DNA testing has become very popular and demand for these tests has been increasing dramatically over the last couple of years and there are no signs of a slow down anytime soon. I know that many people want to take a genealogy DNA test but are not sure which company to use. This post will try to summarize the options available.
The basics
Everyone’s DNA is made up of 23 pairs of chromosomes. 22 of these are known as autosomal chromosomes inherited from both parents and the 23rd are the sex chromosomes. Males have an X and a Y sex chromosome with the Y chromosome inherited from the father and the X chromosome from the mother. Women have two X sex chromosomes, one each inherited from the father and the mother.
There are therefore three types of DNA test:
Y-DNA test
As the Y-chromosome is passed down from father to son, only males can take this test. This test is useful for finding males with the same surname and seeing how and if they are related.
mtDNA test
This test can be used for the maternal lineage as mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) is only passed by a mother to both male and female children. It can therefore be used to find relatives that share a common maternal ancestor.
Autosomal DNA test.
The autosomal test is the one most commonly used for DNA ancestry. It looks at genetic markers in the 22 non sex chromosome pairs which come from both parents. This test can help verify biological relationships five or six (sometimes more) generations back.
Which company to use?
Before taking a DNA test, I recommend checking the International Society of Genetic Genealogists (ISOGG) website’s wiki pages for the comparison charts for each test. The charts compare what each of the companies offer as well as the size of their databases. Database size is really important as the larger the size, the greater the probability of finding more people with common ancestors. The comparison charts can be found here:
Autosomal DNA test comparison chart
The three main DNA testing companies are:
AncestryDNA: Genetic Testing – DNA Test
AncestryDNA only offer an autosomal test, but it is by far the best selling product on the market and they have the largest database so you are more likely to find matches. You can also connect your online Ancestry tree to the results. One other thing to consider is that you are able to download results from AncestryDNA and use with other companies, but you can’t use other companies’ results on Ancestry.
Family Tree DNA Genetic Ancestry Test Kit
As well as an autosomal (family finder) test, Family Tree DNA also offer Y-DNA, and mtDNA tests. They were a pioneer in Y-DNA testing for genealogy and have the largest Y-DNA database. Their autosomal database is smaller than Ancestry’s, but you can add the other tests later without having to submit new samples
23andMe DNA Test
The other big player in the market is 23andMe. This company focuses on both health and genealogy so may be the right option if you are interested in both. Again, the genealogy test is autosomal and its database is the second largest after Ancestry.
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