<p>Where would someone find an expert to help explain results of mtDNA testing? We have the HVR1 and HVR2 difference statistics but I don’t think the testing company provided a thorough explanation.</p>
<p>my daughter did research with Mary Claire King in high school- mtdna is pretty interesting</p>
<p>I didn’t go into genetics to that detail- but this link might give you some more info.
[Genetic</a> Testing Methodologies](<a href=“http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/~dstone/dis_genetic_test_methods.html]Genetic”>http://www.uni.uiuc.edu/~dstone/dis_genetic_test_methods.html)</p>
<p>Thanks for the reply. Here is a relevant article in this situation. It discusses the matrilineal lineage of Ashkenazic Jewish mtDNA. In Table 1, our statistics show have an exact match for #371 to #384 and we are wondering if this indicates Jewish ancestry through the maternal line.</p>
<p>[ScienceDirect</a> - The American Journal of Human Genetics : The Matrilineal Ancestry of Ashkenazi Jewry: Portrait of a Recent Founder Event](<a href=“http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B8JDD-4RDBHSY-J&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b2717c93971833f2ae6046e5ea15e6b9]ScienceDirect”>http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B8JDD-4RDBHSY-J&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b2717c93971833f2ae6046e5ea15e6b9)</p>
<p>kinshasa, It is interesting. Where did you have the testing done, and can you go to the testing company? Do they offer counseling to explain, or can they put you in touch with a resource that can go into more detail?</p>
<p>My son-in-law arranged for the mtDNA test. He had strong suspicions that somewhere in his maternal line there was Jewish ancestry. I am going to ask him to see if the testing company can provide further clarification. Of course whether this evidence is halachically acceptable is a 21st century question for rabbinical authorities.</p>
<p>I’m not sure exactly what your situation is, why you had the testing done, and what you were hoping to uncover.</p>
<p>Regardless, I would recommend you go to a genetic counselor. They’ll be able to better explain the results and the implications.</p>
<p>It is unlikely that your average genetic counselor, while a superb resource for information regarding genetic disease, would be very familiar with the use of mtDNA for ancestry analysis.</p>
<p>Regarding your results, my very quick impression is that the data is clearly consistent with the possibility of Jewish inheritance but by no means proves it. The haplotype 16224 16311 16519 73 146 152 263 is found in a number of Jewish individuals, mainly of eastern European origin (e.g. 165-279 in Table 4) but in a number of non-Jews as well, including Italians (396-400) and a Kazakh (289). Of course, those non-Jewish italians may have been Jewish before the inquisition got to them.</p>