How Can a DNA Test Help Me With My Search For Ancestors?

Completing your family tree can take years of tireless research. Luckily, many websites and other resources are available to help you search for and find long-lost relatives or trace your family’s place of origin. After you find possible ancestors or relatives, testing their DNA can provide more definitive answers.

Using DNA to Confirm Biological Relationships

You may wish to trace your ancestry and then follow up with a DNA test to prove the information’s validity for several different reasons. Like many people, perhaps you heard stories from your grandparents and parents while growing up about your family’s heritage. When stories are passed down through generations, it’s not uncommon for details to change or evolve, often becoming a combination of fact and fiction. Family members might fabricate parts of stories they can’t remember or don’t know, or the stories themselves are embellished and exaggerated. DNA tests can add truth to these stories by confirming and elaborating on information gathered during genealogy research. DNA tests can be performed to find out if familial relationships you’ve discovered during research are biological.

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How Does DNA Testing Work for Ancestry?

With the exception of identical twins, DNA is unique for every person. A DNA profile is a record of an individual’s genetic makeup comprised of a unique combination of DNA markers that can verify some of your significant family stories. The most popular DNA tests for ancestry extract genetic material from saliva. Home DNA Kits tested by DDC rely on cheek-cell collection—a highly accurate method that doesn’t require leaving the comfort of your home. 

DDC offers a variety of ancestry tests, depending on your needs. The HomeDNA™ Starter Ancestry Test uses 100 DNA markers to determine the origins of your ancestors from the four main world population groups: European, Indigenous American, Sub-Saharan African, and East Asian. The highest-resolution DNA test available, the GPS Origins® Ancestry Test analyzes more than 80,000 unique genetic markers—building a vibrant picture of the migration journeys that formed your deep genealogical heritage. This test is so sophisticated, it may even pinpoint the towns, villages, or cities your ancestors lived in.

Tracing Human Migration Through DNA

Genetic testing is also useful for providing evidence to support history. For example, many people came to America without records of entrance into the country. Their names were often “Americanized,” either voluntarily or by force. Plugging a DNA profile into online databases can be beneficial if your family immigrated to the United States, especially from Africa and Europe. These databases may be able to trace your family’s migration across the world. And some databases claim to be able to match genetic markers that would place your family within a particular African tribe or region of Europe. If you’re of African descent, the highly-advanced GPS Origins® African Edition provides date stamps and longitude and latitude coordinates to help you see towns and villages where the journeys of your ancestors and their DNA intersected.

How Accurate is DNA Testing for Ancestry?

As a  world leader in the development of innovative DNA testing services, we stand by the reliability and integrity of all our DNA ancestry tests. Keep in mind that, unlike our relationship tests, ancestry tests are for entertainment purposes only and are not accredited. Our geneticists oversee every case from beginning to end and our dedicated customer service team is available to answer questions and make sure our clients understand how to interpret the results. When you order DNA testing for ancestry, you’ll experience the emotion and excitement of connecting with your past and discovering what shapes your identity today!

Call us at 800-929-0847: We’re here to help.

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