Initial Test Results and derivative happenings

My cousin, Sam's, initial test upgrades are beginning to come in.  First, two of his
Maguire Clan DNA signature STP's (single nucleotide polymorphism) have been
received and as expected he is L513 and L69 positive along with the rest of the
Airghialla Mag Uidhir (Maguire) Group.  Brad McGuire, working with Thomas
Krahn and Mike Walsh and others have come up with about five Maguire SNP's
that allow them to predict, very reliably, how different members will show positive
results on certain STP's.  His SNP P66 result is expected by this Friday and it is
expected to be P66+ along with that of Jim McKown and I.  Brad also believes
that there are three STR's (single tandem repeats) that my predict which others with
Maguire DNA would likely be P66+.

I also want to welcome some new associates who are now following this blog.  I
suggest to them that if they scroll all the way to the bottom of the current posting,
they will be able to track all the way back to the beginning of the first posting to
this blog.  It has been a very rewarding trip so far for me.  Cousin Sam and I are
descended from our great great grandfather, Lawrence McCown, via his two first
born sons, William and Eli and I am told that this means we are second cousins.
As you might expect, we match exactly on the first 66 of 67 markers and when his
upgrade to 111 marker results come in sometime this month, I expect them to be
very close to mine at that level as well.

If you are considering having your paternal line tested, you will have to have a male
relative in the line you are tracing take the test if you are not that male yourself.
Family Tree DNA.com  has been running a special on these and other tests and
they can furnish valuable discounts.  It was through this means that I discovered
Cousin Sam and also discovered that rather than being of Scottish descent, I am in
fact of Ulster Irish Heritage---most likely County Fermanagh but possibly Tyrone
or Donegal because all three have evidence of McCown (Mac Owen, McCowen or
McKown) residents of Maguire descent. 

Recloh Events

SNP P66+, which I had hoped to use to identify a specific Maguire ancestor is not
a reliable indicator according to Thomas Krahn, head of FTDNA's Houston lab.
A Maguire who was P66+ long ago can well have sons several generations later
who would be P66- and that is the problem with Recloh events.  These act more like
STR's (Short Tandem Repeats) also called alleles or markers than like SNP's
(Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms).  The practical difference to those like me
who don't understand this scientific stuff, is that STR's generally show family
history back to about 200 years before surnames came into common usage whereas
SNP's generally go back, way, way back thousands of years.  For example, Niall
of the Nine Hostages has SNP M222+ but SNP M222- goes back four thousand
years ago while M222+ only goes back 3,000 years ago.

Meanwhile, cousin, Sam, is now upgrading to 111 markers, having his deep sub-
clades (SNP's) tested plus SNP's L513 and L69.  If all goes as expected, he will
also be P66+, L513+ and L69+.  Brad McGuire, adm. of the FTDNA Airghialla
Mag Uidhir (Maguire) group that is based both on surname and geographical
origin, can now predict who will have Maguire DNA and who will not based on
six markers and from those can predict which SNP's an individual will  + or -.

This reminds me of why I enjoyed history classes that dealt with battles fought and
wars won or lost but totally lost interest when it came down to economic history.