Bacharach/Bachrach/Bacherach Surname DNA Project

June Special on DNA Testing Prices

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 16:07:06 +0000

I just got a notification from FTDNA–from June 5-June 25, the prices for Y-DNA tests ordered through a project are Y-DNA67 for $199 (Regular price would be $239) or Y-DNA37 for $119 (Regular price would be $149), so now’s the time to do it if you’ve been thinking about it. If you want to do the test but can’t afford it, get in touch with us. We’ll try to get others to chip in for the cost. And if you don’t have the right DNA for the test, but want to sponsor someone else’s test (especially if you have a close relative who can be your “surrogate”) you can make a contribution to the testing fund. Don’t wait. The prices will go back up at the end of June.

Puzzlement and Unexpected Results

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:21:37 +0000

While we’re still waiting for a couple of groups markers to come back from a 67-marker test (we have 50/67 completed now), we have some surprising results. We had expected the two participants from Fellheim to be a closer match to each other than to the participants from other towns. That’s not how it appears, at least from what we have now. This last participant from Fellheim has a whopping six differences from the other participant from Fellheim. He has a total of seven differences from the mode, which makes him the outlier of the entire group. He does share the extra copies at DYS464, which is an important connection. This is a surprising set of results. Now we really need more participants from the Fellheim/Osterberg area to see if this is an anomaly or the norm for that area.

BacharachDNAValues

New DNA Comparison Chart

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 03:15:41 +0000

We’re still waiting for additional testing results, but in the meantime I’ve created a chart to show a simplified version of the matches.

The colored squares show the markers that don’t match. The computer looks at all the samples, and for each marker it figures out what the most common value is. If most of the samples have a 12 in the first spot (which all the Bacharachs do), then that is the most common value or “Modal” value. The “Mode” is listed across the top. Any place where an individual differs from the mode will show up as a color. This is the easiest way to see where participants vary from each other. If one individual has all white squares, he matches the mode 100%. If another has one colored square, he has a genetic difference of one from both the mode and the individual who matches the mode. By looking at where the colored squares are, it’s possible to see how closely the individuals within the group match each other. The chart below shows ONLY the markers where all Bacharach participants don’t match. The additional columns have been stripped away to simplify the chart.

Download the chart as a PDF

Observations:

1. Kestrich and Hattenbach, which are geographically close to each other, share a value of 34 on CDYa. The others have 33 in that location.

2. Slonim and Rhuzany, in Belarus, match 100%. They are also close to each other geographically.

If we can get more data, there will be more patterns showing the geographical relationships and how the family migrated across Europe.

Yet Another Match

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:41:40 +0000

We’re waiting on the family tree information for the latest test results, but the general geographic origin is Belarus/Poland. This individual is a 25/25 match with several others in the project and 24/25 with everybody else. We’re still waiting on the rest of the 37 markers. The most important result: the extra copies of DYS464 (see the DNA Results page above for an explanation). So far we are 100% matching, every participant. Far beyond our expectations.

We still need more family tree information to tie all these branches together, so if you have any part of a Bacharach/Bachrach family tree going back to anywhere in Europe, please contact me.

More Results, More Matches

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:40:53 +0000

We just got back partial results from another participant, and he matches 12/12 with all other participants, 24/25 or 23/25 with all the other participants who have tested at least 25 markers. This participant also has the two extra copies of DYS 464, which is a rare mutation. More about that in a previous post…

This participant’s family emigrated to the US most recently from Brest, which is now in Belarus. We’re anxiously awaiting the rest of the 67 markers.

New Maps and Family Trees

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:08:36 +0000

I’ve added a map of the earliest known ancestors of the matching DNA, as well as a map of all the known locations of Bacharach/Bachrach families in the Hesse/Thuringen area in the 1700s and 1800s.

I’ve also created family trees of some of the Bacharach families, beginning with the oldest known and including 3-4 generations, depending upon the size of the family. The charts are grouped geographically and can be accessed by pulling down the “Family Trees” tab at the top of the page. Most of these trees end in the mid-to-late 1800s in order to protect privacy and also keep the charts from being too large. It should be enough information to locate a family. If you’re related to one of these families and want more information, contact me and I can put you in touch with researchers from that branch.

I will continue to add data as it comes in.

Facebook Updates

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 17:50:14 +0000

I have a plug-in that is supposed to automagically update the Facebook page, so this is a test. If you would like to follow this project on Facebook, just sign up as a fan. Not working so far.

More Matches at 37 and 67 Markers

admin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:30:57 +0000

The data are beginning to take shape. We now have 37 marker results for our participant from Slonim, Belarus. He matches 36/37 with Bacharachs from Kestrich and 36/37 (a mutation at a different marker) with Fellheim. This puts the probability of a common ancestor between the Bachrachs of Slonim and the Bachrachs of Kestrich at about 87% in the last 8 generations and a slightly higher probability (89%) of a common ancestor with Fellheim in the last 8 generations.

We also have the rest of the 67 markers for Fellheim, which show either 3 or 4 one-step mutations with the others in the project who have also tested 67 markers. This shows more distance between Fellheim and Kestrich–only about 48% probability of a common ancestor within 8 generations.

We have two more participants who have not yet sent in their tests, so more results to come.

25/25 Match Between Eastern Europe and Germany

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 22:24:13 +0000

The latest results from a participant whose family came from Belarus show a strong likelihood of sharing a common ancestor with the Bachrachs of Germany. I think this may be the beginning of a thread that will link into the rabbinic Bachrach families of Lithuania and Poland with the Bachrachs of Hesse-Darmstadt. We need to do more genealogical research before we can be sure, but my hunch is that there will turn out to be a connection.

One very notable detail in this 25/25 match: this participant has three extra copies of DYS-464, just like all the other Bachrachs so far. This is not a common mutation, so the likelihood of a connection is very high.

New Results from Eastern Europe

admin — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:33:06 +0000

We have some new results from a participant whose ancestors were from Slonim, Belarus in the 19th century. We are still waiting for the rest of the 37 markers, but he matches 12/12 on the first set of markers with all the other Bacharach/Bachrachs in the study. This is our first indication that the Bachrachs from Poland/Belarus/Lithuania area share a common ancestor with the Bacharachs from various parts of Germany. When we get more markers back we’ll have a better idea of how far back the common ancestor is likely to be. Stay tuned for more results!