FAQ
What test should I order?
The main focus of this project is YDNA, which means you are a male McGill, with father, grandfather, etc. also McGill. So for the purposes of McGill YDNA study, in a perfect world, everyone in the group would get a Y111 test and a Big Y SNP test. Most people start with a Y25 or Y37 and then upgrade later. Full price for Y111 is $339 and Big Y is $575. But don't pay full price! They run frequent sales.
You can dip your toes with a Y12 test for $59. This is hard to find on their website and is offered through the projects. Last December the ran a special of Big Y with free upgrade to Y111 (from any Y level) for about $500. Then you could use a coupon code to get it down to about $450.
Most should start with autosomal testing, either at ftdna or one of its competitors and look for matches. Next you should upload your raw data to gedmatch.com and search for additional matches
Why should I test YDNA?
What are STR's?
What is SNP testing?
Should I encourage my immediate family members to get tested too?
Yes, especially for autosomal DNA. For Y DNA testing, there are some specific cases where it might be useful to test a close family member.
What are the aggregator websites?
There are several websites that aggregate results from the various testing sites. They often have advanced data analysis tools as well. The process varies, but the typically the steps are: create an account on aggregator site, download raw DNA data from testing site, then upload raw DNA data file to aggregator site.
1. gedmatch.com
Gedmatch is a site for uploading your autosomal DNA test data (Family Finder). Gedmatch allows you to compare to people who have tested with other companies.
2. ysearch.org
ysearch.org is for uploading your Y-DNA data. It is owned by familytreedna. It is no longer actively supported by the sponsoring company. It has a lot of bugs and glitches, but still has some value.
3. Ytree.net
Ytree is for uploading the results of "Big Y" SNP testing.
What is mitochondrial dna testing?
Who are Scotch-Irish?
See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch-Irish_Americans
Who was Niall of the Nine Hostages?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_of_the_Nine_Hostages
https://www.familytreedna.com/landing/matching-niall.aspx
Are there any published McGill family histories?
See the following catalog at familysearch.org:
https://books.familysearch.org/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?fn=search&ct=search&mode=Basic&tab=default_tab&indx=1&dum=true&srt=rank&vid=FHD_PUBLIC&frbg=&vl%28freeText0%29=McGill
https://books.familysearch.org/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?fn=search&ct=search&mode=Basic&tab=default_tab&indx=1&dum=true&srt=rank&vid=FHD_PUBLIC&frbg=&vl%28freeText0%29=Magill
I need a kidney transplant. Is anyone here a good match?
This request is beyond the scope of this project. (this was not a real request. I just added it in case you were thinking about it).
What if I find out my ancestors were royalty? Or Criminals?
It is doubtful that you will discover your missing birthright inheritance. The vast majority of McGills were law abiding citizens. A very small percent have had trouble with the law. Good luck with your search, and feel free to share any interesting McGill stories on the project discussion feed.
The main focus of this project is YDNA, which means you are a male McGill, with father, grandfather, etc. also McGill. So for the purposes of McGill YDNA study, in a perfect world, everyone in the group would get a Y111 test and a Big Y SNP test. Most people start with a Y25 or Y37 and then upgrade later. Full price for Y111 is $339 and Big Y is $575. But don't pay full price! They run frequent sales.
You can dip your toes with a Y12 test for $59. This is hard to find on their website and is offered through the projects. Last December the ran a special of Big Y with free upgrade to Y111 (from any Y level) for about $500. Then you could use a coupon code to get it down to about $450.
Most should start with autosomal testing, either at ftdna or one of its competitors and look for matches. Next you should upload your raw data to gedmatch.com and search for additional matches
Why should I test YDNA?
What are STR's?
What is SNP testing?
Should I encourage my immediate family members to get tested too?
Yes, especially for autosomal DNA. For Y DNA testing, there are some specific cases where it might be useful to test a close family member.
What are the aggregator websites?
There are several websites that aggregate results from the various testing sites. They often have advanced data analysis tools as well. The process varies, but the typically the steps are: create an account on aggregator site, download raw DNA data from testing site, then upload raw DNA data file to aggregator site.
1. gedmatch.com
Gedmatch is a site for uploading your autosomal DNA test data (Family Finder). Gedmatch allows you to compare to people who have tested with other companies.
2. ysearch.org
ysearch.org is for uploading your Y-DNA data. It is owned by familytreedna. It is no longer actively supported by the sponsoring company. It has a lot of bugs and glitches, but still has some value.
3. Ytree.net
Ytree is for uploading the results of "Big Y" SNP testing.
What is mitochondrial dna testing?
Who are Scotch-Irish?
See
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch-Irish_Americans
Who was Niall of the Nine Hostages?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niall_of_the_Nine_Hostages
https://www.familytreedna.com/landing/matching-niall.aspx
Are there any published McGill family histories?
See the following catalog at familysearch.org:
https://books.familysearch.org/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?fn=search&ct=search&mode=Basic&tab=default_tab&indx=1&dum=true&srt=rank&vid=FHD_PUBLIC&frbg=&vl%28freeText0%29=McGill
https://books.familysearch.org/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?fn=search&ct=search&mode=Basic&tab=default_tab&indx=1&dum=true&srt=rank&vid=FHD_PUBLIC&frbg=&vl%28freeText0%29=Magill
I need a kidney transplant. Is anyone here a good match?
This request is beyond the scope of this project. (this was not a real request. I just added it in case you were thinking about it).
What if I find out my ancestors were royalty? Or Criminals?
It is doubtful that you will discover your missing birthright inheritance. The vast majority of McGills were law abiding citizens. A very small percent have had trouble with the law. Good luck with your search, and feel free to share any interesting McGill stories on the project discussion feed.