The Genetic Origins of Pete and Jeff Dreifuss and the information it provides about our family history are described on this page. Based on our experiences with these services, we frequently provide our own opinions about the usefulness of the services are provided. This page is still under construction and is due to be expanded.

 

Both of us, Jeff and I have had our DNA analyzed by autosomal DNA tests and one of us (Pete) had our mitchondrial and Y DNA tested. A Big Y test was also obtained which provided unexpected and very interesting results on our deep paternal ancestry.

 

Our testing companies include Family Tree DNA, Ancestry.com DNA, 23 and Me and My Heritage.com DNA. The results were complementary. In our own view, the 23 and me test is gimmicky and very few matches (people related to us) seem knowledgeable about their own genealogy and are not able to share information. Worse yet, many matches provided to us express much interest in genealogy at all. Their web pages, however are perhaps the best in the business, especially when it comes to explaining the basics of genetic genealogy.

 

The first company we have used (2005) was Family Tree DNA. The first test at that time was not the autosomal test now commonly offered. But their product and service was recommended by Jewishgen.org and I decided to go with it. They currently offer the most services and unlike many of the other services (notably Ancestry and My Heritage) do not mix DNA and Genealogy Record Searching services. I like this company and their services. However, I find the website needs a lot of work however as it is very difficult to navigate, and very slow.

 

Here is a brief summary of my results with FTDNA: Family Finder is their name for the Autosomal analysis, the most valuable for finding living relatives throughout the world. It revealed our origins to be 100% Ashkenazi Jewish. My mitochondrial analysis provided us our maternal Haplogroup, HV5A. Mitochondrial haplogroup HV5A is primarily a European haplogroup beginning approximately 20,000 years ago. It is more prevalent in western Europe than in eastern Europe, although descendants appear in the Near East as a result of more recent migration.  I gradually upgraded my Y DNA testing (our paternal origins) beginning with a simple Y-25 test to the Big Y (now called Big Y-500). My complete DNA Haplogroup is J-ZS11488  extrended by the Big Y from Haplogroup J-M267. Quoting from the FTDNA website, "This is found at its highest frequencies in the southern Middle East, west of the Zagros Mountains in Iran, to the Mediterranean Sea, and encompassing the entire Arabian Peninsula. The J-M267 marker has been carried by Middle Eastern traders into Europe, central Asia, India, and Pakistan. As with other populations with Mediterranean ancestry, this lineage is found at substantial frequencies within Jewish populations. The Cohen modal haplotype lineage, as well as the presumed lineage of the Prophet Mohammed, are found in Haplogroup J-M267. J1 is also one of the main Haplogroups found among Arab populations."