{"id":79745,"date":"2024-06-03T10:27:33","date_gmt":"2024-06-03T15:27:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/?p=79745"},"modified":"2026-03-16T12:53:34","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T17:53:34","slug":"how-y-dna-testing-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/es\/how-y-dna-testing-works\/","title":{"rendered":"How Y-DNA Testing Works"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243;][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;173625&#8243;]<em>By: Katy Rowe-Schurwanz<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Editor\u2019s Note: This is part two of a five-part series about what Y-DNA is, what Y-DNA can tell you, and how to apply Y-DNA results to your genealogy. Continue reading the series here:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/what-is-y-dna\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Part 1: What is Y-DNA?<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Y-DNA has a unique inheritance pattern compared to other types of DNA. Fathers pass down their Y-DNA to their sons, with relatively few changes from generation to generation.<\/p>\n<p>This means that your Y-DNA can be used to trace an unbroken line of men in your family tree going back dozens of generations\u2014your dad, his dad, his dad, and so on\u2014stretching so far back that ancestors\u2019 names have been lost to time.<\/p>\n<h2>Overview of Y-SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and Y-STRs (short tandem repeats)<\/h2>\n<p>There are two options for Y-DNA testing:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Y-STR testing<\/li>\n<li>Y-SNP testing<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>How Y-SNPs and Y-STRs are used in genetic genealogy.<\/h3>\n<p>STR stands for short tandem repeat. These are repeating sequences of the nucleotides A, C, T, and\/or G (for example, CATCATCAT).<\/p>\n<p>The number of repeats of a specific sequence can change over time (so CATCATCAT can become CATCATCATCAT). <strong>These changes in repeats are passed down to future generations, which creates unique Y-DNA signatures for each specific lineage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The number of repeats is compared to determine matching with the Y-37 and Y-111 tests.<\/p>\n<p>SNP stands for single nucleotide polymorphism. These are changes in the individual nucleotides; the As, Cs, Ts, and Gs. These can also change over time (A becomes T, C becomes G, etc.).<\/p>\n<p>These single changes are passed down to future generations, making each lineage unique.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SNPs change at a slower rate than STRs, which makes them more stable for matching and better for determining the TMRCA between matches<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Introduction to FamilyTreeDNA Y-DNA tests: Y-37, Y-111, and Big Y-700<\/h2>\n<p>FamilyTreeDNA offers three levels of Y-DNA testing:<\/p>\n<h3>Y-37<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.familytreedna.com\/products\/y-dna\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Y-37<\/a> tests the least amount of your Y chromosome. This test is really an entry level shot in the dark to see what you can discover. It\u2019s also good for confirming if two or more men match before upgrading them to a higher level to get more granular information.<\/p>\n<h3>Y-111<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.familytreedna.com\/products\/y-dna\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Y-111<\/a> tests all of the genealogically relevant STRs and can refine matches for a better TMRCA estimate. You may be able to confirm a specific surname with this test, and potentially even which branch of that surname if enough testers from it have results. It provides more detailed information for you and for Group Project administrators to place you in the project.<\/p>\n<h3>Big Y-700<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.familytreedna.com\/products\/big-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Big Y-700<\/a> is the test that is going to determine who your closest matches are, provide the best TMRCA estimate, distinguish between different lines of the same surname, provide your most specific haplogroup, link your recent genealogy with ancestors who lived before the adoption of surnames, and you get lifetime analysis\u2014your results keep improving as the database grows.<\/p>\n<p>Essentially, the more of the Y chromosome that\u2019s tested, the better the results for comparison with matches. Start with the highest level you can afford to get. You can always upgrade to a higher level.<\/p>\n<p>One thing to note: Your direct paternal line matches may not have tested as high as you have. You may need to wait for them to catch up to encourage them to catch up by upgrading, or even recruit some more patrilineal cousins to test in order to reap the most benefits.<\/p>\n<p>In part three, we will address how to apply Y-DNA results to your genealogy. Make sure to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/blog-sign-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">subscribe to our blog<\/a> to receive part three straight to your inbox.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/1&#8243;][vc_separator sep_color=&#8221;,Default&#8221;][uncode_author_profile user_id=&#8221;11&#8243; avatar_size=&#8221;250&#8243; heading_semantic=&#8221;h3&#8243; text_size=&#8221;h3&#8243; social=&#8221;&#8221; display_button=&#8221;yes&#8221; button_content=&#8221;Read More From Katy&#8221; hover_fx=&#8221;full-colored&#8221; uncode_shortcode_id=&#8221;284287&#8243; button_color_type=&#8221;uncode-solid&#8221; button_color_solid=&#8221;#ff6900&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How does Y-DNA testing work? Read part two of our five part series on Y-DNA.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":79991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[118,1209],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.2 (Yoast SEO v21.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Y-DNA Testing Works - FamilyTreeDNA Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Your Y-DNA can be used to trace an unbroken line of men in your family tree going back dozens of generations\u2014your dad, his dad, his dad, and so on. Keep reading to learn how.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/how-y-dna-testing-works\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Y-DNA Testing Works\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How does Y-DNA testing work? 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