Have you ever pondered who your forefathers and mothers were and where they came from? It’s totally reasonable to wonder about our biological origins, and many of us have probably done so at least once in our lives.

Genetic genealogy, often known as genetic ancestry testing, is a sophisticated method of determining ties between people that combines DNA testing with traditional genealogical research.

Companies that specialize in genetic genealogy can assist you in finding birth parents and other birth relatives.

Unlike traditional genealogy, which looks for matches between two or more people by checking documents and records (such as adoption, birth, marriage, death, and so on), genetic genealogy looks at genetic variants and looks for matches between two or more people.

You can take a swab sample from the comfort of your own home and wait a few weeks to obtain your test results and learn exactly who your ancestors were, thanks to the advancement of contemporary genomics.

How Do DNA Matches Work?

When genetic testing first became commercially available, it was a prohibitively expensive procedure that most individuals could not afford. Fortunately, genetic testing has gotten much more reasonable in recent years; in fact, you can now have your complete genome sequenced for only a few hundred dollars. As a result, genealogical research has evolved to consider the results of genetic testing, allowing genealogy to become much more specialized and precise.

DNA testing firms utilize one of the following genetic genealogy tests to successfully establish genetic matches between individuals and their families:

  • Y-DNA (Y chromosome) testing: when a father and son desire to authenticate their DNA, this test is done. A close male relative can, however, serve if a girl wants to validate her bond with her missing or deceased father.
  • Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing: this is the test to take if a son or daughter wants to confirm their relationship with their mother.
  • SNP testing (single nucleotide polymorphisms): this test assesses a person’s entire genome and uses the results to estimate their ethnic background.
  • Autosomal DNA testing: this test examines 22 of the 23 chromosomal pairs that carry the majority of the hereditary data.

Genetic Genealogy’s Advantages

More than anything else, genetic genealogy provides more confirmation of your relationships with your father, mother, and adoptive siblings. A person’s historical documents aren’t adequate; science must validate them through DNA testing. As a result, if you find a match through DNA testing, you’ll be able to:

  • Find out where your ancestors came from
  • Confirm any suspected family connections
  • Reunite with your birth family and relatives
  • Confirm previous genealogical research
  • Provide more valuable information for additional genealogical research
  • Discover more living relatives
  • Find out where your ancestors came from
  • Confirm any suspected family connections

What is the definition of a centimorgan?

The unit used to assess degrees of genetic linkage is the centimorgan (cM) or map unit (m.u.). To identify ties to relatives through shared ancestors, use a centimorgan chart or relationship calculator.

It is believed that almost 30 million people have had their DNA analyzed for genealogical reasons. As these tests become more generally available and more people are tested, the genetic databases used to perform family matching will get more comprehensive, allowing genetic genealogy companies to find more diverse family links.