Family Tree DNA: Special pricing ends Sept. 30

Family Tree DNA is extending its summer sale until September 30. This is great news for the many procrastinators out there, who have always wanted to do DNA testing, but became sidetracked by other events.

Start off the Jewish New Year by joining a group project and learning more about your family's relationships and origins.

The promotion is geared toward bringing new members to group projects by offering major incentives which will also grow databases - it is a win-win for both researchers and the company's databases. Both the Y-DNA12 marker (sale $99) and Y-DNA25 marker (sale $148) tests will include free mtDNA testing, a big saving.

Other reduced price tests: Y-DNA37 ($119, was $189), Y-DNA37+mtDNA ($189, was $339), Y-DNA67 ($218, was $269), Y-DNA67+mtDNAplus ($288, was $409) and mtDNAplus ($149, was $189).

As of September 8, Family Tree DNA claims it has the largest genetic genealogy DNA databases and that they are several times larger than all other databases on the market ... combined! Latest figures:

Surname projects: 4,999
Unique surnames: 83,017
Y-DNA records: 134,653
12-marker haplotypes: 29,555
25-marker haplotypes: 46,070
37-marker haplotypes: 45,983
mtDNA records: 76,029

Why is the size of the database important?

That's simple. If a researcher's goal is to verify relationships, or discover more about recent or deep ancestral origins, then the database size is essential to compare results to as many samples as possible.

Now's your chance to do what you've been wanting to do and see where your genes will lead you. There are surname, geographical and lineage groups to choose from if you have a particular interest to follow.

Click here and see all the projects along with information on starting your own group.

Just one example of the nearly 5,000 groups is the IberianAshkenaz group project. Want to track down that oral history of your Ashkenazi family having Sephardic roots? Now's the time to do it.

This group is growing by leaps and bounds, and its co-administrator Judy Simon is finding connections to Hispanic and known converso families for a growing percentage of seemingly Eastern European Ashkenazi Jewish families. To learn more about this group, email her at heyjude0701ATgmailDOTcom (replace AT and DOT with the appropriate symbols).

Remember the sale ends September 30.