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Family History DNA Tests for Females
DNA testing for family history research is increasingly popular, but there are many people who still do not understand how it works or the purpose of it. The value of any DNA test is that it can show connections where there is a missing paper trail. If you have a solid paper trail you probably do not need DNA testing, but once the trail ends it may help you make solid connections that would not have been noticed otherwise.
When DNA testing first became a tool for genealogist it was mostly the male lines that benefited, as the initial tests were valuable only to male lines. But, in a short while there became available DNA tests for female genealogy lines. In this article we will examine what female DNA tests might by valuable for family history researchers.
What is the most popular genealogy DNA test for females?
The most popular maternity test for genealogist is the mtDNA test, otherwise known as a Mitochondrial DNA test. This test tracks DNA that is passed only through the mother's side, from female to female. So it can't be used to trace the male lines on your mother's side. The uniqueness of this test is that either a male or female can take it. Both sexes inherit this type of DNA through their mother's lines. But, males do not pass it down.
As in any DNA test, if a match is found between two people who take this form of genealogy DNA test, then those two people are indeed related on the mother's side. The problem is pinpointing exactly where you are related. Finding your common ancestor is the difficult part. In the DNA world we call that the MRCA or Most Recent Common Ancestor. The ultimate goal of DNA testing is to get as close as possible to the MRCA for a group of people, or at least the person you want to compare with.
Mitochondrial DNA changes very slowly over time, if at all, so if you don’t exactly match another DNA donor it most likely means your common ancestor is very far in the past. This is unlike the male only Y-DNA, or Y-Chromosome, test where changes can occur much more recently or quicker.
What are some benefits of Genealogy DNA testing?
The benefit of the mtDNA test is it will tell you how far in the past, within a range, you share a common ancestor with someone else. Other than that it really has little value. The results may give you some idea how your family members migrated and what groups you are related to. From there you may have to find paper trails connecting each other, but you will at least have some idea where to start. The more sets of result you have from more participants the easier it will be to understand what the matches mean and how you may connect. That is why it is important to get as large a group as you can to do genealogy DNA testing.
In summary, for females doing family history research the most popular DNA test to take is the mitochondrial test or mtDNA. It is for determining ancestry on your mother's side and may help to narrow down your search for some ancestors. You will need other people to compare your test results to so it is better to be part of a group who has already tested or to start your own if you have specific people you would like to compare ancestry with. |
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