(Cross posted to Azores, Madeira, and IslandRoutes lists) I had a question in my inbox asking if Y-DNA or mtDNA can be "converted" into Family Finder (autosomal DNA). The answer is no. However, hope is not lost. But to understand better, I went to my supermarket example.
When someone tests with Family Tree DNA, they are sent a couple of swabs and a couple of vials. Those vials are stored for at least 25 years. So when an order comes in for a DNA test, they pull the vials and run that kind of DNA test. Here's my supermarket example to explain the types of DNA tests: You want to make apple pie, orange juice, and a banana split. So you go to the market. You buy apples for the pie, oranges for the juice, and bananas for the banana split. You're not going to go home and make banana juice, orange pie, or an apple split. That was not the purpose for that produce. And so it is with DNA. Y-DNA, mtDNA, and autosomal DNA (Family Finder) are as different from each other than an apple, banana, and an orange. You can't turn an apple into a banana and you can't turn Y-DNA into Family Finder. Those vials that are in storage at FTDNA are like your supermarket. If an order comes in for Y-DNA, that's like needing to go get apples for that pie. You ignore the bananas, oranges, strawberries, peaches, broccoli and go for the apples. The geneticists ignore the mtDNA and the autosomal DNA and go for the Y-DNA. Yet the other types of DNA are still in that vial, just like when you leave the market with your apples, the market still has bananas, oranges, broccoli, and whatever else in its produce department. By-the-way, National DNA Day (at least in America) will be on Friday, April 24th this year. Family Tree DNA has not mentioned any sales to the admins. So we will have to wait and see. Cheri Mello Family Tree DNA Admin (volunteer) -- For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/azores.
