DNA: Major discount ends June 24

FamilyTreeDNA.com has just announced a major promotional discount through June 24. Take advantage of the more-than-50% discount for the Y-DNA37-plus-mtDNA test for $119 (the regular price is $248).

The special price ends June 24; tests must be paid for by June 30.

Importantly, for researchers of Jewish ancestry, the largest comparative Jewish DNA databases are included in the overall comparative databases. Size counts in databases. Testing against a database with few Jewish samples will provide few genetic matches, and the goal should be - to get the best and most accurate answers - to test against the largest database and compare results with as many others as possible. FamilyTreeDNA's databases are larger than all the other companies in the field combined.

As of June 10, the Family Tree DNA database has 248,569 records. It includes 5,421 surname projects; 85,269 unique surnames; 157,555 Y-DNA records; 87,615 25-marker; 68,284 37-marker records; 24,270 67-marker records; 91,014 mtDNA records; and 5,013 FGS records.

This offer is simply too good to pass up so I'm hoping Tracing the Tribe readers who've been thinking about getting into genetic genealogy do take them up on this great offer, which is sure to increase the database and provide more opportunities to find genetic matches.

Here's what FamilyTreeDNA's operations and marketing vice president Max Blankfeld said:

• Y-DNA37+mtDNA for $119. (The regular project price is $248 – a reduction of more than 50%!!)
• The promotion will begin on June 9, 2009 and will end on June 24, 2009
• Kits ordered in this sale must be paid for by June 30, 2009

This is your new members’ opportunity to skip past the Y-DNA12 and Y-DNA25 tests and get the best Y-DNA genealogical test on the market in addition to an mtDNA test for an extremely reduced price!

I should also mention that according to one of our competitors’ method of counting markers our 37-marker test could also be called a “41-marker test” as we do test and report markers 464e, 464f, 464g, and DYS19b. Though we test them, it is very rare that individuals have results for these markers.

Therefore, by our conservative counting method, our competitor's “33-marker test” is actually a “29-marker test.” We mention this to make sure that you understand the difference between these tests and are able to compare “apples to apples.”

For more information, go to FamilyTreeDNA.com, and see this page for more specific information on Jewish ancestry.

President/founder Bennett Greenspan also authored an interesting article about DNA genetic genealogy in Avotaynu: the International Journal of Jewish Genealogy. Read it here.

If you will be attending the Southern California Genealogical Society's 2009 Jamboree, June 26-28, make sure to visit the FamilyTreeDNA booth to say hello to president/founder Bennett Greenspan (who will be speaking) and Max.
Tracing the Tribe will see you in Burbank!