09 January 2019

What is in You DNA Tool Chest?


DNA Workshops!

Genetic Genealogists are a geeky crew, always hunting for the next tool that will squeeze any new information out of their DNA results. Since I am one, I have been told we speak a different language, full of acronyms that genealogists and hobbyists do not always understand and may be intimidated by.

Jamboree is the coming together of these two practices, genetics and genealogy, providing everyone with the opportunity to learn something new, regardless of their level!

How is this done with DNA workshops? First, it is the brainchild of SCGS’s President, Alice Fairhurst, who is also one of the leaders of SCGS’s DNA Interest Group. She and the DNA group put the pieces together of what this year’s workshops should look like far in advance. We discuss and evaluate new DNA tools throughout the year; attend seminars, conventions, and institutes to be current on all recent DNA discoveries. With this valuable information in hand, the DNA Interest Group calls out requested subjects and wait to be awed by the experts’ choices. The combinations ensure the highest-level teachers to the instruct the latest trends.


Jamboree is motivated to educate those who are just entering the field. DNA experts are not an elitist crew; we are just speaking a different language that is teachable. A good foundation in DNA begins with learning its language.

Who better to do this than Emily D. Aulicino! She already wrote the book on “Genetic Genealogy, The Basics and Beyond,” published in 2014. You can imagine, the author of “The Basics and Beyond,” is skillfully adept at decoding the mystery behind DNA for the newbie! Her workshop is the perfect jump-start to your 2019 DNA learning plan! Psst…I began at a Jamboree workshop, so you can too!

The genetic community lives for new tools; we are a hungry crew that devours new offerings daily and we still want more! With each new tool released, the SCGS DNA interest group practices using it, deciding if it will be relevant in a year, or if its viability will expire. The group will call out requests for the tools that have the required shelf-life and closely evaluates the public lecture offerings. It is a combination of the two that makes SCGS’s DNA workshops superior to others!

When two or more offerings are competing, we use a democratic system to decide, a group vote!  Alice emails the Interest Group leaders four choices; we rank them chronologically by what we would like to take ourselves. The highest ranked workshop is then placed into the Jamboree schedule for your enjoyment.

Here are your choices for 2019 and remember,
they sell out FAST!

FRIDAY,
MAY 31  - 8:30 AM TO 12:00 PM

Your DNA test results have arrived. You have a list of people you match. What is next? Learn what you can do before contacting your matches to assist you in finding the common ancestor you share with your match. Learn what to do when your matches contact you first and the steps to follow when contacting your matches. Understand how to find the common ancestor you share with your match.
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Presenter: Paul Woodbury
Organizing your DNA evidence is like aiming for a moving target; the results are constantly changing! Begin today to get your genetic genealogy research in order. Focus your organization around research objectives. Utilize company and third-party tools, such as DNAGedcom Client and MedBetterDNA, for research logs and evidence analysis. Create, explore, and interpret genetic network visualizations of the relationships between your matches (NodeXL, Gephi and RootsFinder).
Level: Intermediate, Advanced

Presenter: Leah Larkin, Ph.D.
WATO is a revolutionary tool for placing a person's atDNA (autosomal DNA) matches into a tree. You can quickly build a descendant tree and rank hypotheses for where the “target person” belongs, allowing you to better narrow your research, all without segment data! We will review how to identify a MRCA (most recent common ancestor). Then we will build a tree in WATO, place hypotheses, and interpret the results.
Level: Advanced

DNA Painter (www.dnapainter.com) is a powerful chromosome mapping tool for genealogists. We will learn how to use the tool and how to incorporate the results into our genealogical research.
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

Presenter: Tim Janzen, MD
This workshop will review chromosome mapping techniques including the following: basic chromosome mapping, inverse chromosome mapping, extension of mapped DNA regions, mapping DNA segments to populations or geographical locations, and visual phasing (GEDmatch and 23andMe). In addition, mapping of specific genetic traits and SNPs that have medical implications will also be covered.
Level: Advanced

Our DNA workshops are very popular. Which one do you think will sell out first?  The first correct answer emailed to Socialmedia@scgsgenealogy.com will win a 2018 Jamboree flash drive! The winner will be announced after the sellout of the first workshop!

                     Your Clues are…
The DNA Workshops!



The winner of the desert challenge is…
HEATHER SABIN
Congratulations, HEATHER!


The correct answer was the carrot cake for the Banquet Dinner by Blaine T. Bettinger, “The Promise and Perils of DNA Testing and Genealogy”



Southern California Genealogical Society
50th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree
#SCGS2019@scgsgenealogy, #SCGSJamboree50,
#SCGSJamboree2019, #SCGSJamboreeBirthdayBash

No comments: