Autosomal DNA Testing: A Primer for Genealogists
Autosomal DNA testing is the workhorse of consumer genetic genealogy — the test most people take first, the one that generates thousands of matches…
Category: Genetic Genealogy
Articles about DNA testing and genetic genealogy for family history research.
Mitochondrial DNA: Tracing Your Direct Maternal Line
Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is the only type of DNA that traces a single, unbroken line of maternal ancestry — your mother’s mother’s mother’s line, extending back through time…
X-DNA: The Overlooked Chromosome That Can Focus Your Search
Of the three types of genealogically useful DNA — autosomal, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial — X-DNA is the least understood and the most frequently overlooked…
Y-DNA Testing: STRs, SNPs, Haplogroups, and the Big Y-700
Y-DNA testing is the most powerful tool available to genealogists for tracing the direct paternal line — the father’s father’s father’s line stretching back through history…
Understanding DNA Tests for Genealogy: Types, Purposes, and Costs
A guide to the three types of genealogical DNA tests — autosomal, Y-DNA, and mitochondrial — explaining what each reveals about your ancestry, which companies offer them, and how prices compare as of 2026.