Phil sent a URL to watch a very short and easy clip on the four kinds of DNA that are studied in our DNA projects. Here is the URL if you are interested in watching this:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/extras/molgen/index.html
I thought that it might be helpful to add some other good places to bone up on the subject. For me my favorite source of explanation were the two books by Brian Sykes. Both books are easy reading and very entertaining. When you finish you will have a much enhanced understanding of the DNA projects.
Adam's Curse: A Future without Men is about the yDNA.
http://books.google.com/books?id=NJ6EPt17qeEC&printsec=frontcover&q=&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
The Seven Daughters of Eve is about the mitochondrial DNA:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seven_Daughters_of_Eve
The wikipedia article casts some doubt about the accounts that Brian Sykes tells of the seven clan mothers. However, I found my own to fit very well with the story that Brian tells of Helena. I am haplogroup H. Helena is said to have lived in France in the area near where the pictures are found on the walls of the caves. My maternal line was from Alsace Lorraine when one goes back as far as I have traced on the female line. Certainly makes lots of sense to me.
I welcome others to send me good sources for educating ourselves on the DNA. Certainly the site hosted by FTDNA has great information.....one can get to it by googling FTDNA. Other ideas?
