Interesting news from WikiTree today. I’ll have to head over and check it out! Details below.
WikiTree Adds DNA Feature
Members Connect to Compare DNA Tests and Confirm Genealogy
22 July 2013: WikiTree, a community of genealogists and family historians committed to growing a 100% free worldwide family tree, announces a new feature to help members and non-members confirm their genealogical research by comparing DNA test results.
DNA Test Feature at WikiTree
The new DNA feature allows a member to select from a drop-down list of tests available from vendors including 23andMe, Ancestry.com, Family Tree DNA and others.
WikiTree then automatically places notices on the profiles of the member’s ancestors where the test is relevant. This makes it easy to determine who could benefit by comparing DNA test results. It also highlights when a genealogical puzzle could be solved or a family line confirmed by taking a DNA test, along with who should take the test and which test they should take.
For example, WikiTree member Roland Arsenault believes he is a descendant of Pierre Arseneau (1650-1714). This ancestor profile now says “It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Pierre by comparing against Roland Arsenault’s FamilyTreeDNA yDNA test.” A separate page lists all the descendants who carry Pierre Arseneau’s Y-chromosome and could thereby help prove or disprove Roland’s genealogy.
Why WikiTree’s Features Matter for Genetic Genealogists
“WikiTree’s new DNA features help address one of the main limitations of the websites of commercial DNA companies,” writes Ray Jones, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh, and avid WikiTree member. “While these companies provide a wealth of scientific information on a person’s DNA results, privacy concerns and logistics limit what these companies can offer with respect to listing the family connections.”
Lorna Henderson, another beta tester of WikiTree’s DNA features, explained in her Runciman surname One Name Study blog why WikiTree is valuable for genetic genealogists: “WikiTree, a free, collaborative, one world tree site, has always been a site with great privacy controls and options, but has just become even better for those of us interested in genetic genealogy. … What WikiTree is doing is identifying family connected to the results, e.g. anyone on the direct male line of a Runciman who has taken a Y-DNA test, anyone on the direct maternal line [for a mitochondrial DNA test], and anyone within a conservative five generations of relationship to someone who has taken a FamilyFinder, or 23andMe, test.”
Genealogy and family history researchers are invited to visit WikiTree and discover for themselves WikiTree’s free, innovative tools for genealogists. WikiTree – Growing the World’s Family Tree.
About WikiTree
Growing since 2008, WikiTree.com is a 100% free shared family tree website that balances privacy and collaboration. Community members privately collaborate with close family members on modern family history and publicly collaborate with other genealogists on deep ancestry. Since all the private and public profiles are connected on the same system this process is helping to grow a single, worldwide family tree that will eventually connect us all and thereby make it free and easy for anyone to discover their roots. See http://www.WikiTree.com.
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