Jack Butler was bombarded with questions as he returned to his “Revisiting the Genes in Genealogy” talk that began last September. He explained that the inheritance of DNA is totally random with siblings inheriting different DNA amounts from each parent. He began by reviewing the different types of DNA testing available (Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and autosomal DNA), the advantages and disadvantages of each, and the main companies completing DNA testing.
Questions ranged from simpler ones like can a child end up with a higher percentage of Irish ancestry than the parents, to the complicated explanation of “chimera,” which can lead to identical twins NOT having exactly identical DNA. Jack explained that almost everyone that chooses to have their DNA tested discovers some type of surprise with the results. One attendee shared that she found out that the father that raised her was not actually her birth father. Look for Jack Butler to return in 2018 to answer more DNA questions.
Photo courtesy Dark Dwarf via Flickr.
St. Augustine Genealogical Society’s 28th Birthday Party will feature a presentation by Shirley Thomson on the Daughters of the American Revolution. She will also make a Tribute to SAGS’ Founder, Virginia Hassenflu, who passed away in November, 2016. Shirley will talk about the purpose of the DAR, how the group functions in St Augustine, and will give us a run down on how one can qualify to become a DAR member. Cake will be served after Shirley’s presentation.
Need help insuring your precious genealogy data, notes and documents are backed up? Google can help . . .
On June 28th, 2017, Google is releasing a new tool called Backup and Sync. According to G Suite Updates, this is “the latest version of Google Drive for Mac/PC, which is now integrated with the Google Photos desktop uploader”. In other words it’s intended to replace both of those apps. Google describes Backup and Sync as a “tool intended to help everyday users back up files and photos from their computers, so they’re safe and accessible from anywhere”. The big change being the ability to direct Backup and Sync to monitor specific folders to be backed up to the cloud. This includes your Desktop, your Documents folder, or your Photos. Assuming you have enough room.”
See Google Drive Will Now Backup and Sync Your Files for details.
Join the Scan Along!
Denise Levinick – The Family Curator – is hosting and it’s sure to be informative, productive and fun. Here’s a taste . . . “Scanning old photos is a labor of love, but these 100-year old wartime snapshots are worth every painstaking minute. When the scanning is finished, it will be time to select photos, fill in the timeline, and create a photo book of my grandfather’s wartime years.
Do you have a family history photo book on your To Do List? Summertime is a great time to tackle this project, and more fun if you’re working with other people doing the same thing. Starting next week, I’ll be hosting a Genealogy Scan Along at The Family Curator website with tutorials and tips to create a family history photo book.”
Stop by The Family Curator site for details. Watching the blogs, Twitter and Facebook I see that an impressive group – like Lisa Louise Cook and Lisa Alzo will also be there. This could get really interesting.
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