Friday, July 1, 2016

Family Tree DNA Powers New DNA Testing For Geni

Is your family really related to George Washington, and is that "long lost cousin" really a cousin? A new effort, being powered by Houston-based DNA testing services provider and online service Family Tree DNA, may just help uncover those family mysteries. According to family tree and family history site Geni, it is tapping into Family Tree DNA in a big effort to bring the truth of DNA into its collaborative, online family tree.

Financial details of the deal were not announced, however, Geni said it will integrate with Family Tree DNA to offer up three, major DNA testing types, "separating fact from fiction" into family trees. Geni said it will highlight situations were genealogy in its family tree does not match the biological evidence presented by DNA, and also use that same DNA information to help uncover previously unknown relatives. The DNA testing types include Y-DNA (from the Y chromosome, which is passed down from father to son), mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA, which is passed down from a mother to her children), and autosomal DNA (from all ancestors, pertinent for matching within the last five generations). Family Tree DNA has been providing its DNA testing services since 2000.

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