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BLUMSTEIN COHEN FELDBERG GROSSMAN JACOBS KAMINSKY KASLE TENNEBAUM VISHNICK WEINZIMMER
OUR DNA TESTING AND RESULTS
INTRODUCTION
The DNA testing we are having done is performed on samples taken by simply scraping up against the inside cheek of a family member with a sterile swab, and sending the sample off to a laboratory for analysis. The testing gives us two kinds of information: the likely migration patterns of our ancestors, and an exact DNA fingerprint which can be used to confirm relationships and to find hitherto unknown relatives.
So, what is DNA, anyhow? If you have not studied any science, you might not know that DNA is a special kind of molecule that occurs in all of our cells. It is that part of all of the cells of our bodies that contains messages saying whether we are a boy or a girl, what color our eyes, hair and skin are, whether we are short or tall, what our blood type is, and all kinds of other things. For a longer, simplified explanation of what genes are and do, you can click here for recommended reading.
These DNA messages are passed from parents to their children, and DNA scientists have various theories about where the ancestors of people whose DNA fingerprints match certain patterns, lived many centuries ago. These patterns have been given names, like A, B, B1, B2, C, and so on. When DNA testing is performed on someone, their DNA can be compared to these patterns, and if their DNA matches one of these patterns, which are called haplotypes, then they are assigned to a haplogroup that corresponds to that haplotype.
Once one of our family members has been assigned to a haplogroup, we can then read about the ancient history of other people who belong to this haplogroup, and learn where our ancestors were likely to have come from and moved to many, many centuries ago.
Male or Y Chromosome Testing
Our Y-chromosome DNA testing, testing of the Y-DNA, is based on that part of the DNA molecule which is only passed from male to male, from father to son. It only looks at male or paternal lineage. Women do not receive or carry this kind of DNA.
The Y-DNA test results enable us to compare the pattern of our family member's Y DNA fingerprint to those of other living males. We are looking a perfect match for all the points along the DNA molecule that are being compared, which are called markers. If our Y DNA matches perfectly for all of the 37 basic Y-DNA markers we are comparing, then we have found a cousin.
The Y-DNA testing can be performed on fewer markers, such as 12 markers or 25 markers. But we are using 37 marker tests for our Y DNA, because a match on fewer markers would not be very meaningful if we want to know if someone is related to us in recent history. Most Y-DNA testing yields many, many 12 marker matches with other people who have entered their test results in online databases. If there are no identical matches at the 12 marker level, until one or more people with the same 12 marker values put their results online, there can be no identical matches for a higher number of markers because the 25 and 37 marker tests include the initial 12 markers.
As mentioned above, in many populations, there are many, many matches at the 12 marker level of testing. So, when there is a lack or very low number of perfect matches at 12 markers, it is highly unusual, suggesting either some major DNA shift, or that most members of the line perished in some kind of natural or man-made calamities or disaster(s), such as major flooding, pogroms, the Holocaust or, more likely, that our distant cousins are living in an area where, whether due to cultural, language or financial reasons, people are not purchasing DNA tests for genealogical purposes. It is an expensive addition to genealogy as a hobby, and not something that can be afforded by that large a proportion of the world's population.
Female or Maternal Chromosome Testing
Our maternal or mtDNA testing is based on that part of the DNA molecule that mothers pass on to all their children, both their daughters and their sons. So, mtDNA testing for common maternal lineage can be performed on anyone, but the results will tell us just the migration of their mother's mother's mother's maternal line, revealing DNA patterns going back the maternal line many thousands of years. Men cannot pass their mtDNA on to their children, it is only passed from women to their children.
Interpreting DNA Test Results
So, you have your or your family member's DNA test results, or are about to read about them below. What do all the numbers mean? How you interpret the results depends on what your reasons are for getting tested, as well as what kinds of tests were performed and which company performed the testing.
In our case, we are having simple genealogical testing done, to answer genealogical questions. We could examine each and every number in an effort to learn what particular portion of the DNA molecule they correspond to, and what the various specific numbers mean. However, we have chosen to focus our attention, instead, on the summary measures and on locating other people whose profiles match ours.
We have posted the specific results here only in order that if, per chance, someone happens to be looking for DNA matches using a search engine instead of a DNA database for locating matches, it will increase the chances they can find us. So, if the numbers do not make any sense, don't worry about it, the most important thing for us is to see if our numbers match those of someone else.
Our Research and Our Privacy Policy
We have ordered DNA testing for the families mentioned on this page, in the hopes that we will be able to find out more about our history and find "lost" cousins who we can work together with in expanding our family history and family tree. The basic results below are just the bare bones numbers defining our DNA fingerprints, and the more meaningful results of history learned via connections made with any newly found cousins will be posted once results have been studied more intensely or relationships have been confirmed. So, do check back occasionally or contact us if you want to be informed of our progress.
Please note that, in accordance with our strict privacy policy, no information about any person`s DNA test results is published here without their expressed, eager permission. First names of living people are obviously also not available on this page for reasons of confidentiality.
OUR MALE Y DNA RESULTS
Feldberg
Results of our Feldberg Y-chromosome DNA testing performed by http://familytreeDNA.com are consistent with that of haplogroup R1a1. This haplogroup is thought to be associated with the Kurgan culture, which is known for having domesticated the horse about 5000 years ago. About 55% of Russians belong to this haplogroup, which also has members in the Slavic, western Asian and Indian cultures. For suggested further reading about this haplogroup, click here.
If you would like to read more about what our Feldberg DNA results mean, practically speaking, then click here.
The results of our initial 12-marker Y-DNA test are:
PANEL 1 (1-12)
Locus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
DYS# 393 390 19* 391 385a 385b 426 388 439 389-1 392 389-2
Alleles 13 25 16 10 11 14 12 12 10 13 11 30
*Also known as DYS 394
The results of our Feldberg Panel 2 of the 37 marker Y-DNA test are:
PANEL 2 (13-25)
Locus 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
DYS# 458 459a 459b 455 454 447 437 448 449 464a** 464b** 464c** 464d**
Alleles 14 9 10 11 11 24 14 20 31 12 12 15 15
**Values for these particular markers were adjusted down by familytreedna by 1 point because of a change in lab nomenclature in May 2003.
The results of our Feldberg Panel 3 of the 37 marker Y-DNA test are:
PANEL 3 (26-37)
Locus 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
DYS# 460 GATA H4 YCA IIa YCA IIb 456 607 576 570 CDYa CDYb 442 438
Alleles 11 11 19 23 14 16 19 20 35 39 14 11
If you wish to learn about our Feldberg family history, click here, and if you wish to view our family tree, which includes our Feldberg ancestors, click here.
Grossman
Results of our Grossman Y-chromosome DNA testing performed by http://familytreeDNA.com reveal haplogroup R1b1b2 M269+. People with this haplogroup are thought to have left the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East over 10,000 years ago, and spread to Eurasia before spreading out over Europe. For suggested reading about this haplogroup, click here.
Results of our Grossman Y-DNA test are:
PANEL 1 (1-12)
Locus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
DYS# 393 390 19* 391 385a 385b 426 388 439 389-1 392 389-2
Alleles 12 23 14 11 12 15 12 12 12 14 14 29
*Also known as DYS 394
The results of our Grossman Panel 2 of the Y-DNA test are:
PANEL 2 (13-25)
Locus 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
DYS# 458 459a 459b 455 454 447 437 448 449 464a** 464b** 464c** 464d**
Alleles 18 9 10 11 11 25 15 19 30 15 15 16 17
**Values for these particular markers were adjusted down by familytreedna by 1 point because of a change in lab nomenclature in May 2003.
The results of our Grossman Panel 3 of the Y-DNA test are:
PANEL 3 (26-37)
Locus 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
DYS# 460 GATA H4 YCA IIa YCA IIb 456 607 576 570 CDYa CDYb 442 438
Alleles 11 11 19 23 17 15 17 16 36 39 12 12
If you wish to learn about our Grossman family history, click here, and if you wish to view our family tree, which includes our Grossman relatives and ancestors, click here.
Kaminsky
Results of our Kaminsky Y-chromosome DNA testing performed by http://familytreeDNA.com reveal membership in haplogroup T M70+. Haplogroup T apparently split off from haplogroup K about 20,000 to 30,000 years ago, with its members travelling from the middle east out around the Mediterranean and other parts of Asia and Africa. The T Y-DNA haplogroup has been found in about 3% of Sephardi Jews and 2% of Ashkenazi Jews.
Ancestry.com has called the ancient members of haplotype T, "the valley farmers" . Not all other sources mention this, but they claim that this haplotype populated areas around the Tigris River where agriculture developed.
This haplogroup also has the distinction of having the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, as a member. This neither means that Jefferson is an ancestor of ours, nor that he necessarily had Jewish ancestors. What this does mean is that, tens of thousands of years ago, our male Kaminsky ancestors and his shared a forebear. For suggested further reading about haplogroup T, click here.
The exact values of our Kaminsky Y-DNA test are:
PANEL 1 (1-12)
Locus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
DYS# 393 390 19* 391 385a 385b 426 388 439 389-1 392 389-2
Alleles 13 23 14 11 14 16 11 12 11 14 13 30
*Also known as DYS 394
The results of our Kaminsky Panel 2 of the 37 marker Y-DNA test are:
PANEL 2 (13-25)
Locus 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
DYS# 458 459a 459b 455 454 447 437 448 449 464a** 464b** 464c** 464d** 464e** 464f**
Alleles 17 9 9 11 13 26 14 20 34 11 11 11 13 16 18
**Values for these particular markers were adjusted down by familytreedna by 1 point because of a change in lab nomenclature in May 2003.
Here are the results of the third panel of the 37 marker test for our Kaminsky family Y-DNA.
PANEL 3 (26-37)
Locus 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39
DYS# 460 GATA H4 YCA IIa YCA IIb 456 607 576 570 CDYa CDYb 442 438
Alleles 10 10 23 23 17 14 17 16 35 36 11 9
If you wish to find out about our Kaminsky family history and Kamienetsky ancestors, click here.
Vishnick
Results of our Vishnick Y-chromosome DNA testing performed by http://familytreeDNA.com reveal haplogroup R1b1b2. This haplogroup is an offshoot of R1b1, of which the ancestors, as mentioned above, are thought to have left the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East over 10,000 years ago, and spread to Eurasia before spreading out over Europe.
The R1b1b2 haplogroup was originally thought to be a distinct offshoot of R1b, and was called R1b3 and then, after further research, R1b1c. But additional research has shown that it actually seems to have branched off from R1b1.
According to a Wikipedia article, research suggests that the R1b1b2 group existed before the last Ice Age and that it was associated with the Aurignacian culture which existed from about 32,000 B.C. to 21,000 BC. The precise migration pattern is uncertain, but the Aurignacian culture is thought to be associated with the Cro-Magnon people, the first modern humans to enter Europe, and to be the first documented human artists, who created sophisticated cave paintings.
However, the information provided at http://familytreeDNA.com is contrarary to this, stating that the R1b3 group developed about 1,800 to 2,000 years ago. For suggested further reading about this haplogroup, click here.
Results for the first 12 markers of our Vishnick 37-marker Y-DNA test are as follows:
PANEL 1 (1-12)
Locus 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
DYS# 393 390 19* 391 385a 385b 426 388 439 389-1 392 389-2
Alleles 12 24 14 10 11 14 11 12 12 13 14 30
*Also known as DYS 394
The results of our Vishnick Panel 2 of the 37 marker Y-DNA test are:
PANEL 2 (13-25)
Locus 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
DYS# 458 459a 459b 455 454 447 437 448 449 464a** 464b** 464c** 464d**
Alleles 17 9 10 11 11 24 15 18 30 15 15 16 16
The results of our Vishnick Panel 3 of the Y-DNA test are:
PANEL 3 (26-37)
Locus 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37
DYS# 460 GATA H4 YCA IIa YCA IIb 456 607 576 570 CDYa CDYb 442 438
Alleles 11 10 19 23 17 16 17 17 38 40 12 12
If you wish to learn about our Vishnick family history, click here, and if you wish to view our family tree, which includes our Vishnick ancestors and relatives, click here.
Maternal DNA Results
Sosnowitz - Tannenbaum Maternal DNA
We have maternal DNA results for a descendant of Emil Grossman's wife, Irene Tannenbaum, who we do not believe is related to the Tennebaum family of Israel Tennebaum. Irene's mother was Lottie Sosnowitz, who was born in Russia and passed away in Colorado in 1924.
The haplogroup of this maternal line is I, and the DNA mutations relative to the Cambridge Reference Sequence (CRS) are:
16129A 16223T 16264T 16270T 16311C 16319A 16362C 16391A 16519C
These Sosnowitz - Tannenbaum maternal DNA results revealing membership in haplogroup I (and probably in the I2 subgroup) are consistent with Ashkenazic Jewish ancestry. For suggested further reading about haplogroup I, click here.
Shapiro - Dworkin Maternal DNA
We have the maternal DNA results of a descendant of Freda Pesha Shapiro from Pinsk, in what is now Belarus. Freda married Isaac Dworkin, and passed away in Russia in 1913. We know she had a sister named Rivke Shapiro, who married a man whose name was Zalman.
The haplogroup of this maternal line is U1b, and the DNA mutations, relative to the Cambridge Reference Sequence (CRS), are:
16104T 16111T 16249C 16327T 16519C
These mitochondrial DNA results placing them in haplogroup U1b are consistent with ancient Mediterranean and Eastern European ancestry. For suggested further reading about haplogroup U1b, click here.
UNDERSTANDING WHAT GENES ARE AND DO
I have added this section of recommended simple learning resources for those readers with extremely limited or no knowledge about DNA. If you already know the basics that are often generally taught in high school science classes, you can skip to the next section for recommended reading about Y DNA.
The following website is a simplified explanation of what genes are and do. The first link leads to a multipage explanation that includes pictures. If you are in a rush, you may prefer the second link, which is a text-only version that includes the entire writeup all on one page.
Making it in a Tough Environment -- You and Your Genes!
http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/genes/home.htm
http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/genes/text.htm
FURTHER READING ABOUT Y DNA
The following page is an excellent general overview and listing of known Y DNA haplogroups:
http://www.kerchner.com/haplogroups-ydna.htm
While the following article focuses on the geographic spread and ethnic origins of European haplogroups, it has a very readable explanations about most Y and mitochrondrial DNA haplogroups:
http://www.eupedia.com/europe/origins_haplogroups_europe.shtml
The following page is a theoretical explanation of what genetic haplogroups are and includes a listing of which haplogroups are thought to have branched off from the others:
http://www.dadamo.com/wiki/wiki.pl/Haplogroup_R1a1_(Y-DNA)/Haplogroup_R1b_(Y-DNA)/Haplogroups
If you get lost trying to understand the above general discussions, here is a page which provides concise summary of Kerchener's haplogroup descriptions:
http://www.bobhay.net/_downloads/_genes/YDNA_mtDNA_Haplogroup_Descriptions.pdf
Haplogroup K
Haplogroup K is one of the oldest haplogroups, and the forebear of many haplogroups. The following provides a good basic introduction to the Y DNA haplogroup K and the history of it's subtypes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_K_(Y-DNA)
The following article about the geographic spread and ethnic origins of European haplogroups has a nice section about the K haplotype:
http://www.eupedia.com/europe/origins_haplogroups_europe.shtml#K
R1a1
The following is a good discussion of the R1a1 haplogroup theories including maps:
http://www.dadamo.com/wiki/wiki.pl/Haplogroup_R1a1_(Y-DNA)
The following wikipedia article is more technical in tone, but you may find useful information there as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_R1a1_(Y-DNA)
R1b1
R1b1 is a subgroup of the R1b haplogroup. The following is a good discussion of the R1b haplogroup theories including maps:
http://www.dadamo.com/wiki/wiki.pl/Haplogroup_R1a1_(Y-DNA)/Haplogroup_R1b_(Y-DNA)
The following wikipedia article is also more technical but you may find useful information there as well:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_R1b_(Y-DNA)
R1b1b2
The following page has a long discussion of the R1b1b2 haplotype, including discussion of the suggested migration and associated culture:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R1b#R1b1b2
T
Here is a page about haplotype T, which was formerly called K2, and is an offshoot of the K haplotype mentioned above:
http://wapedia.mobi/en/Haplogroup_T_(Y-DNA)
The following page is a somewhat technical, similar discussion of haplogroup T:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_T_(Y-DNA)
And the following next two recommended pages talk about the discovery of Thomas Jefferson's membership in haplogroup T. For an excellent article about research about Thomas Jefferson's membership in haplogroup T, as well as a very clear discussion about it's ancient origins, see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6332545.stm
Here is the abstract of the research study about Jefferson's DNA, which was published in an anthropology journal:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/114108057/abstract
FURTHER READING ABOUT MT DNA
The following page provides a very short, simple introduction to MT (Mitochondrial) DNA, and includes a chart showing how the various subgroups are related to each other:
http://www.dadamo.com/wiki/wiki.pl/Haplogroup_M_%28mtDNA%29/Mitochrondrial_DNA_Haplogroups
Haplogroup I or Iris
The following page provides a short, simple explanation of what haplogroup I is:
http://www.dadamo.com/wiki/wiki.pl/Haplogroup_M_%28mtDNA%29/Mitochrondrial_DNA_Haplogroups/Haplogroup_I_(mtDNA)
Bonnie Schrack's haplogroup I homepage provides an enjoyable, somewhat artistic introduction to and history of the I haplogroup, whose matriarch has been given the name Iris:
http://www.ancientrootsresearch.com/Hap-I/Hap-I-home.html
Haplogroup U
The following provides a good basic introduction to the maternal DNA haplogroup U and it's subtypes:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_U_(mtDNA)
The following, clearly written article is a more technically detailed summary of haplotype U1a and U1b research, providing a lot more information about the U1a and U1b haplotypes:
http://www.cagetti.com/Genetics/U1a-haplogroup.html
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The DNA results on this page are available to us because of gracious contributions by members of our families who helped pay for the tests, and those members of our families who contributed the DNA samples. We are deeply indebted and grateful for their interest and support.
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