DNA Testing Update

Dec 04, 2020

DNA Leads a French Man to His Half-Sister in Texas

Near the end of World War II, an American soldier had a brief relationship with a French girl before his division moved on to continue the war. His 74-year French son did a DNA test in hopes of identifying his father. It worked beautifully and he found his American family.

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Dec 03, 2020

New Photo Colorization Model at MyHeritage.

I have been enjoying both the photo enhancement and colorization tools at MyHeritage. They just released a new colorization model for MyHeritage In Color™, which produces even better results when colorizing black and white photos. You can try this even if you don't have an account there.

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Dec 02, 2020

Here's $20 and a Free FOREVER Photo Management Account

I use FOREVER for safe, permanent cloud storage of my photos. Right now you can get a free 2 GB account and a $20 coupon to use for prints, customized photo gifts, digital conversions, or extra storage capacity. Sign up through my link and I will personally be available to answer your questions about photos or DNA testing. Richard Hill, DNA Testing Adviser and FOREVER Ambassador.

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Dec 01, 2020

DNA Testing Is Now Valid Proof of Judaism

The Israeli High Court has ruled that DNA testing is a valid form of proof of Judaism. There are certain conditions and other ways to do this, of course. This article at Best DNA Testing Kits reviews them all.

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Nov 30, 2020

Be Wary of Cyber Monday Deals on SOME DNA Tests

My email inbox is jammed with Cyber Monday sales on DNA tests. Some of these tests are a complete waste of money. Yet this is a really great time to buy any of the good ones. Use this link to my homepage to see which DNA tests I recommend. Then use those links to see the sale prices.

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Nov 27, 2020

Black Friday Sales at Family Tree DNA

The one company that offers every major type of DNA test is having a huge sale. Save money on Y-DNA tests, mitochondrial DNA tests, and the Family Finder autosomal DNA test. Save another $9 on each test added to a bundle. Even upgrades are sale priced. See all the prices at this link. This sale ends 12/1/20.

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Nov 26, 2020

DNA Test Sales at Ancestry

The holiday sales at Ancestry have started. Get AncestryDNA test kits for just $49. Give them as holiday gifts and encourage more family members to test. The new Ancestry Health option is also sale priced at just $99. See this page for details.

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Nov 25, 2020

A First Father-Daughter Meeting Made Possible By DNA Testing

When Seraine Danner was 7 years old, she learned something earth-shattering: she had a biological father and had no idea who he was. After almost 10 years of searching, a DNA match on MyHeritage finally led her to her birth father, and the two recently met for the first time.

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Nov 24, 2020

The Surprising Story Behind Living DNA

Unlike most DNA testing companies, Living DNA was founded by a husband and wife team. It's now the largest such company in Europe and one of the five largest in the world. Best DNA Kits shares this interview with Living DNA founder David Nicholson.

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Nov 23, 2020

The Lowest Price Ever on a Leading DNA Test

The MyHeritage DNA test is just $39 now through Black Friday. That's the lowest price EVER on this test and I can't remember a lower one on any of the leading tests. MyHeritage has some of the best tools anywhere for working with your genetic matches, including Theory of Family Relativity, a Chromosome Browser, and a built-in license for AutoCluster. Order two or more kits and you also get free shipping.

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Nov 20, 2020

A Family Secret Revealed and a Mystery Solved by DNA

As an adult, this man learned that his father was not his biological father. His story is a good example of how genealogy, DNA testing, and a people search tool can work together to solve lifelong mysteries.

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Nov 19, 2020

Download a Free Adoptive Family Tree Template

As an adoptee, I know what it's like to have two separate family trees. Family Tree Magazine is offering a free download of a template that lets you display basic genealogy information about your most immediate ancestors from both trees on a single sheet of paper. It's a PDF file that you can fill in on your computer and then print.

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Nov 18, 2020

Get More Detail on British or African Ancestry

I have long recommended Living DNA for those with British ancestry. I now see they claim "five times the detail of any other DNA test on the market for African ancestry." Since I don't have such ancestry in my family, I cannot confirm that. But now would be a great time to check as the test is sale priced at just $59 through 12/2/20.

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Nov 18, 2020

Photo Reminiscing Can Reduce Stress and Depression During Coronavirus

Experts say that spending time with those you love – even if “cooped-up” or electronically connected – provides a wonderful time for sharing stories. We've been doing a lot of Zoom meetings with our adult children. And now that I've got decades of photos organized with FOREVER, I've been sharing my screen and we're reviewing photos together weekly.

Right now you can get a free 2 GB FOREVER account and a $20 coupon to use for prints, customized photo gifts, digital conversions, or extra storage capacity. Sign up through my link and I will personally be available to answer your questions.

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Nov 17, 2020

What Does Raw DNA Data Look Like & How Can You Use It?

If you have taken a DNA test, you might wonder what the raw data looks like. This article on Best DNA Test Kits provides a basic introduction.

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Nov 16, 2020

What is a Genetic Counselor? Watch This.

With today's huge DNA databases, more people are stumbling into family secrets that can be difficult to process. In a one-minute video, Brianne Kirkpatrick of Watershed DNA explains what a genetic counselor can do.

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Nov 13, 2020

Here's $20 and a Free FOREVER Photo Management Account

I use FOREVER for safe, permanent cloud storage of my photos. Right now you can get a free 2 GB account and a $20 coupon to use for prints, customized photo gifts, digital conversions, or extra storage capacity. Sign up through my link and I will personally be available to answer your questions. Richard Hill, DNA Testing Adviser and FOREVER Ambassador.

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Nov 12, 2020

How Best to Manage Your Family Trees on Multiple DNA Testing Sites

If you're like me, you have accounts with more than one DNA testing company and you created or uploaded a tree to each at different times. So how do you keep these trees up to date? Blogger Roberta Estes tackles this question and reading her post may keep you from making a big mistake.

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Nov 11, 2020

Download My Free Updated File of Genetic Genealogy Links

I just updated my PDF file of Genetic Genealogy Links. The new total count is over 250 links, including DNA tests, third-party tools, Facebook pages, articles, and other resources for genealogists and adoptees.

You can download it at this link. If you have a problem, just try again later as too many simultaneous downloads can overwhelm my website.

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Nov 10, 2020

The Genetics Behind Eye Color

How does the color of a child's eyes relate to the eye color of its parents? We used to think it was a pretty simple genetic calculation. But it's much more complicated than that. This blog post at Best DNA Kits sums up the genetics of eye color.

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Nov 09, 2020

Listen to This Interview with DNA Testing Adviser, Richard Hill, About His Book

"Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA" is the true story of my decades-long search for family. You can listen to Dr. Carla Marie Manly as she interviews me about my experience. After some brief introductory text, you will see the play button.

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Nov 06, 2020

How to SAFELY Convert Your Old Photos & Videos to Digital

Do you have family memories before the age of digital photography, e.g. photos, slides, negatives, home videos, or movie film? To effectively share and preserve them, they should be converted to digital forms. Unfortunately, most companies that do this will ship your irreplaceable memories to places like India. That's why I use FOREVER which does this work in Green Bay, Wisconsin. To see how easy digital conversion can be, read my summary.

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Nov 04, 2020

FOREVER Digital Conversion Services

Digitize old photos, slides, negatives, video tapes, home movie films, audio recordings and more with FOREVER digital conversion services.

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Nov 03, 2020

An Introduction to Single-Gene Disorders

If you’ve ever heard of disorders like cystic fibrosis, hemochromatosis, Tay-Sachs, or sickle cell anemia, you’ve heard of what is known as single-gene disorders. This occurs when DNA changes in one particular gene. For a nice overview, see this blog post at Best DNA Testing Kits.

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Oct 31, 2020

Are Your Photos REALLY Safe in the Cloud?

Like you, I have decades of family photos plus many ancestor photos that I want to protect for myself and my descendants. Unfortunately, most cloud storage companies have terms and conditions designed to protect THEM, not you or your photos. You'll see some frightening examples at the end of this page.

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Oct 30, 2020

Ladies, Don't Ignore Y-DNA Testing

Lacking a Y chromosome, women often assume they cannot take advantage of Y-DNA testing, which traces the direct paternal line. This article shows how women are testing their fathers, brothers, and other selected male relatives to obtain the benefits of this powerful DNA test.

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Oct 29, 2020

Discover Clues in Your DNA Matches with MyHeritage AutoClusters

One of the best tools for analyzing DNA matches is AutoClusters at MyHeritage. It displays those matches who match you and also match each other in colored-coded groups. Blogger Roberta Estes recently did a webinar on this in the MyHeritageDNA Facebook LIVE series. Now she also provides examples and step-by-step instructions in this post.

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Oct 28, 2020

Help Collect Sibling Data Statistics

This only applies to those who have data from full or three-quarter siblings that are either tested at 23andme or have uploaded to GEDmatch. Blogger Kitty Cooper is doing a research project on this. If you fit her criteria, please follow this link to add your data. Thanks.

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Oct 27, 2020

Testing Your Dog's DNA Can Reveal a Lot

Pet DNA testing has become a big thing. As with humans, your dog inherited DNA from its ancestors. And that DNA can determine certain traits. For a good introduction to the subject, read this post at Best DNA Testing Kits.

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Oct 26, 2020

South Asian Adoptees Are Turning to DNA

People adopted from South Asian countries such as India face huge barriers when they search for birth families. DNA testing is often the last resort but not all tests are available there. This article shares one man's search experience.

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Oct 23, 2020

Own Your Online Photo Storage with FOREVER

Don’t rent cloud storage for your precious photos. Own your online photo storage, share it with family, and pass it on to children and grandchildren.

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Oct 23, 2020

Health Testing Alternatives to 23andMe

A lot of people are not happy with recent actions at 23andMe. Yet that company was the pioneer in genetic health testing for consumers. Today, there are multiple options for genetic health testing and I've tried five of them. You can read my evaluation on this page of my website.

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Oct 22, 2020

DNA Connects Half Siblings in Their 80s

The old saying "better late than never" certainly applies to this case. A lifelong assumption about fatherhood is upended by DNA testing. But this man is thrilled to find and neet three half-siblings.

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Oct 21, 2020

How Personal Genomics Can Screen Your DNA for Genetic Disorders

Learn about personalized genetic testing, including your disease risk, carrier status, cellular aging and which personal genomics companies to trust.

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Oct 21, 2020

DNA Surprises Lead to Fertility Fraud Suits

DNA testing has uncovered several cases where fertility doctors used their own sperm to get women pregnant instead of the promised anonymous donors. Some of these doctors are deceased. But others are still living and now being sued for their actions.

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Oct 20, 2020

The Origins of South Asian DNA Per Country

With so many Americans having European ancestry, we don't see much written about genetic origins for the rest of the world. This article takes a look at that subject for India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

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Oct 16, 2020

Why Are Americans Obsessed with Genealogy?

This is the title of a new article in Psychology Today. The reasons have changed over time and the availability of low-cost genetic genealogy DNA tests is a big reason today.

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Oct 15, 2020

A DNA Test Reveals that Dad is Not Her Father

Today's huge DNA databases have made it much easier for adoptees and others to find lost families. It also means that more people are accidentally uncovering old family secrets. Here's an example that, fortunately, turned out well.

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Oct 14, 2020

My Family Photos and Yours

This is DNA Testing Adviser Richard Hill. Decades of family photos are the most irreplaceable things in our homes. About 20 months ago, I discovered FOREVER and began to save, organize, and share mine.

I am so enthusiastic about this that I just became a FOREVER Ambassador. If you sign up for an account through me, I will personally help you get started and be there to advise you in the future. Please read this page on my website to learn how I am using FOREVER and what it can do for your family's memories.

If you sign up for an account with FOREVER, make sure that my name, Richard Hill, and my picture appear by the space where you create an account.

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Oct 13, 2020

A Good Introduction to Mitochondrial DNA Testing

With all the attention paid to autosomal DNA tests, we tend to forget about mitochondrial DNA testing. Abbreviated mtDNA, this test traces direct maternal lines. This blog post on Best DNA Testing Kits is a good introduction.

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Oct 12, 2020

Genetic Health Testing--A Far Better Alternative

Before you pay a $125 upgrade fee at 23andMe to get current health reports and buy a subscription to see future reports, I suggest you consider a far more comprehensive option for genetic health data. I've done every major DNA test and one of them is far above the rest.

Nebula Genomics decodes 100% of your DNA and produces 10,000 times more data than tests like 23andMe. This includes full mtDNA and Y-DNA sequencing. They also require a subscription, but right now they're having a sale on their LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTION. This is the one I did and I continue to be blown away by the amount of health information and the quality of the presentation. See this link to learn more.

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Oct 09, 2020

Outrage Over Surprise Changes at 23andMe

Genealogists everywhere are furious over the latest move by DNA testing company 23andMe. Unless you are willing and able to upgrade to their new 23andMe+ subscription, you lose much more than some of your genetic matches. Blogger Shannon Christmas does a nice job of summarizing the situation.

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Oct 08, 2020

Big Changes at 23andMe: Check Your Account Now

With no prior notice, 23andMe has made major changes. They have introduced an optional 23andMe+ subscription service for $29/year. In addition to new, ongoing health reports, this reveals up to 5,000 matches in DNA Relatives. Until you upgrade, the old cap of 2,000 matches has been cut to 1.500 matches. 23andMe+ requires that you have tested on their V5 chip (introduced in August 2017). If you tested on an earlier chip, a new sample is required. I don't like the way they did this at all, but I subscribed this morning and am eagerly going though my new reports and matches. Use this link and then Sign In to check your account.

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Oct 07, 2020

The DNA Journey--Don't Miss It

If you have never watched this brief video, I urge you to watch it. It demonstrates how DNA testing can reduce prejudice and make the world a friendlier place. I first saw it a few years ago but just enjoyed watching it again.

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Oct 06, 2020

Now is the Perfect Time to Save, Organize, and Share Your Memories

Use my link to get a free 2 GB storage account at FOREVER. I will personally help you get started. Like it and you have until 10/31/20 to save 50% on a 10 GB account. Depending on file size, that will be enough to hold 2,500-5,000 photos.

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Oct 05, 2020

Does Your Blood Type Make You More Likely To Catch Coronavirus?

The virus continues to make headlines and there have been reports about the impact of blood types on susceptibility. This article summarizes what is known and includes some research by 23andMe.

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Oct 02, 2020

AutoSegment Analysis at Genetic Affairs

There's a new tool at Genetic Affairs. AutoSegment looks at your segments of DNA and where they are located on the chromosomes. Then it groups them based on which of your matches share the same segment on the same chromosome. Patricia Coleman explains the tool and provides examples of its use.

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Oct 01, 2020

Updated Ethnicity Results on the Family Finder DNA Test

Family Tree DNA recently updated our ethnicity reports that are included with the Family Finder test. myOrigins 3.0 is a major update and expansion with more reference populations and improved calculations. Read about it in this summary.

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Sep 30, 2020

The Challenges Of Identifying Native American Ancestry

Many people with family stories of a Native American ancestor are disappointed when such ancestry does not show up in the ethnicity estimate of a DNA test. Furthermore, a DNA test can’t confirm specific ancestry as it relates to tribal affiliation. For more on this subject, read this post.

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