It’s a good week for genetic genealogy. Y DNA is on sale at Family Tree DNA, autosomal almost everyplace and I’m beginning a new Y DNA series of articles!
Father’s Day is approaching, and of course DNA tests are a hot item.
Y DNA – Makes Dad Dad
At FamilyTreeDNA – both Y and autosomal DNA tests are on sale. Every male has a Y chromosome to test, and Y DNA testing in conjunction with autosomal is a very powerful combination.
What better gift that to give your Dad the gift of history and matching to other relatives, both.
This week, Family Tree DNA notified project administrators of their Father’s Day sale pricing, and I’m sharing with you.
Before we look at specific tests, let’s talk about why Dad might want to test his Y DNA. Y DNA is passed from father to son, typically along with the surname, and men tend to be very interested in their paternal line.
Y DNA provides information that autosomal DNA can never provide, because they are two completely different kinds of tests. To view a short article about the various kinds of DNA tests, click here.
8 Benefits of Y DNA Testing
What can Y DNA testing tell Dad about himself and about his genealogy?
- Surname line matches – does he match other men with the same surname? Can they identify a common ancestor? The Y37, 67 and 111 tests will provide that information, with the Y111 test providing the most specific, granular information.
- Ethnicity for the direct paternal line – the haplogroup will provide a direct line ethnicity test that will reveal continental level ethnicity plus generally regional information for the paternal line only. How much is revealed depends on whether you order the Y37/67/111 test or the Big Y test, which is the most specific!
- SNP Maps – for people who have taken SNP tests (Big Y-700) that allow you to “step back in time” by viewing the locations of haplogroups on your personal haplotree.
- Ancestral Origins and Maps – locations where the earliest known ancestors of your matches are found.
- Haplogroup Origins – where your matches haplogroups are found in the world.
- Migration Maps and Percentages – how the haplogroup migrated to where it is primarily found today and how frequently it is found in that region of the world.
- Projects – over 10,000 projects to join for collaboration based on haplogroup, surname, ethnicity, region and many other options. Goldmines!
- Science – the Big Y-700 test provides the highest level information both for individual markers (700 instead of just 111) and the most refined haplogroup possible. Many people discover that they carry new never-before-discovered mutations that define new haplogroups, allowing Dad to be a part of scientific discovery.
Results are provided on your own personal page along with more tools and features.
Here are the tests available along with their sale prices.
What to Order?
I’m often asked which Y DNA test should be ordered.
Generally, I say to order what the budget will allow, because you can always upgrade later.
HOWEVER, I will also say that you can only upgrade a limited number of times. Upgrade success is dependent on the following:
- Age of sample
- Quality of sample
- Amount of sample remaining
While we always think Dad can swab again later if needed, I GREATLY regret not testing family members at the highest level possible when I could – because I can’t now for any number of reasons.
Many of my early testers have passed over – so order as much as you can afford out the gate.
The higher resolution the test, the better the results without an upgrade and the more information for you to use.
If you’d like to order a Y and autosomal test, for example, you can save another $10.
Family Tree DNA does offer an advanced match feature which allows you to see who you match on multiple tests, such as Y and Family Finder. Combined information can provide valuable hints and information.
What About Upgrades?
If you’ve already purchased a Y DNA test, you can upgrade to the above levels for the prices indicated. To upgrade to Big Y-700, it’s best to have a sample from within the past 2 years, but the lab will contact you if they have concerns.
Debut of New Y DNA Series!
How many of you have been following along with my Mitochondrial DNA Series where I’ve been explaining all about mitochondrial DNA in bite size pieces beginning with an overview? You can take a look here, here and here.
Would you like to see a similar Y DNA Series as well?
You’re in luck, because that’s exactly what I’ll be writing, beginning about the middle of July when everyone’s results begin to come back from the Father’s Day tests.
Don’t forget, you can also test other men to represent your paternal line if your father is not available for testing. If you are a male, you can test yourself for your father’s Y DNA. What a wonderful way to honor your Dad!
I recommend having Y DNA results available so you can follow along with each article!
Click here to order.
Autosomal
If you’re interested in Autosomal testing that includes both ethnicity and matching, most of the major genetic genealogy vendors are having sales right now.
| Vendor/Test | Best Features | Sale Price | Link |
| FamilyTreeDNA -Family Finder | Automatic Maternal and Paternal buckets, combined matching with Y and mtDNA | $59 | Click to purchase |
| MyHeritage | Triangulation, Theories of Family Relativity | $59 | Click to purchase |
| AncestryDNA | Database size | $69 | Click to purchase |
| 23andMe | Ethnicity | $99 | Click to purchase |
Have fun and get your tree ready, because you’re going to be meeting cousins who share ancestors before you know it!
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Disclosure
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Thank you so much.
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