Product Description
DNA & Genealogy is more than a textbook on DNA analysis for genealogy. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced readers will all find this book fascinating. In addition to tutorials on the use of DNA for genealogy, DNA & Genealogy contains many unusual sidelights on "DNA in the News" and "Weird DNA". Do you know that there are people who have more than one DNA profile? Would you like to know about the DNA analysis of the Tyrolean Iceman? What about DNA and Exo-biology? DNA & Genealogy has all of this and much, much more.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 12 reviews)

DNA and Genealogy by Thomas G. Birch

5 Stars
June 27, 2009
The book is pretty simple to understand, but like anything else about DNA, it is outdated very quickly,almost every day. It does give you some basic information, and access to her website to get more info. There is more on Genealogy than DNA. Also, maybe its me, but some basic questions I had were not answered.

Very good introductory book by Joseph Oppenheim (San Diego, CA USA)

4 Stars
February 04, 2009
"DNA & Genealogy" is very good at defining and explaining important terms like: 1) Nucleotides (A, G, C, and T base pairs) where sequences of them provide information for the creation of proteins in order to sustain life. 2) Nuclear DNA - used to trace paternal ancestry and Mitochondrial DNA - used to trace maternal ancestry. And, these can be used to do so because they are nonrecombinant, passing down virtually unchanged over thousands of years. 3) Alleles, DYS numbers, haplogroups, markers, MRCA -most recent common ancestor, STR, SNP, etc. Some other explanations in the book I think worth mentioning here are: 1. Regarding the Human genome - it is a tightly wound string of DNA so long, comprising of 3,147M base pairs - it would stretch to the Sun and back. 2. Most mutations have no effect except occasionally. 3. Surname studies exist and the book shows where to locate them. Plus, the book describes different DNA tests which exist. 4. There is a worthwhile discussion about "errors" - that looking at a sample of something, one can rationally come up with probabilities of how long the sample is removed from the original. The same reasoning could be used evaluating copies of a manuscript and of course, DNA mutations. Plus, there is a discussion about stepwise and infinite allele models for handling DNA mutations. 5. Kleinfelter's syndrome is discussed - the rare existence of extra X chromosomes for some people. 6. Gender-related intelligence differences are on the X chromosome - explaining why girls are generally more intelligent, but there are more boys who are retarded and more super intelligent. Hence, although the average girl IQ is equal to the average boy, the distibution is not the same. Mutations, and girls having an extra X chromosome explain the differences, which compensate for mutations. Plus, no human trait has evolved more than intelligence. 7. In rare cases, mitochondrial DNA is inherited from the father. The only real negative about the book, is that it is several years old, and more is new, like new testing services, like 23andMe. Anyway, the book is a good one, for introducing a reader to the study of ancestry using DNA.

DNA & Genealogy, a good book for understanding genes and history by Earl E. Watt (Lansing Michigan)

4 Stars
September 02, 2008
DNA & Genealogy by Fitzpatrick and Yeiser (2005 by Rice Books press) is a book that starts with explaining the basics of genetics to explain the differences in the maternal history in DNA of the mitochondria bodies and the paternal DNA in the cell nucleus. The difference as explained is easy to understand, even for the non-geneticist. The reason the mitochondria DNA is handed down only through the maternal line and its implications are important to understanding matriarchal ancestry. The DNA from nucleus contains the Y chromosome that traces only the paternal ancestral history. These differences are expanded by different mutations (changes) in the Y chromosomes DNA that allow genealogists to verify the relatedness of persons with the same family name among males, and sometimes find "non-paternity events" such as adoptions and connections among lines with a different surname. The book goes into detail that can be a bit too complicated for some people, but the information is there if one can study and be willing to read other books such as "The Seven Daughters of Eve" by Bryan Sykes (2001) or "Deep Ancestry" by Spencer Wells (2006). The book does relay heavily on the "Genome Project" by National Geographic Society and supports one testing lab at the expense of other excellent gene testing projects.

DNA Testing Explained by Lucinda (Australia)

5 Stars
August 07, 2006
With the advent of DNA testing genealogy research has been propelled into the 21st century. Get ready to be captivated and conveyed along with it as the authors take you through the subject. This is a great book and there is a lot to be learnt from it whether you are still just thinking about using DNA or have already dived in. It is written in plain language that anyone can comprehend and it explains the whole process of how to use DNA as a genealogical tool. It is both a book that you can't put down and one that you'll continually refer back to after you have received your test results and are working with them. DNA testing is easy to understand after you've read this and you'll realise what DNA can do for your research. Without it I would be struggling to appreciate the concept of this new topic and would not know what to do with my results or nor how to interpret the information they provide. Highly recommended.

DNA Genealogy by Bob Spear (Leavenworth, KS USA)

4 Stars
May 01, 2006
Serious genealogists hobbyists and professionals will be excited by this new resource, which thoroughly explains the new science of DNA testing and how it can be applied to family history research. Although this book is not for everyone, if you have successfully passed high school biology, you should be able to manage the information and its technology in this excellent reference. Wouldn't it be interesting for a man and his wife to go back in time to discover about when they might have had an ancestor in common? DNA testing and analysis had give you that and much more. It can even give you an idea what part of the world your pre-historical ancestors lived and migrated to. The authors practice what they preach and tell how we can do it too, with many DNA labs and companies listed and compared. We rated this book four hearts.

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