Is the Ancestry.Com DNA analysis service useful and how dertailed are the results?

Question

Is the Ancestry.Com DNA analysis service useful and how dertailed are the results?

Answer 1

I believe it is good.  Their Y-DNA is 33 or 46 markers.  This is relatively good... i.e. 33 is "bad" compared to 46 but 46 is unnecessary if you don't match with high similarity on 33.  A match with 46 in the vicinity of a few different dys's likely means a relation if it's a non-database person you think you're related to.  You may want to get more, from familytreedna, if you have doubts, for example if databases have other people in ample amounts just as close, since I'm not experienced with their combination of alleles.

Click on link to find out what markers they test.   You can simply compare with other companies.  The 46 seems to be the same as the 43 markers from Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, GeneTree probably.

---------As a warning, all DNA companies have a shortage of people in there database.  You're doing the database more good than yourself.

Answer 2

I have had nothing to do with Ancestry.com but I have not seen many good comments about them, personally I believe the best company out there by far is Family Tree DNA.

Below is a reply I have given to previous questions concerning testing in general, the content of which you may already be aware, but here goes anyway, It might help you make a decision. Good luck !

Dna cannot tell you which country you originated in, only the probable area, or areas of the world your ancient ancestors passed through during their evolution.

Human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes: 22 pairs of autosomes, and one pair of s*x chromosomes. Females carry a pair of X chromosomes that can swap, or recombine, similar regions of DNA during meiosis. However, males harbor one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, and significant recombination between these dissimilar s*x chromosomes does not occur. Therefore, the non-recombining region of the Y chromosome (NRY) remains largely unchanged over many generations, directly passed from father to son, son to grandson, and so on, along with genetic variations in the NRY that may be present. Scientists can use genetic variations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), on the Y chromosome as markers of human ancestry and migration.

It is very effective and the best companies will retest until they get a conclusive result.

If you have, say, just the first 12 markers tested($149 with FTDNA), that will give an indication of where you originated, the more markers you test on, the more information is gained ( for mtdna, your suggested geographic origin and your maternal deep ancestral ethnic origin, $129 with FTDNA) if you test on the maximumum of, say 67 markers ($349 with FTDNA), it is possible then to find a match to someone else carrying your own, or a different surname, and to prove a link where perhaps no "paper trail" exists. It can therefore pinpoint a place in which your ancestors probably lived in recent history but DNA does not, obviously,

have a surname attached to it, surnames have only been used for around 700 years and of course your DNA originated 10s of thousands of years ago. You can also have a SNP test which will help show the migratory pattern of your ancient ancestors, a Mtdna Universal Female Test is available, A single test allows you to verify if 2 females are possibly related, your suggested geographic origin and

your maternal deep ancestral ethnic origin for $129.

You can join a Surname project with FTDNA and receive discounted prices on your tests.

I recommend that you make yourself aware of the various tests available, and the costs with each testing company.

Plus, check out what is available to you after you have tested.

I used Family Tree DNA ,they were the first in the field (founded in 1999), have the largest data base, and do the testing for the National Geographic's Genome project, their "after sales" is excellent and I consider they are the best, but you have to make your own decision on that.

http://www.familytreedna.org

NOTE :-

If you are female, you only carry your mother's Mtdna, and her mother's Mtdna, and her mother's Mtdna etc.,etc.,etc. and that will show only your mother's lineage (you will pass that Mtdna on to your daughters and sons, but your sons will not pass it on to their children). You do not inherit your father's Y-DNA.

If you are male, you inherit your father's Y-DNA, his father's Y-DNA, his father's Y-DNA, and so on back to your origin. You also inherit your mother's Mtdna, but you only pass your Y-DNA on to your sons.