Page last modified: Thursday, 02-Dec-2021 14:00:34 ESTPart II: Doing a yDNA Test
Testing at FTDNA. Collecting the Swab.This page may be embedded in an HTML frame. If so, be sure to utilize the vertical scroll bar on the HTML frame as well as the vertical scroll bar in your browser. On the right side of the browser window, the frame scrollbar should be left of your browser scrollbar.
Concepts: FTDNA, DNA collection, Y DNA test costs,
number of markers to test, should I test
Family Tree DNA (FTDNA), the same company that has sponsored the DNA testing aspect of the television program "Who Do You Think You Are?"
✓ FTDNA, founded in 1999, has been doing genetic testing longer than any other commercial genetic testing lab.
✓ It has the largest Y DNA database of testers from around the world.
✓ FTDNA introduced its full mitochondrial and autosomal tests in 2010 and has the world's largest mtDNA database.
✓ It actively encourages and supports research projects administered by volunteers, including Y DNA surname, Y DNA haplogroup, mtDNA haplogroup, and regional DNA projects which may include patriline and matriline tests and possibly autosomal tests. Check with the regional DNA project.
✓ FTDNA has an extensive database of Y DNA surname projects as well as Y haplogroup projects as well as regional projects covering all types of tests.
✓ FTDNA has FULL MATCHING on its Y STR and Big Y; mtDNA; and autosomal DNA tests plus a family tree publishing feature that can be utilized to triangulate (find matching common segments) your autosomal DNA matches.
✓ FTDNA has an ADVANCED MATCHING feature through which you can identify relatives who match you through multiple tests.
DNA can be collected from any human tissue. It has even been collected by drilling into the bones and teeth of ancient skeletons! But for our testing, the process is two quick and painless cheek swabs. You enclose the swabs in the return envelope. FTDNA's Q&A on swabbing is here. Swabbing should not hurt and it should not draw blood !!!
As of January 2020, 37 marker Y test (Y37), which is a good place to start, currently runs $119 USD. Y67 is no longer offered for new testers. Y111 is $249. Big Y 700, the SNP discovery test, runs $449. This is without any sales or discounts and assumes you have not done ANY prior Y testing at FTDNA. Prices quoted do not include the cost of mailing the kit to you, which runs about $13 USD.
These are not entirely separate tests. One test extends another. Y37, the entry level product, tests markers 1 through 37. If you've already ordered Y37, Y67 extends Y37 by additionally testing markers 38 through 67. Y111 extends Y37 or Y67 by testing any remaining markers through 111. Part of Big Y finishes up any Y STR testing not already completed, which is why its price varies. Furthermore, if the initial swab is an excellent one, you should probably not need to provide further swab sample once you've provided one for Y37.
FTDNA typically holds Y DNA sales on Father's Day and at the end of the year. The end of year sale in particular is a particularly good opportunity to get your initial test or upgrade your existing test at a substantially better price. With the end-of-year sale price, it is possible to get Y37 for as low as $79 USD + S&H. Sometimes special events are conducted during the year that include testing discounts.
See the Y Products page at FTDNA for the most current price information.
$1.77 USD set aside weekly for a full year starting on Thanksgiving will cover the cost of Y37 at the next end-of-year sale. If the cost is out of your reach, talk to your immediate family members and close relatives and pool your money together to get one eligible male in your family to test.
There are DNA tests that do test for the tendency to develop certain conditions or for inherited health conditions. The Y-DNA and autosomal DNA genetic tests do not test for such health conditions, though there may be some correlation between specific haplogroups and certain health conditions.
FTDNA now offers a separate health-oriented test, which is not the subject or purpose of these genetic genealogy pages.
No. In your FTDNA account, you can modify your profile and privacy settings. Your name, email address profile information you provide, and your family tree are revealed only to persons deemed by FTDNA to match you close enough to warrant contacting each other about your respective genealogies. You may wish to review the vendor's policy statement. In this DNA project, you are identified by a kit number, your earliest known ancestor, and your test results.
Projects do not publish member lists and do not generally show members who the other members are.
FTDNA also lets you opt out of Law Enforcement matching if you so choose. However, should FTDNA be served with a subpoena or warrant, FTDNA could be compelled to open its database to LE officers.
Yes, the risks are similar to what you might learn via conventional genealogy, e.g. you might uncover an adoption or other non paternal event which could cause emotional distress.
FTDNA sends you a DNA Processing Consent form with the kit which you sign and send back with the kit. By signing this form you say that you are allowing yourself to be tested. Then, by monitoring the privacy settings in your profile, you can choose to let project administrators see your data in any projects you join. In that way you release your data for research. Your project administrator will know who you are, but that information is kept confidential. Through the privacy settings you can control the display of living people.
NO it is not. However, Y-DNA testing may reveal what is called a non-paternity event (NPE) somewhere in the paternal line. This may be discovered when two brothers or first cousins who are the sons of brothers test and their test results don't match. Adoptions, name changes, illegitimate births with hidden paternity, or infidelity are such events. Everyone has these NPEs at some point in their family history and there is a chance a Y-DNA test could reveal such an episode. This is something to consider before testing. An autosomal DNA test might reveal the same information.
At FTDNA, there are tests available for 37 and 111 markers (Y37 and Y111). Y67 is offered only as an upgrade, not as a new product. The STR tests are not exclusive to each other. Y111 includes what you would test with Y67. Y67 includes what you test with Y37, etc.
In your surname project, 37 markers is usually the minimum needed as anything less is usually inadequate for ancestral research. It is recommended for men new to testing. If you are still interested after you get back your initial Y results, you can upgrade to Y111 by simply ordering the upgrade through your existing FTDNA account. Additional swabbing should not be necessary.
Y12 is offered only through special access through a project. If you want to verify a certain man shares your paternal line ancestry, and have no desire to spend $$$ on extensive testing of that man, Y12 might be a good option. Ask for it through your project.
See the FTDNA website for instructions, which includes videos.
Make sure both vials are sealed tight with the scrapers you used on your mouth. The vials should go in a plastic bag. There is also the Processing Consent Form (see above) to sign that authorizes FTDNA to test your results. Include that in the vial bag. Put the vial bag in the return envelope.
There is also a payment form to fill out. Include that paperwork in the envelope, seal the envelope and mail it back to the lab in Houston.
To ensure problem free postal delivery, postal tracking is strongly recommended. Kits mailed from Ireland headed for Houston Texas have ended up in Australia, so kits do get lost.
The time could vary greatly. We've seen less than a month and we've seen several months.
No, the surname testing is based on the "Y" chromosome which is a paternal test and thus all samples must be derived from a male surnamed DOE or a variant thereof.
Here is a quote from Roberta Estes on the subject: "The hair needs to have a follicle, so cut hair doesn’t work. However, even hair with a follicle, the success rate is significantly less than 50%, and it costs upwards of $1000 per attempt. Hold on to that hair, without touching it, for new technology." http://dna-explained.com/2012/07/26/geno-2-0-qa-with-bennett-greenspan/
Not really, they are probably the same. Testing both is warranted only if their is something unusual or one has concerns about quality control. Even so if you are matching a lot of people who share your surname the one test should be adequate. See Part III for problems in interpreting your Y results.
If you Y tested at a Sorensen Lab company, it is possible to transfer that data to FTDNA, but it is essential that you obtain a transfer+upgrade product. You will have to do an additional swab so that FTDNA can align their markers to yours, and so that your results will be enabled for matching.