Autosomal DNA

• Autosomal DNA is your 22 pairs of non-sex chromosomes. Everyone (both biological males and females) inherits a random mix autosomal DNA from both of your parents (about 50% from your mother and about 50% from your father), and each of your parents inherited their autosomal DNA from both of their parents and so forth. Because autosomal DNA is a mixture of your mother’s and father’s DNA, it is unique to each person and both biological males and females can take this test.

Mitochondrial DNA

• Direct Maternal Line - Your direct maternal lineage is the line that follows your mother’s maternal ancestry. This line consists entirely of women, even though both men and women have their mother’s mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). This means that fathers do not pass on their mtDNA to their children. Your mtDNA can trace your mother, her mother, her mother’s mother, and so forth and offers a clear path from you to a known or likely direct maternal ancestor.

Y-chromosome DNA

• The Y chromosome is a sex chromosome. Sex chromosomes carry the genetic code that makes each of us male or female. All people inherit two sex chromosomes. One comes from their mother and the other from their father. Men receive a Y chromosome from their father and an X chromosome from their mother. Men and only men inherit their father’s Y chromosome. It is passed down from father to son in an unbroken line all the way back to our earliest ancestors in Africa.

Which DNA test options are available?