Ancestry.com DNA
From ISOGG Wiki
DNA Ancestry is the genetic genealogy database service of myfamily.com (the owner of Ancestry.com). DNA Ancestry does not itself carry out DNA testing; tests purchased at the DNA Ancestry site are contracted out to to Sorenson Genomics, LLC, who perform the tests for DNA Ancestry. DNA Ancestry currently offer three basic tests: a "33-marker" and a "46-marker" Y-chromosome test, and a mitochondrial DNA test. Ancestry's "33-marker" and "46-marker" tests include three markers that are very rare in the normal population, so most males ordering those tests will not receive results for the full number of markers claimed. Other testing companies will report values for these markers where found but will not include them in the total count. Ancestry do not have any facility to test single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to confirm haplogroup predictions.
Y-chromosome DNA test results obtained from companies other than DNA Ancestry can be manually entered into DNA Ancestry's database (although currently, some marker results may require conversion to DNA Ancestry format), and thus can be used to find matches within this database. For access to the database, a free Ancestry.com "Registered Guest" account suffices. Paid accounts, at either Ancestry.com or myfamily.com, are not required. (Some web links at DNA Ancestry will, under certain conditions, send the browser to a myfamily.com site, suggesting that an account be purchased there.) A separate Ancestry.com account is required for each DNA result you wish to add to their database.
Comparing Ancestry and FTDNA results
The way in which testing companies report the values for the various markers is not yet consistent though eventually all companies will conform to the NIST (US National Institute of Standards and Technology) standards. Ancestry's markers now conform to the NIST standards but Family Tree DNA, with their much larger database, have not yet completed the upgrade. In the meantime to compare results between the two different testing companies it is necessary to convert some of the marker values. A useful guide to the conversion process is provided here.
In August 2011 Family Tree DNA announced that it would accept third-party transfers from people who had taken a Y-DNA test with companies that used the Sorenson Laboratories. Ancestry customers are therefore now eligible to transfer their results to the larger FTDNA database and join the various surname, haplogroup and geographical projects. It is however necessary to pay a small fee for the transfer to preserve the integrity of the database. Further information on the process can be found in the Third-party transfers FAQs. Y-DNA results from third-party Sorenson transfers are prefixed in the FTDNA database with the letter B.
External links
- DNA Ancestry official site
- The Ancestry.com blog
- Ancestry.com on Facebook
- Ancestry.com on Twitter
- Description of Ancestry.com "Registered Guest" accounts
- Link to manually enter results from other testing companies (you must be logged in to Ancestry.com in another browser window for this link to work)
- Sorenson Genomics, LLC official site
- myfamily.com official site
