he had not realized before. Exploring these new avenues was something he couldn’t wait to get started on.

Do you have DNA results? Are you wondering what more you can do with them? Whether you know nothing, some, or a lot about DNA, we can help you make the most of your DNA test results. Contact us to learn exactly what we can do for you and your family tree.

Hours: 8am–5pm MDT (GMT -6)
Outside the US: +1.801.428.1095
Toll Free in the US: +1.866.740.6362
Email: info@genetree.com

1st Prize- $300 Gift Card from selected retailers*
2nd Prize- $250 Gift Card from selected retailers*
3rd Prize- $200 Gift Cardfrom selected retailers*
4th-6th Prize- Y-46 or mt I,II,III DNA Test

Watch this video to learn how to invite others!

Invite your family members to join your family network and have a chance at winning a $300 gift card*. Prizes will be awarded to the GeneTree members who have the most unique accepted invites by midnight MST on December 10, 2008. Winners will be announced and awarded prizes December 17, 2008. Questions? Call 866-740-6362 or email info@genetree.com

You could win:

* Gift Card winners may choose the awarded denomination to one of the following: Costco, Amazon, Walmart, or Target. All logos and names are owned by the corporation of note. The contest ends at midnight MST on December 10, 2008.

You can share the power of discovery through DNA with your family by sharing your DNA profile with them. GeneTree’s new “inheritance” service now makes it easy to share DNA profile(s) with your relatives by only paying for a single test. Here is how it works:

If you are a GeneTree member with Certified* DNA test results, you can easily identify relatives in your pedigree with those whom you share certain portions of your DNA. By inviting these relatives to join GeneTree they will automatically have the option to “inherit” your DNA profile(s) into their accounts, and can use them in all of GeneTree’s on-line genetic-genealogy tools without having to be tested themselves.

GeneTree members who have not yet obtained Certified results can also benefit from this new service. When you log on to your GeneTree account and visit the DNA section, you will be notified if you have relatives in your family tree having Certified GeneTree test results with whom you share DNA. You can request to “inherit” these DNA test results into your GeneTree account and use them as your own. Alternatively, you can purchase a Certified DNA test to share with your family members. Some families chip in money to have one person tested and then share the results.

Please keep in mind that “inherited” DNA profiles are only correct when shared with biological relatives. Thus, GeneTree members with pedigrees including non-biological relatives should use caution when sharing DNA profiles. Additionally, while “inherited” DNA profiles from biological relatives are typically reliable they are still estimates**. For this reason, “inherited” profiles are posted in GeneTree accounts as “Uncertified”. The most accurate DNA test results come from a personal test. If you would like to ensure the highest accuracy when utilizing the DNA features of GeneTree please purchase a Certified DNA test.

We invite you to take advantage of GeneTree’s new “inheritance” service to enhance your family’s ability to connect and collaborate in discovering your common history.

*”Certified GeneTree DNA Results” signify a GeneTree Test or unlocked DNA results from SMGF. If the results have been hand entered or imported through inheritance, the results are “Uncertified”.

** DNA mutations can cause slight differences between relatives’ DNA test results. The more distant the biological relationship the greater likelihood mutations have occurred. Additionally, slight variations in sample quality and/or laboratory conditions can result in differences reported between relatives’ mtDNA poly-C regions. Inaccurate pedigree information can also result in false “inheritance”

GeneTree’s latest version of Family Tree Builder allows you to create the ULTIMATE shared family tree.

Using GeneTree’s latest version of Family Tree Builder allows you to:

• Choose your preferred layout view

• Print a variety of views of your tree

• Create large family trees (1,000+ people)

• Invite each of your family members to join your family network and view the ultimate shared family tree

Your family tree is an important part of your GeneTree profile as it helps GeneTree help you make connections with your relatives.

Make sure you are using all the features in building your ultimate family tree by watching the Family Tree Builder Tutorial.

By using the DNA tools at GeneTree, you can view where your DNA cousins and ancestors have lived in the past few hundred years and view the predicted migration patterns of your deep ancestors. But that is not all! At GeneTree,you can actually contact and connect with your new found DNA cousins.

Not sure how to begin, no problem! It is easy. To learn how to make the most of your GeneTree account by matching with your DNA cousins throughout the world, watch the tutorial on the DNA matching tool. If you have not yet bought a DNA test and are interested, click here.

Click here to order a DNA test.