Is it possible to find your ancestors with genetic testing? For many researchers the answer is, yes!  DNA testing no longer involves needles and blood tests;  modern collection techniques use a soft brush to obtain skin cells from inside your cheek.  Costs are no longer in the $1,000 range, simple Y-DNA tests can cost as little as $99.00.

Interested?  Maybe.   Questions?  Probably many.   Below is a short description of what is involved and what can be learned with DNA testing.

The lowest priced and most genealogical relevant testing is that of Y-DNA because, since the beginning of the use of surnames, the name passes from father to son in most cultures.  This is the same path that the Y chromosome follows, excepting any out of wedlock events which can include undocumented adoptions.   This means that your father received his Y-DNA from his father, who received it from his father, etc. Up to 43 markers are currently being tested within the Y-DNA and are used to find matches with others who have been tested.   These markers that are tested are not the same ones that determine physical characteristics or hereditary disorders, nor can they determine paternity for legal purposes.

Below is an example of how DNA testing helped researchers confirm their relationship.  In the 1750's there is a John Carter and Levi Carter living on adjoining property in NJ. John's sons migrate to Tennessee while Levi's sons follow a different path to Missouri and then Texas.  A current descendent of Levi feels that John and Levi are related but has not found the allusive paper trail to prove it during his last 20 years of research.  In early 2004, Levi's descendent read a short paragraph in his local historical society's publication announcing the Carter DNA project. At their website, he sees that several of John's descendents have been tested and do match each other. Levi's descendent orders his test and matches 2 of John's descendents on all 25 markers that he had tested. So now Levi and John's descendents have 1000's of new cousins and several more avenues to research.

Mitochondria DNA (mtDNA) testing is of less relevance to genealogical research but can still assist in proving relationships. MtDNA is passed from mother to child. Since women generally have changed their name upon marriage this DNA does not follow a surname. An example of how it can be used for genealogy is as follows. Suppose you have found that your 4th great-grandmother is Mary Smith born in Richmond, VA. But while looking through records there are 3 Mary Smiths that could be yours. One is the daughter of John, while Robert and Richard, living nearby, also have a daughter named Mary who is of the same general age as yours. MtDNA testing of female descendents of all 3 Marys can assist in determining which Mary is yours .