Genealogy & DNA Testing
Services Provided
Genetic genealogy
Genetic genealogy testing, also known as genetic genealogy, can provide you with more insight into your ancestral past. While some may see genetic genealogy testing as revolutionary new form of genealogical investigation, others object because they say it removes much of the educational value (not to mention enjoyable detective work) associated with traditional library and archive research.
Others believe it’s just another scam designed to separate fools from their money.
Many may be unfamiliar with genealogical DNA testing but curious to gain more information.
This section of our site aims to inform those in the latter group. It does not aim to be an in-depth examination of DNA testing; rather it offers basic guidance.
It is designed for amateur family historians who are curious to see what new developments in science might bring their research. Additionally, this guide offers information on what tests are available and considerations before proceeding with one or not.
Why go through genetic genealogy?
Once you’ve unlocked several generations of your ancestry, DNA testing might seem unnecessary or even wasteful – depending on your approach to researching or level of interest in genealogy, DNA tests might offer answers you haven’t had access to before.
Consider any or all of the following reasons when making your decision regarding genealogical DNA testing costs:
Are You Stuck In Paper Research? Perhaps your paper research has reached an impasse, or there is some unanswered mystery in your family tree such as adoptions, hasty marriages or hidden relationships which you want to explore further. If so, check out if scientific scrutiny applies.
Are You Satisfied With Your Knowledge of Recent Ancestry (in the last several centuries), But Would Like to Discover Further Origins.
Do You want to uncover more distant geographic and ethnic roots… Do You want to determine whether other people with the same surname exist as well.
Surname Studies: When DNA Meets Genealogy
Family historians may have experienced being approached by strangers with your surname who inquire about whether you might be related. After conducting a brief investigation and answering a few basic questions about immediate family and/or ancestral lines, both parties usually come to a mutual decision that they aren’t.
But there is always the possibility (and with certain names, likelihood) that you and this stranger could indeed be related; unfortunately though, your genealogical research may only go back so far before discovering an “ancestor”.
Surname studies play an integral part in understanding male lineage because Y-DNA (see below) can be traced through generations intact through male descendants’ names and surnames.
Surname studies and Y-DNA testing make an integral part of genealogy DNA testing services.
FamilyTreeDNA’s autosomal DNA test, Family Finder, became widely popular when introduced by FamilyTreeDNA in 2010. Genetic genealogy had never before seen such rapid expansion.
Ancestry quickly entered the consumer DNA market, quickly becoming the world’s largest consumer DNA network with 18 million people having tested by mid-2020. Each participant receives an “ethnicity estimate”, providing insight into what percentage of Irish, Scandinavian or Native American heritage might lie within them.
Each test in our database is matched against existing and newly processed test results of other individuals, providing an opportunity for you to get in contact with those you share similarities with via Ancestry.
Autosomal DNA testing’s “ethnic heritage” feature has proven very popular, even if some view it more as something for entertainment than something to take too seriously. Similar features have since been introduced by FamilyTreeDNA and newer companies specializing in genetic genealogy such as Living DNA (now in partnership with FindMyPast) and MyHeritage.