FamilyTreeDNA: mtDNA discount ends Oct. 31

Have you already tested your DNA? If so, October is a great month for you, courtesy of FamilyTreeDNA.com.

Here are the details on an offer already published, and breaking news (see below) on another offer that Tracing the Tribe has been given permission to announce.

Prices are falling for the Full Mitochondria Sequence test - but only if you have previously tested with FamilyTreeDNA for HVR1 and/or HVR2 .

Current mtDNA customers only are eligible for the special price break on the full test as follows:

- Already tested for HVR1 and HVR2? The Full Mitochondria Sequence test is now $179 (was $410). Order HVR2 to MEGA.

- Already tested for HVR1? The full test is now $199 (was $420). Order HVR1 to Mega.

- Orders must be placed and paid for by the end of the day, October 31.

FamilyTreeDNA's Bennett Greenspan just emailed me with permission - BREAKING NEWS - to let Tracing the Tribe's readers know about another special offer that has not been made public until now:

Those who have NEVER ordered any mtDNA test from FamilyTreeDNA, but DO have Y-DNA on file, can order the Full Mitochondria Sequence Test for the special price of $229.

New prices will be introduced in November, so if you are eligible either for mtDNA or Y-DNA previous testing with FTDNA, take advantage of this October sale.

The company will be sending direct notifications about this special offer to all those who have already tested for HVR1 and HVR2, so watch your email.

This aggressive price (and the new offer!), according to the company, is aimed at jumpstarting "a new era of complete mtDNA testing and at building the comparative database to levels that genetic genealogists will be able to use to answer precise ancestral and geographic questions."

It sounds good to me. I wonder how many people remember that when this test was first made available in 2005, the price tag was a hefty $895, which put it out of the reach of most people. Thanks to technological and other advances, the price has come down.

What else is happening at FamilyTreeDNA? There will be some changes in the way that mtDNA results are stored, matched and displayed. The main reason is to use the same terminology and advances for all results to maximize the quality of matches. Included will be updated haplogroup, mitosearch, results display and new tables.

See FamilyTreeDNA.com for more information.