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Ancient Ancestry Project
Frequently asked questions
Last update August 2008
Introduction
Who are we ? Where do we come from ? These are questions that everybody ask at one point or another. All of us learn about our country's history at school. But history has its limits. It won't tell us what makes each of us different from each others. History books don't dig into personal genealogies, except for royalty.
With the help of science, we can now determine the ancient ethnic origins of one's patrilineal ancestors, by testing the DNA of the paternally inherited Y-chromosome (Y-DNA).
How can we trace our ancestry with DNA ?
We have 23 pairs of chromosomes. The last pair is X-Y for men, and X-X for women. The Y-chromosome is the only part of the DNA that does not recombine in children. This is because the chromosomes X and Y are of different length, and cannot merge with each others. A man therefore has the exact same Y chromosome as his father, and also inherit of the two X-chromosomes from his mother. A woman, on the other hand, inherit one X-chromosome from each parent, which then merge together and become unique, like all the other pairs of chromosomes.
Any man will have the same Y-DNA has his father, brothers, sons, paternal grand-father, etc. This is why all men descending from a same patrilineal ancestor (and therefore having the same surname) share the same Y-DNA.
Small mutations occur every few hundreds or thousands years. Geneticists have classified the Y-DNA of all humans on earth based on these mutations (called SNP's). People sharing the same unique mutations belong to the same haplogroup, and descend from the same ancestor. Here is a list of the main European Haplogroups, with explanations on the ancient ethnicities linked to each group. At present, here is what the genetic make-up of Europe looks like, based on Y-DNA studies.
Why not use mitochondrial DNA ?
In Europe, the maternaly inherited mtDNA is not very useful for ancestry projects, because mtDNA is fairly evenly spread over most of the continent. More detailed tests might give us more clues about ancestral origins through the matrilineal line in the future, but not at present.
What are the risks of a Y-DNA test ?
None. Y-DNA represents less than 1% of the whole DNA. Because Y-DNA is shared by all male family members sharing a same surname, it cannot be used to identify individuals. Y-DNA only determines if a person is male or female. It does not carry much medical information, except possibly for infertility. Tests for ancestry purposes only use a small fraction of the Y-DNA, and cannot even be used to determine infertility.
How can I test my DNA ?
DNA testing is very easy. You just need to order a test kit from a testing company, rub a buccal swab into your mouth (or spit into a small container, depending on the company), and send it back by post. Results typically take from 4 to 6 weeks once the lab has received your sample.
Which test shall I choose ?
For population studies and ancestry projects, the cheapest and fastest test is EA's Haploview (US$139), which will immediately determine unambiguously your haplogroup and subclade (except if you are R1b1c, which might require an additional test). Other companies test STR markers, which is only useful if your are looking for distant relatives, or if you were adopted and try to find your biological parents. If you choose FTDNA, go for the Y-DNA12: 12 Marker Test (US$149), which can also tell you your haplogroup, but might require extra testing. However, to know your exact subclade you will probably need further testing, especially if you belong to the R1b1c haplogroup (the most common in Western Europe).
If you don't mind spending a bit more money, the much more complete test offered by 23andMe (399$) will not only give you your exact Y-DNA haplogroup with more precision than FTDNA or EA, it will also give you yout mtDNA haplogroup, your autosomal ancestry map, as well as about a hundred genetic traits or risks for genetic diseases. It is by far the best value for money since you won't have to take any other DNA test. DeCODEme offers a similar product (with almost twice more SNP's) for 985$. The main advantage of these companies for ancestry projects is that new ancestral mutations can be discovered in your lineage, while "regular" genealogical testing companies like FTDNA and EA only test for known SNP's. This way you can also participate to research by submitting new unique SNP's found in your Y-chromosome.
Can I test more than one family line ?
Yes. Your test will only tell you about your agnatic (patrilineal) line, but nothing prevents you to ask other male family members having a different surname than yours to take a test too. To know your mother's agnatic line, you should test either her father (if still alive), one of her brothers, or one of her paternal uncle. The same can be done with your grandmother's agnatic lines, by testing one of her brothers, or male children of a brother. Relatives can even be distant cousins, as long as they are male and have the same surname.
What shall I do once I have my results ?
You can inform us of your haplogroup by email to  . We will input your data into the database for the region of origin of your oldest known patrilineal ancestor. We will create a statistics tables and maps with all the collected data, and analyse the results on this website.
Please mention the following information with your email :
Surname of the tested branch
Surname, given name, birth/death date and place of the oldest known ancestor
Haplogroup
Testing company used for this test
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