Genealogy by Genetics : an idea whose time has come!
Bennett Greenspan - President of FamilyTreeDNA.com- contends that Genealogy BY Genetics is an idea whose time has come....and believes that DNA science is the greatest addition to Genealogy since the creation of the Family Tree!.
In the late fall of 1999 I was browsing through a database on a very popular genealogical website, and spied a name that was of great interest to me. I had found a name on the www.Jewishgen.org Family Finder that was the surname of my maternal Grandmothers father.
As any self-respecting genealogist, I sent an introductory email and started to look for additional information about that particular ancestor, born in the 1850s on the Yalta peninsula of the Eastern Ukraine.
After several exchanges with a presumed relative in Argentina, and failure to locate the needed census information for the Eastern Crimea, I was disappointed and frustrated. Another dead end in my genealogy and this time I was so close. Their family had immigrated to Argentina in 1913, 4 years after my G Grandfather had moved to the US. Two of their 6 children had the names of my Grandmothers siblings and my grandmother and one of their Great aunts had the same name. They even had a story about relatives coming to America.
These stories only made my research more frustrating. We had geography, naming conventions and SURNAMES in common, yet the paper trail was cold.
A few years earlier I had read about a DNA project conducted at the University of Arizona that had reverse engineered the Cohanim gene. In that study conducted in association with University College/Londons Genetic department, Arizonas Dr. Michael Hammer had tested a few hundred men who claimed to be Cohanim, who Jewish tradition claims are the descendents of the biblical, Aaron. The results of that study http://www.familytreedna.com/nature97385.html showed a statistically significant % of people who believed they were Cohanim by oral tradition actually shared a genetic signature. The power of that initial success story excited my tortured genealogically mind
A quick search of the Internet produced a phone number for the Professor and I called him to request a genetic DNA test between the only living male descendent of my Maternal Great Grandfather, and a male descendent of the possible relations in Argentina. (Y chromosome tests only work if you test the direct male line since the Y chromosome is passed from father to son only).
While the Professors no was totally understandable given the typical nature of University research, I have been know to be a persistent fellow. Eventually I received a curious and heartening response from Dr. Hammer I get calls like this all the time. Sensing his desire to help, but lacking the will to be sidetracked from his own research, I asked if the University would perform work, on my behalf, a for profit basis. About a week later I received word that the U. of Arizona already conducted testing on behalf of for profit business and would be willing to do so for the genealogical community.
In our proof of concept we used 15 different case studies some with known answers and some based on a solid genealogical hunch. I am happy to report that the person in Argentina, and my distant cousin in California, matched perfectly on the DNA test that was to become the standard test offered by the company that I didnt plan on building, but build it every day we do!
I appreciate the space that Geneanet has granted me to allow you to see genetics, DNA and entrepreneurship in action.
Sincerely,
Bennett Greenspan
President
FamilyTreeDNA.com
A few words about the author:
Bennett Greenspan, Graduated from the University of Texas with honors in Political Science and attended the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at South Methodist University.
Mr. Greenspan built ana operated a Photographic distributorship of Agfa products into the largest in Texas and the company was among Ink Magazines 500 fastest growing privately held companies in 1986.
Retired from the Photo supply business in 1996 and since has maintained a successful Real Estate career. Co-Owner of www.GoCollege.com one of the few surviving college oriented web sites.
Founded Family Tree DNA in early 2000 because he saw the need and couldn't find a service to fill it.
As any self-respecting genealogist, I sent an introductory email and started to look for additional information about that particular ancestor, born in the 1850s on the Yalta peninsula of the Eastern Ukraine.
After several exchanges with a presumed relative in Argentina, and failure to locate the needed census information for the Eastern Crimea, I was disappointed and frustrated. Another dead end in my genealogy and this time I was so close. Their family had immigrated to Argentina in 1913, 4 years after my G Grandfather had moved to the US. Two of their 6 children had the names of my Grandmothers siblings and my grandmother and one of their Great aunts had the same name. They even had a story about relatives coming to America.
These stories only made my research more frustrating. We had geography, naming conventions and SURNAMES in common, yet the paper trail was cold.
A few years earlier I had read about a DNA project conducted at the University of Arizona that had reverse engineered the Cohanim gene. In that study conducted in association with University College/Londons Genetic department, Arizonas Dr. Michael Hammer had tested a few hundred men who claimed to be Cohanim, who Jewish tradition claims are the descendents of the biblical, Aaron. The results of that study http://www.familytreedna.com/nature97385.html showed a statistically significant % of people who believed they were Cohanim by oral tradition actually shared a genetic signature. The power of that initial success story excited my tortured genealogically mind
A quick search of the Internet produced a phone number for the Professor and I called him to request a genetic DNA test between the only living male descendent of my Maternal Great Grandfather, and a male descendent of the possible relations in Argentina. (Y chromosome tests only work if you test the direct male line since the Y chromosome is passed from father to son only).
While the Professors no was totally understandable given the typical nature of University research, I have been know to be a persistent fellow. Eventually I received a curious and heartening response from Dr. Hammer I get calls like this all the time. Sensing his desire to help, but lacking the will to be sidetracked from his own research, I asked if the University would perform work, on my behalf, a for profit basis. About a week later I received word that the U. of Arizona already conducted testing on behalf of for profit business and would be willing to do so for the genealogical community.
In our proof of concept we used 15 different case studies some with known answers and some based on a solid genealogical hunch. I am happy to report that the person in Argentina, and my distant cousin in California, matched perfectly on the DNA test that was to become the standard test offered by the company that I didnt plan on building, but build it every day we do!
I appreciate the space that Geneanet has granted me to allow you to see genetics, DNA and entrepreneurship in action.
Sincerely,
Bennett Greenspan
President
FamilyTreeDNA.com
A few words about the author:
Bennett Greenspan, Graduated from the University of Texas with honors in Political Science and attended the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at South Methodist University.
Mr. Greenspan built ana operated a Photographic distributorship of Agfa products into the largest in Texas and the company was among Ink Magazines 500 fastest growing privately held companies in 1986.
Retired from the Photo supply business in 1996 and since has maintained a successful Real Estate career. Co-Owner of www.GoCollege.com one of the few surviving college oriented web sites.
Founded Family Tree DNA in early 2000 because he saw the need and couldn't find a service to fill it.