Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 14:37:21 -0330 (NST)
From: dapike@math.mun.ca (David Pike)
To: PIKE-DNA-L@rootsweb.com
Subject: [PIKE-DNA] News from FamilyTreeDNA

Hi everybody.

Overnight FamilyTreeDNA announced some changes to their product line.
What they used to offer were 12, 25, and 37-marker tests for Y-DNA.
What they now offer are 12, 37, and 59-marker tests.

One thing of interest is that they're phasing out tests that only
provide 25 markers.  I had been recommending at least 25 markers to
newcomers to our project, so now I'll be recommending 37.  FTDNA has
revised its prices too, so that the 37-marker test now costs $189
(instead of the $219 that it cost before last night).  The 12-marker
test remains priced at $99, while the new 59-marker test is priced
at $269.

For folks who are wondering about prices to refine previous tests,
here are the details:

(a) To upgrade from 12 markers to 37 costs $99.
    To upgrade from 12 markers to 59 costs $189.

(b) To upgrade from 25 markers to 37 costs $49.
    To upgrade from 25 markers to 59 costs $148.

(c) To upgrade from 37 markers to 59 costs $99.

FTDNA has some more information about these new markers on this page:
http://www.familytreedna.com/tutorial_A.html#59markers
where they mention that the individual mutation rates for the new
markers have not yet been determined (so they don't yet know which
ones are "fast" moving markers and which are "slow").

I've been asked this before, so let me mention here that anybody
wanting to order a refinement test can do so by going to their
personal webpage at http://www.familytreedna.com and then go to
the "Order Tests" link that is in the collection of things to
the right of their name.

On a different matter, some of the support from our sponsorship
fund that I mentioned last week ($25 for newcomers with Pike ancestry
from MI, NY, and/or MA) is still available.

- David.