By Carol Cooke Darrow
The year 2016 will be a big one for those interested in learning more about DNA testing and the results. But the smart shopper needs to know what they are going to get for their money. There are 3 DNA tests available to the public.
Y-DNA test is only for men to connect with recent and distant relatives on their father’s side. It helps confirm your family research by identifying male relationships(father to son to son to son etc.) You will not get the name of your great-great-great-great grandfather as a result. You will get names of living men whose Y-DNA comes from the same male ancestor that you have.
mtDNA or Mitochondrial DNA test is for men and women who want to identify recent and distant female relatives. Mitochondrial DNA is passed down almost unchanged from a mother to her children. That lets you trace your maternal ancestry.
Autosomal or Family Finder DNA test is for both men and women and may help you find and connect with cousins within the past five generations. Of course, you must have done your family research back five generations in order to “recognize” the family names and
CeCe Moore, professional genetic genealogist
relationships. Unfortunately, many people do not submit family names when they submit their test material (spit in a tube), so there is no information for matches. Someone named Don O’Neal is an autosomal match to me and I have two different O’Neal family lines but he submitted no information so there is no way to connect the families.
CeCe Moore, a professional genetic genealogist, presents a seminar in Denver on 5 March 2016 at Denver Public Library sponsored by the Colorado Genealogical Society and the CGS/Computer Interest Group. Check the website at www.cogensoc.us for more details.
~ Carol Cooke Darrow, CG, is a member of the Colorado Genealogical Society.