These are frequently asked questions that we receive at SMGF. Click on a question of interest to see our response. You may also click Show All Answers or Hide All Answers.

1. What is SMGF?

Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation is a non-profit foundation that is creating the world's leading collection of DNA results and corresponding genealogies. We are making the collection available on-line to the public to help in finding new family connections and extending one's genealogy. SMGF is not affiliated with any other commercial organizations, religious institutions, or other DNA testing projects.

2. What will SMGF do with my DNA sample and genealogy information?

An independent lab will process your sample, then we will add your results and family tree (of ancestors born before 1906) to the Sorenson Database on this web site. Your genetic information is stored at SMGF in a secure database, and your DNA sample is identified by a code and stored at the Sorenson Genomics lab. The lab keeps no personal information on the sample provider.

3. How do I benefit from participating in the SMGF Project?

Your DNA results and pedigree will eventually be added to the Sorenson Database, helping you to make new connections in your family tree. Your information can also help others make connections based on your contribution.

4. Will I receive my DNA results from SMGF?

Due to the nature of our project, you will not receive your DNA results directly back from SMGF. However, your results and genealogy will be added to the Sorenson database, and you can find them by searching for your surname and looking at related family trees.

5. When will my results appear in the Sorenson Database?

We process samples in large batches to keep down our costs. The time between batches depends on how many samples we receive each month. We also verify the information in pedigree charts before adding the data to our database. Consequently, we cannot predict the time it will take for your results to be processed and added to the Sorenson Database.

6. How do I search the SMGF database?

Simply go to our Search page and enter your surname of interest. You may also choose to enter known DNA test results or to use default DNA values. See the Help section of the Search page for more information.

7. What do the search results mean?

The Results of your search will show the values for all participants that match your search criteria. In general, a higher match (e.g. 35/36 instead of 34/36) means a closer genealogical connection. We also provide links to pedigree charts and the Time to Most Common Ancestor (TMRCA) for closely matching results. The TMRCA and Results pages show further information to help with interpretation.

8. How do I determine the values of close matches?

Due to privacy concerns, we cannot display non-matching results directly. However, you can determine the values of non-matching markers by changing the input values for the markers in question, and then looking at the results until you see a closer match.

9. Why has SMGF chosen the current set of Y-chromosome markers?

The SMGF Y-chromosome markers represent a set of stable markers with reasonable mutation rates and enough genetic variability to be useful for genealogical purposes. Note that we do not include some markers used by other testing companies, but there is a large enough overlap that comparisons with other companies can easily be made.

10. How do I contact other participants in the SMGF Project?

To protect privacy, we do not reveal any personal information of our participants, or the names of any ancestors born after 1906. You may find references to ancestors in SMGF pedigree charts on message boards and in collections of family trees. Please see the Links page for possible sources of matching information.

11. May I submit a test report from a commercial testing lab to SMGF?

SMGF samples are tested for Y-chromosome, mtDNA, and autosomal markers. No other lab tests this broad a range of markers, so results from other labs would be considered incomplete in the SMGF database. Consequently, we cannot accept other test reports, but still invite you to join the SMGF project.

12. What is the difference between searching the Sorenson Database and joining the SMGF project?

Anyone may search the Sorenson Database by surname and/or DNA results. If you or someone in your family has been tested by a commercial lab, you may enter those result values on the Search page. Even if you have not been tested, you can select the default values, and still look for participants with your surname of interest. Joining the SMGF project requires submitting a DNA sample and a four-generation pedigree. Anyone age seven and older may Request a Participation Kit and become part of the SMGF project.

13. I am a participant in the National Geographic Genographic project. Should I still join the SMGF project?

The Genographic project addresses the genetic history of humankind. The SMGF project addresses the genetic history of your family. The two projects complement each other well, and we encourage Genographic project members to become part of the SMGF project.

14. Is SMGF affiliated with any religious organization or governmental agency?

Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation is a private non-profit organization that is not affiliated with any other organization. The goal of the project is to help people make new family connections through the application of molecular genealogy.

15. Why has my pedigree chart been changed?

The purpose of the SMGF database is to help people find links to the past using genetic signatures and genealogical records. In order to do this, the charts that we receive from participants are extended, using records available online, to include ancestors beyond those of the first few generations which are typically provided to us. Once a pedigree has been extended, SMGF genealogists check for obvious problems, such as parents being born after their children. During this process, if there is a question as to the correctness of data that cannot be resolved using records and resources available online, the questionable information is removed to avoid including lines that may be unreliable. The purpose of this is to ensure the genealogical information contained in the SMGF database is a true reflection of the biological ancestors of the participant and thereby correctly linked to the genetic signature of the participant.

As we extend charts that are provided to us, our database becomes even more valuable for those who use it for genealogical purposes. If you have additional generations that you would like to share, or corrections to information you find in our database from your own research, please send them to qwerty along with where and when you participated.

16. Why has the number of unique surnames apparently decreased after the latest website release?

The number appears to have decreased due to clean up and consolidation of the database. For example, ST JOHNS and ST. JOHNS were previously counted as separate surnames and are now counted as one.

17. Why has the number of matches to my surname apparently gone down after the latest website release?

Please check the "Incomplete Data" and "All Paternal-line Surnames" checkboxes under the Results Display option to see the full number of matches for a given surname. For instance, the surname "Jones" may have 56 entries without the checkboxes checked, and 75 entries with the checkboxes checked.

18. What is an Ancestral File Number (AFN)?

AFN references that appear in some pedigrees are hyperlinks to Ancestral File Numbers on http://www.familysearch.org that extend a lineage further back in time.

Familysearch.org does not permit transcription of AFN records, though our genealogists review their accuracy before linking to them. Note that details in Ancestral File entries may show minor variations from pedigrees submitted to SMGF due to reliance on different primary sources.

Please see www.familysearch.org for further information on Ancestral File records.

Note also that the links provided from the SMGF website to Ancestral File at FamilySearch.org do not constitute or imply endorsement of SMGF website or its activities by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

If you have a question not listed above, please contact us and we will try to respond as quickly as possible.