Family Tree DNA - Genetic testing service

Family Tree DNA: Genetic Testing Service

Bennett Greenspan, Founder
Kevin Brook, Affiliate

Family Tree DNA is a genetics testing service which allows men and women to compare their paternal and maternal DNA respectively with the DNA of other men and women from around the world. This can help establish links with cousins many times removed, and can help identify which haplotypes a person possesses (which can sometimes pinpoint a geographic or ethnic origin for a family's heritage). If you closely match a person in the database, you will be able to contact that person if there is mutual consent by both parties.

Multiple general types of paternal marker tests are available: a 37 marker Y-DNA test, a 111 marker Y-DNA test, and a most comprehensive Big Y-700 Y-DNA test. The 111 marker test is more intricate than the 37 marker test, but both tests will compare your DNA with those of every other test subject. The 111 marker and Big Y tests are meant for highly specific genealogical testing, particularly if you're participating in a specific family surname study or need to substantially narrow the timeframe of relatedness. Only men qualify for Y-DNA testing.

The mtDNA testing service -- namely mtFull Sequence -- is also available for identifying a maternal lineage. Both men and women can sign up for a mtDNA test.

The Family Finder autosomal DNA test introduced on May 3, 2010 searches for links across all ancestral lines. It enables any man or woman to find relatives like grandparents, aunts, uncles, half-siblings, first cousins, second cousins, third cousins, and fourth cousins. myOrigins, introduced on May 6, 2014 and updated on April 4, 2017, estimates a person's ethnic composition by comparing one's autosomal DNA to reference samples from populations around the world.

Family Tree DNA specializes in a number of areas, including American Indian ancestry, Melungeon ancestry, Scottish and Irish ancestry, and Jewish ancestry, and there are also many ongoing surname projects, but people from all ethnic backgrounds are invited to use these services.

For more information about Family Tree DNA,
and to sign up for a test,
visit Family Tree DNA today!

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Additional resources:

  • Jewish Genetics: Abstracts and Summaries
  • Recommended Books about Genetics
  • Problematic haplogroup assignments in YFull's MTree
  • Segmentology Blog by Jim Bartlett
  • DNA Explained Blog by Roberta Estes
  • The Genetic Genealogist by Blaine Bettinger
  • The Genealogist dot CA Blog by A. J. Levin
  • DNA Genealogy Blog by Jason Lee
  • What is DNA by Anton Dimitrov, Melisa Castillo, Hailey Lowery, Nikko Shaw, and Mark Stevenson