As DNA testing becomes mainstream, home DNA test kits for those researching their family history have become a new way of looking at where family lines originated and how individuals are connected through their genes. Many companies now offer these tests and families are using the data to forge their own family connections and rewrite their family stories.
Why Get a Genealogy DNA Test
A few years ago, many genealogists were skeptical of using DNA to search out family history information. But as home DNA testing kits have become more sophisticated, more people are embracing this technology as an addition to their paper and archives research and using it to trace ancestry that might otherwise stay hidden.
Some family historians choose to use home DNA testing to learn more about their heritage, ethnic origins, or to verify distant famous relatives that they have heard about but could never prove.
How Home DNA Tests Work
Taking a home genealogy DNA test is easy. The company sends a swab or scraper to gather cells from the inside of the cheek, which are then mailed back to the testing center. A few weeks later, the customer will receive a report of their results, either by mail or by logging into the company website.
Individuals can choose to share their information with other genetically related matches in the hopes of finding distant relatives or they can decide to keep their information private.
What Ancestry DNA Tests Can and Can't Reveal
Misconceptions about ancestral DNA testing include beliefs that it can determine recent ancestors or verify a specific relationship between individuals. Instead, these tests actually only show patterns and give clues to related groups, providing a piece of the genealogical puzzle, not a complete answer.
Much of the information gained from home genetic genealogy tests involves ancestors from 10,000 years or more ago. These tests usually give results placing people in specific clans or pinpointing the long-ago homelands where the DNA structures tested originated. Ethnic DNA tests can also reveal the percentages of different ethnic groups in a person's genetic history. Some common tests performed for this reason are Native American DNA tests and Jewish DNA tests, which show whether the person has these groups in their genetic history.
Some services offer projects to determine whether individuals are related to specific people from history, such as Ghenghis Khan or Marie Antoinette. These tests can't reveal the exact relationship, but can indicate that there is or isn’t a link.
Other tests can reveal hints about immigration patterns or how people are related to others with the same surname. These are useful to family surname groups trying to determine whether everyone with the same surname is actually related or not.
There are groups working to use genetic genealogy to match specific surname groups. Groups like World Families Network have gathered information on surname projects around the world and help coordinate families who want to share their genealogical genetic data.
Genetic Genealogy Companies and DNA Testing Cost
Many different companies and organizations offer DNA testing kits for genealogy. Genetic genealogy tests usually cost about $100 US for one sample and individuals can choose whether to have their mitochondrial DNA, Y-DNA or ethnic markers tested. Each of these will show different information related to the mother's line, the father's lineage or the ethnic origins of the person's family. Some companies offer discounts for people who want more than one type of test or for family groups who choose to all be tested at the same time.
One of the largest testing companies is the Genographic Project, sponsored by National Geographic. The Genographic Project focuses on distant ancestors and is building a database of migration patterns throughout prehistory based on the results of participants' home DNA test results.
To learn more about genetics and genealogy, see these articles on The Structure and Function of DNA and Genes and Genealogy: What DNA Can Reveal.
Bridget Coila - I'm a cell and molecular biologist, freelance writer and photographer currently living in Beijing, China. I'm fascinated by science, ...
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