GeneTech: YDNA Solutions to Common Genealogical Problems

Does the key to your family tree lie inside of you? DNA testing has become an accepted tool for identifying ancestors. Information stored in the Y-chromosome passes virtually unchanged from father-to-son for centuries (see Figure). Analysis of this genetic information, found in living people, can help you determine whether or not you share a common ancestor with another person alive today. Computer algorithms predict approximately how long ago the common ancestor lived. These results have many genealogical applications.