12 July 2016

Why the Database Size is Essential

In the iconic TV series Yes Minister, Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby talks about always disposing of the difficult bit in the title as it does less harm there.
That's a lesson Family Tree DNA has taken to heart in the title of a new post, used above.

"Whether your goal is to verify your genealogy or to discover your deep ancestral origins, the size and scope of the testing company's databases is of fundamental importance. To get the best and most accurate answer, you want to get the most out of your DNA test, which means choosing the company with the most comprehensive databases and range of tests. Family Tree DNA is in the lead—We are the pioneer in the field, the ONLY company in the field exclusively dedicated to genetic genealogy, with the widest range of tests!" 
The post continues with the information that "the Family Tree DNA database has 801,674 records." What is doesn't mention is that AncestryDNA has over 2 million DNA records and 23andMe more than one million.
Yes, if you're looking for Y or mitochondrial DNA analysis Family Tree DNA is THE PLACE TO GO.
But for autosomal DNA, where FTDNA does not advertize the size if its database, see the title above.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That's why I have uploaded my DNA test results to all three companies as many genealogy DNA researchers do. It is certainly not one stop shopping these days. I also use GedMatch. Roberta Estes DNA Explained blog compares all three companies and their test results as well as having very good tutorials on various aspects of DNA genealogy research. She is currently writing some tutorials on this.
Her blog is at http://wp.me/p2AwO4-3Gr

Patte Wood
Lexington Virginia
Ontario Canadian surnames Thompson, Robinson, Harper