The Ins and Outs of Ancestry Testing

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on genetic testing. The opinions in this post, however, are honest and my own.

A popular trend these days is to do DNA testing that can also map your ancestry. There is understandably a lot of interest to find out where a person comes from. Knowing more about your ancestors allows you to learn more about yourself. Doing ancestry testing is not necessarily the same thing as performing the standard paternity test, however. While paternity tests might be a more specific way of finding out who you are, genealogical testing can help give you a broader view of where you might come from. What is involved with genealogical testing? There are different types of tests that are performed, then you need to interpret the results. It is also beneficial to know how to get tested, in case you are interested.

Types of Ancestry Testing

Generally, there are three different types of genetic tests that can be used for genealogical tracing. These involve autosomal DNA, mitochondrial DNA, and Y-chromosome testing. Y-chromosome testing is used for males to trace their paternal ancestry. Mitochondrial DNA testing is used to trace maternal ancestry for either a man or a woman. The autosomal DNA test is used for a person’s entire general ancestry. The closer the relationship is between the compared parties, the more accurate the results are likely to be, especially with the Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA testing. If you are just looking for a test that can tell you about the region where you come from, you are likely to go with autosomal testing.

How to Get Tested

The testing process is fairly simple. You need to find a trustworthy company that offers genetic testing, but specifically an ancestry test. Once you find a company, you just need to purchase a test and submit your DNA sample. The GTL ancestry testing process is much the same as it would be for any other DNA test. This usually amounts to swabbing the cheek, although the DNA can also be analyzed from other samples, such as blood. After that, it’s a waiting game to get your results.

It is a natural thing to desire to learn more about where you come from. As an interest in genealogy increases, it’s understandable that genealogy testing will also become more popular. If you decide to pursue an ancestry DNA test, look for a reliable laboratory that offers such testing. You might be able to learn more about where you ultimately come from, building a stronger sense of your heritage.

Test Results

The autosomal DNA test usually looks at various genetic markers and compares those to certain groups of people around the world. The thought behind this is that certain groups of people will share certain commonalities with their genetic markers. Thus, if you have genetic markers that seem to be common with a group of people from a certain region in the world, it could be that your ancestry can be traced back to that region. The results may depend on where you go to get tested. In some cases, your results may be plotted on a map, which can show you the likelihood that you are descended from certain groups of people from around the world.

Disclosure: Budget Earth receive compensation for this post. All opinions are my own and may differ from our readers’ opinions.

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About Susan Bewley

Susan Bewley is a professional writer who has been writing content online & in print format for over 10 years. As well, she is an alumni of the University of Louisville with a Masters Degree in Special Education. When not working as an online business consultant or ghost writing, she can be found writing on Budget Earth, on her own novel, or working with various entities in the pet industry.