International Society of Genetic Genealogy

{{Short description|History}} {{Infobox organization | name = International Society of<br/>Genetic Genealogy | image = ISOGG logo.jpg | abbreviation = ISOGG | formation = 2005; 21 years ago | purpose = To advocate for and educate about the use of genetics as a tool for genealogical research, and promote a supportive network for genetic genealogists | headquarters = | location = | coordinates =  | region_served = | membership = 8,000 | language = | general_secretary = | leader_title = Director | leader_name = Katherine Borges | leader_title2 = | leader_name2 = | leader_title3 = | leader_name3 = | leader_title4 = | leader_name4 = | key_people = | main_organ = | parent_organization = | affiliations = | budget = | num_staff = | num_volunteers = | website = {{URL|http://www.isogg.org}} | remarks = | former_name = }} {{genetic genealogy}} The '''International Society of Genetic Genealogy''' ('''ISOGG''') is an independent non-commercial nonprofit organization of genetic genealogists run by volunteers. It was founded by a group of surname DNA project administrators in 2005 to promote DNA testing for genealogy. It advocates the use of genetics in genealogical research, provides educational resources for genealogists interested in DNA testing, and facilitates networking among genetic genealogists.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.isogg.org|title=The International Society of Genetic Genealogy|access-date=July 1, 2013|publisher=ISOGG}} See Homepage, Our Mission and About ISOGG.</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=ISOGG 2013 Y-DNA Haplogroup Tree|url=http://www.isogg.org/tree/index.html|publisher=ISOGG|access-date=July 10, 2013|quote=ISOGG (International Society of Genetic Genealogy) is not affiliated with any registered, trademarked, and/or copyrighted names of companies, websites and organizations.}}</ref><ref name=KingJobling>{{cite journal|last1=King|doi=10.1016/j.tig.2009.06.003|quote=The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (www.isogg.org) advocates the use of genetics as a tool for genealogical research, and provides a support network for genetic genealogists. It hosts the ISOGG Y-haplogroup tree, which has the virtue of being regularly updated.|title=What's in a name? Y chromosomes, surnames and the genetic genealogy revolution|year=2009|first1=Turi E.|last2=Jobling|first2=Mark A.|journal=Trends in Genetics|volume=25|issue=8|pages=351–60|pmid=19665817|hdl=2381/8106|url=https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/10096019|hdl-access=free}}</ref> {{As of|June 2013}}, it comprises over 8,000 members in 70 countries.<ref name=SCGS2013>{{cite web|title=Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013 |url=http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/Jamboree/2013/DNAday.htm |publisher=Southern California Genealogical Society |access-date=July 7, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130710014353/http://www.scgsgenealogy.com/Jamboree/2013/DNAday.htm |archive-date=July 10, 2013 }}</ref> {{As of|July 2013}}, regional meetings are coordinated by 20 volunteer regional coordinators located in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Egypt, Ireland and Russia.<ref>{{cite web|title=ISOGG Regional Coordinators|url=http://www.isogg.org/rc.htm|publisher=ISOGG|access-date=July 9, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022165737/http://www.isogg.org/rc.htm|archive-date=October 22, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=ISOGG Meetings|url=http://www.isogg.org/meetings.htm|publisher=ISOGG|access-date=July 9, 2013}}</ref>

ISOGG hosts the ISOGG Wiki, a free online encyclopedia maintained by ISOGG members which contains a wide variety of educational resources and guidance for genetic genealogy consumers and DNA project administrators.<ref>{{cite web|title=The International Society of Genetic Genealogy – Wiki|url=http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Wiki_Welcome_Page|publisher=ISOGG|access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref> The ISOGG Wiki contains ethical guidelines for DNA project administrators and ISOGG members perform peer reviews of DNA project websites of other members on request, following which the websites may display the ISOGG Peer Reviewed graphic.<ref>{{cite web|title=The International Society of Genetic Genealogy Wiki (ISOGG Project Administrator Guidelines)|url=http://www.isogg.org/wiki/ISOGG_Project_Administrator_Guidelines|publisher=ISOGG|access-date=July 9, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=International Society of Genetic Genealogy – Member Peer Review|url=http://www.isogg.org/peerreview.htm|publisher=ISOGG|access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref>

==Industry regulation and standards== In 2008 ISOGG supported the passing of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act designed to prohibit the improper use of genetic information in health insurance and employment in the United States.<ref name=Smolenyak>{{cite news|last=Smolenyak|first=Megan|title=Don't 'Protect' Us From Our Own Genetic Information|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-smolenyak-smolenyak/dont-protect-us-from-our_b_653474.html|access-date=July 7, 2013|newspaper=The Huffington Post|date=July 20, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Borges|first=Katherine|journal=ISOGG Newsletter|title=From the Director|date=March 1, 2008|volume=1|issue=1|url=http://www.isogg.org/newsletter/mar2008.htm|access-date=July 7, 2013}}</ref> At an FDA public meeting on oversight of laboratory developed tests, ISOGG opposed FDA regulations preventing consumer access to DTC testing.<ref>{{cite web|title=FDA/CDRH Public Meeting: Oversight of Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs), Date July 19–20, 2010|url=https://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/NewsEvents/WorkshopsConferences/ucm212830.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619081411/http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/NewsEvents/WorkshopsConferences/ucm212830.htm|archive-date=June 19, 2010|publisher=FDA|access-date=July 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Vorhaus|first=Dan|title=The Conversation Continues: Recap from Day Two of FDA's Regulatory Meeting|date=22 July 2010|url=http://www.genomicslawreport.com/index.php/2010/07/21/fda-ldt-day-2-recap/|publisher=Genomics Law Report|access-date=July 8, 2013|quote=DTC genetic testing also had its advocates, including 23andMe co-founder Anne Wojcicki and Katherine Borges, Director of the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG), who delivered one of the most impassioned arguments for prioritizing individual access over FDA regulation. Borges sounded a familiar refrain in arguing that the FDA should not restrict consumer access to genetic information 'without credible, compelling scientific data to support' such regulation.}}</ref>

An article published in ''Genetics in Medicine'' in March 2012 provides an overview of the diverse array of tests and practices in the emerging DTC genetic genealogy industry. In the article, the authors highlight ISOGG's potential role in developing industry best practice guidelines and consumer guidance: {{quote|We call on the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) to take a leadership role in (i) articulating an ethical code to guide the practices of the industry it advocates and (ii) developing a consumer guide to provide prospective consumers of the DNA ancestry testing industry with a reliable means to compare products and companies for their varying consumer motivations and interests.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Wagner|doi=10.1038/gim.2011.77|pmid=22382803|title=Tilting at windmills no longer: A data-driven discussion of DTC DNA ancestry tests|year=2012|first1=Jennifer K.|last2=Cooper|first2=Jill D.|last3=Sterling|first3=Rene|last4=Royal|first4=Charmaine D.|journal=Genetics in Medicine|volume=14|issue=6|pages=586–93|pmc=8339991|doi-access=free}}</ref>}}

The increasing affordability and popularity of DTC genetic genealogy testing has also raised ethical concerns about genealogists testing the DNA of others without consent.<ref>{{cite news|title=Stalking Strangers' DNA to Fill in the Family Tree|last=Harmon|first=Amy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/us/02dna.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 2, 2007|access-date=July 7, 2013}}</ref> The ISOGG Wiki contains a selection of external resources on ethics for genetic genealogists.<ref>{{cite web|title=The International Society of Genetic Genealogy Wiki (Ethics)|url=http://isogg.org/wiki/Ethics|publisher=ISOGG|access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref>

===Y-STR nomenclature=== {{See also|List of Y-STR markers}} ISOGG promotes the adoption of voluntary industry Y-STR nomenclature standards developed by NIST and published in the ''Journal of Genetic Genealogy'' in 2008.<ref name=Smolenyak/><ref>{{cite journal|author1=John M. Butler|author2=Margaret C. Kline|author3=Amy E. Decker|title=Addressing Y-Chromosome Short Tandem Repeat Allele Nomenclature|journal=Journal of Genetic Genealogy|year=2008|volume=4|issue=2|pages=125–148|url=http://www.jogg.info/42/files/butler.pdf|access-date=July 8, 2013|archive-date=April 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412070418/http://www.jogg.info/42/files/butler.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation is First to Adopt Genetic Genealogy's New Industry Standard for Reporting Y-DNA Profiles|url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20090817005034/en/Sorenson-Molecular-Genealogy-Foundation-Adopt-Genetic-Genealogy%E2%80%99s|date=August 17, 2009|publisher=Business Wire|access-date=July 8, 2013}}</ref>

==Citizen science== ISOGG members such as Leo Little,<ref>{{cite web|last=Bettinger|first=Blaine|title=In Memoriam – Leo William Little|url=http://www.thegeneticgenealogist.com/2008/05/27/in-memoriam-leo-william-little/|publisher=The Genetic Genealogist|date=May 27, 2008|access-date=July 16, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Obituary for Leo W. Little Jr.|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/orlandosentinel/obituary-print.aspx?page=lifestoryprint&pid=112123899|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|date=June 23, 2008|access-date=July 16, 2013}}</ref> Roberta Estes, Rebekah Canada and Bonnie Schrack have been involved in important citizen science discoveries regarding human phylogeny and ethnic origins.<ref>{{cite web|last=Estes|first=Roberta|url=http://dna-explained.com/2013/04/10/diy-dna-analysis-genomeweb-and-citizen-scientist-2-0/|title=DIY DNA Analysis, GenomeWeb and Citizen Scientist 2.0|date=April 10, 2013|publisher=DNAeXplained|access-date=July 16, 2013|archive-date=July 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706105343/https://dna-explained.com/2013/04/10/diy-dna-analysis-genomeweb-and-citizen-scientist-2-0/}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Estes|first=Roberta J.|author2=Jack H. Goins|author3= Penny Ferguson|author4= Janet Lewis Crain|title=Melungeons, A Multi-Ethnic Population|journal=Journal of Genetic Genealogy|year=2011|volume=7|issue=2|url=http://www.jogg.info/72/files/Estes.pdf|access-date=July 17, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Loller|first=Travis|title=Melungeon DNA Study Reveals Ancestry, Upsets 'A Whole Lot Of People'|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/24/melungeon-dna-study-origin_n_1544489.html|access-date=July 17, 2013|newspaper=The Huffington Post|date=May 24, 2012|quote='There were a whole lot of people upset by this study,' lead researcher Roberta Estes said ... Estes and her fellow researchers theorize that the various Melungeon lines may have sprung from the unions of black and white indentured servants living in Virginia in the mid-1600s, before slavery ... In order to conduct the larger DNA study, Goins and his fellow researchers – who are genealogists but not academics – had to define who was a Melungeon.}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=Family Tree DNA's Genomics Research Center Facilitates Discovery of Extremely Ancient Root to the Human Y Chromosome Phylogenetic Tree|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/family-tree-dnas-genomics-research-center-facilitates-discovery-of-extremely-ancient-root-to-the-human-y-chromosome-phylogenetic-tree-200049821.html|access-date=July 17, 2013|publisher=Gene By Gene|date=March 26, 2013|quote=Once in Family Tree DNA's database, long-time project administrator Bonnie Schrack noticed that the sample was very unique and advocated for further testing to be done. 'This whole discovery began, really, with a citizen scientist – someone very similar to our many customers who are interested in learning more about their family roots using one of our genealogy products,' said Gene By Gene President Bennett Greenspan.}}</ref> The broader ISOGG membership participated in the Genographic Project, a genetic anthropology study that used crowdsourcing to facilitate new discoveries about human genetic history, and other genetic databases where broader and larger databases aid the identification of participants' ancestral origins.<ref name=SCGS2013/><ref>{{cite journal|last=Callaway|first=Ewen|title=Ancestry testing goes for pinpoint accuracy|journal=Nature|date=June 5, 2012|volume=486|issue=7401|page=17|doi=10.1038/486017a|quote=Commercial ancestry testing, once the province of limited information of dubious accuracy, is taking advantage of whole-genome scans, sophisticated analyses and ever-deeper databases of human genetic diversity to help people to answer a simple question: where am I from?|pmid=22678260|bibcode=2012Natur.486...17C |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Vergano|first=Dan|title=DNA detectives seek origins of you|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/13/dna-detectives-seek-origins-of-you/2420071/|access-date=July 16, 2013|newspaper=USA Today|date=June 13, 2013}}</ref>

===Y chromosome phylogenetic tree=== {{See also|Conversion table for Y chromosome haplogroups|Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup}} Since 2006 ISOGG has hosted the regularly updated online ISOGG Y-chromosome phylogenetic tree.<ref name=KingJobling /><ref>{{cite web|title=ISOGG 2006 Y-DNA Haplogroup Tree|url=http://www.isogg.org/tree/Main06.html|publisher=ISOGG|access-date=July 8, 2013|quote=An ISOGG group was formed in November 2005 to create a web-based document which could be updated to keep pace with the rapid developments in the field.}}</ref> ISOGG aims to keep the tree as up-to-date as possible, incorporating new SNPs which are being discovered frequently.<ref name=Athey>{{cite journal|last=Athey|first=Whit|title=Editor's Corner: A New Y-Chromosome Phylogenetic Tree|journal=Journal of Genetic Genealogy|year=2008|volume=4|issue=1|pages=i–ii|url=http://www.jogg.info/41/Editorial.pdf|access-date=July 8, 2013|quote=ISOGG is committed to a tree with the minimum of confusion for users, so naturally, with the publication of the new tree in Karafet (2008), ISOGG will be changing several haplogroup names to conform to the choices made by Karafet ... Meanwhile, new SNPs are being announced or published almost every month. ISOGG's role will be to maintain a tree that is as up-to-date as possible, allowing us to see where each new SNP fits in.|archive-date=March 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305213347/http://www.jogg.info/41/Editorial.pdf}}</ref> The ISOGG tree has been described by academics as using the accepted nomenclature for human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroups and subclades in that it follows the Y Chromosome Consortium nomenclature as described in Karafet et al. 2008,<ref name=Athey/><ref name="van Holst Pellekaan">{{cite journal|last1=Van Holst Pellekaan|doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2011.04.014|quote=Classification of the mtDNA lineages is historic, following the naming of Native American haplogroups A, B, C and D (Torroni et al., 2006). This initiated a generally accepted nomenclature, whereby African lineages were called L and one of these, L3, apparently gave rise to some African and all non-African mt haplotypes (matrilines) that cluster under the 'superfamilies' or macrohaplogroups called 'M' and 'N'. There are now non-African mtDNA haplogroups named after all the other letters of the alphabet (except L) that are subdivisions of the large M and N superfamilies (van Oven and Kayser, 2010). The accepted system of naming sub-groups was set out by Richards et al. (1998) and more recently reviewed by Torroni et al. (2006). Y-chromosome studies have also resulted in an accepted nomenclature (see Karafet et al., 2008; ISOGG, 2010).|title=Genetic evidence for the colonization of Australia|year=2013|first1=Sheila|journal=Quaternary International|volume=285|pages=44–56|bibcode=2013QuInt.285...44V }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Redmonds|first=George|title=Surnames, DNA, and Family History|year=2011|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-958264-8|page=196|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tQRMzEcIb2gC|author2=King, Turi|author3= Hey, David|quote=The growth of interest in genetic genealogy has inspired a group of individuals outside the academic area who are passionate about the subject and who have an impressive grasp of the research issues. Two focal points for this group are the International Society of Genetic Genealogy and the ''Journal of Genetic Genealogy''. The ISOGG is a non-profit, non-commercial organization that provides resources and maintains a phylogenetic trees of Y chromosome haplogroups.}}</ref> The ISOGG tree is widely cited in peer reviewed academic literature.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0002168 |title=Paternal Genetic Structure of Hainan Aborigines Isolated at the Entrance to East Asia |year=2008 |editor1-last=MacAulay|editor1-first=Vincent |last1=Li |first1=Dongna |last2=Li |first2=Hui |last3=Ou |first3=Caiying |last4=Lu |first4=Yan |last5=Sun |first5=Yuantian |last6=Yang |first6=Bo |last7=Qin |first7=Zhendong |last8=Zhou |first8=Zhenjian |last9=Li |first9=Shilin |last10=Jin |first10=Li Jin |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=3 |issue=5 |article-number=e2168 |pmid=18478090 |pmc=2374892|bibcode=2008PLoSO...3.2168L |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Zhao|doi=10.1080/03014460802558522|title=Presence of three different paternal lineages among North Indians: A study of 560 Y chromosomes|year=2009|first1=Zhongming|last2=Khan|first2=Faisal|last3=Borkar|first3=Minal|last4=Herrera|first4=Rene|last5=Agrawal|first5=Suraksha|journal=Annals of Human Biology|volume=36|pages=46–59|pmid=19058044|issue=1|pmc=2755252}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Regueiro|doi=10.1016/j.gene.2012.01.030|title=High levels of Paleolithic Y-chromosome lineages characterize Serbia|year=2012|first1=Maria|last2=Rivera|first2=Luis|last3=Damnjanovic|first3=Tatjana|last4=Lukovic|first4=Ljiljana|last5=Milasin|first5=Jelena|last6=Herrera|first6=Rene J.|journal=Gene|volume=498|pages=59–67|pmid=22310393|issue=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Al-Zahery|doi=10.1186/1471-2148-11-288|title=In search of the genetic footprints of Sumerians: A survey of Y-chromosome and mtDNA variation in the Marsh Arabs of Iraq|year=2011|first1=Nadia|last2=Pala|first2=Maria|last3=Battaglia|first3=Vincenza|last4=Grugni|first4=Viola|last5=Hamod|first5=Mohammed A|last6=Kashani|first6=Baharak|last7=Olivieri|first7=Anna|last8=Torroni|first8=Antonio|last9=Santachiara-Benerecetti|first9=Augusta S|journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology|volume=11|page=288|pmid=21970613|pmc=3215667 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ambrosio|doi=10.3109/03014460903229155|title=The Andalusian population from Huelva reveals a high diversification of Y-DNA paternal lineages from haplogroup E: Identifying human male movements within the Mediterranean space|year=2010|first1=B.|last2=Dugoujon|first2=J. M.|last3=Hernández|first3=C.|last4=De La Fuente|first4=D.|last5=González-Martín|first5=A.|last6=Fortes-Lima|first6=C. A.|last7=Novelletto|first7=A.|last8=Rodríguez|first8=J. N.|last9=Calderón|first9=R.|journal=Annals of Human Biology|volume=37|pages=86–107|pmid=19939195|issue=1|s2cid=1667431}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Wagner|doi=10.1007/s00439-011-1034-5|title=Attitudes on DNA ancestry tests|year=2011|first1=Jennifer K.|last2=Weiss|first2=Kenneth M.|journal=Human Genetics|volume=131|pages=41–56|pmid=21698460|issue=1|s2cid=14757236}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Fedorova|doi=10.1186/1471-2148-13-127|title=Autosomal and uniparental portraits of the native populations of Sakha (Yakutia): Implications for the peopling of Northeast Eurasia|year=2013|first1=Sardana A|last2=Reidla|first2=Maere|last3=Metspalu|first3=Ene|last4=Metspalu|first4=Mait|last5=Rootsi|first5=Siiri|last6=Tambets|first6=Kristiina|last7=Trofimova|first7=Natalya|last8=Zhadanov|first8=Sergey I|last9=Kashani|first9=Baharak|journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology|volume=13|page=127|pmid=23782551|pmc=3695835 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2013BMCEE..13..127F }}</ref>

==See also== {{Div col|colwidth=22em}} *Genealogical DNA test *Genetic diversity *Human genetics *Human genetic variation *Human mitochondrial DNA haplogroups *Human Y-chromosome DNA haplogroups *Mitochondrial Eve *Y-chromosomal Adam *Y-chromosome haplogroups in populations of the world *Personal genomics {{div col end}} *[http://www.isogg.org/ ISOGG Mission Statement] *[http://www.isogg.org/wiki/Timeline:History_of_genetic_genealogy History of genetic genealogy on the ISOGG wiki]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://isogg.org/tree Y-DNA Haplogroup Tree] at ISOGG

Category:International non-profit organizations Category:Genetic genealogy Category:Citizen science Category:Scientific organizations established in 2005