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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2007-02 > 1171596309


From: Vincent Vizachero <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] TMRCA
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:25:09 -0600
References: <KHEKIJEABJGJEKDPFEDMIEOEDDAA.elizabethod@eircom.net><1132CF4A-B306-404E-9C42-F55BBB0F76FF@vizachero.com><001001c75177$0aa1c340$6400a8c0@Ken1>
In-Reply-To: <001001c75177$0aa1c340$6400a8c0@Ken1>


On Feb 15, 2007, at 9:03 PM, Ken Nordtvedt wrote:

> From: "Vincent Vizachero" <>
>
>> Zhivotovsky et al. were looking at a different problem (estimating
>> the age of populations) and the rates they use in their study are not
>> appropriate inputs for a TMRCA.
>
> nor is there reason to believe they are appropriate in estimating
> ages of
> populations. Ken

I disagree, though I suppose it might be a matter of semantics.

STRs chosen for their forensic utility are not particularly well
suited for estimating the ages of populations. But if one wanted to
use STRs for that purpose, the estimates of Zhivotovsky et al. are
more likely to produce accurate estimates than pedigree rates.

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