By: Katy Rowe-Schurwanz
Already have DNA results? Learn how FamilyTreeDNA can take your genealogy research further with exclusive tools, deeper connections, and unique family insights.
There are a lot of options when it comes to DNA testing for genetic genealogy. FamilyTreeDNA has been a leader in the industry since we launched in 2000, becoming the experts in Y-DNA and mtDNA testing.
There are various reasons to pick a Y-DNA or mtDNA or autosomal DNA test, depending upon your research goals. While FamilyTreeDNA is the only company that offers Y-DNA and mtDNA testing for genetic genealogy, there are various options when it comes to autosomal DNA testing– you can test with any of the major companies.
Testing with one company doesn’t mean you can’t test with another. Let’s examine the top reasons to make sure one of the places you choose is FamilyTreeDNA.
Why Add FamilyTreeDNA’s Autosomal DNA Testing to Your Existing Results
Everyone has autosomal DNA, which means everyone can take an autosomal DNA test. Autosomal DNA comes from your 22 pairs of non-sex chromosomes inherited from your parents.
Each parent passes down one copy of each chromosome (1-22), meaning that you only receive half of each parent’s DNA (and they got half from each of their parents and so on). Autosomal DNA also remixes itself every time it’s passed down– a process called “random recombination.”
Autosomal DNA tests can match you to your close family up to about a 5th – 7th cousin and provide you with your inherited ancestral population percentages.
Expand Your Family Matches With FamilyTreeDNA’s Extensive Database
There’s no universal autosomal DNA testing database (although we certainly wish it were so).
Testing or transferring into multiple databases broadens your matching pool, allowing you to find more matches across different platforms.
When you increase your matching pool, you’ll have more opportunities to find the matches you need to answer your questions about your ancestry, confirm or refute your hypotheses about your family history, or verify your paper trail.
Being in multiple autosomal databases maximizes your potential for discovering relatives, understanding your ancestry, and enhancing your overall genealogical research.
Dive Deeper Into Your Ancestry With Unique Autosomal DNA Tools
FamilyTreeDNA offers specialized tools for analyzing your autosomal results that can provide deeper insights into your ancestry.
As part of FamilyTreeDNA’s autosomal database, you’ll gain access to:
- Family Matching: A tool that separates your matches into paternal and maternal sides.
- Chromosome Browser and Matrix: Tools that allow you to compare matches to find groups that share the same common ancestor with you.
- myOrigins, Compare Origins and Chromosome Painter: View your inherited ancestral population percentages, compare them with matches, and see where they are on your chromosomes.
- ancientOrigins: View the percentage of your DNA that matches ancient populations that migrated into Europe.
- Y-DNA haplogroup: Male testers will receive a mid-range placement on the Y-DNA Tree of Humankind, allowing you to discover more about where your father’s direct line ancestors were from.
- Coming next year– mtDNA haplogroup: Receive a mid-range placement on the mtDNA Tree of Humankind, allowing you to discover more about where your mother’s direct line ancestors were from.
Discover Deeper Ancestral Insights Through Y-DNA Testing
Taking a Y-DNA test can be particularly useful for those interested in their father’s lineage and exploring their family history in a detailed way.
Y-DNA is passed down from father to son, so it focuses on a single ancestral line, tracing your father, your father’s father, your father’s father’s father, and so on back to the shared common patrilineal ancestor of all males.
Only men inherit Y-DNA, which means only men can take a Y-DNA test. However, many women manage a test for their male relatives in order to learn about their paternal lines.
Connect With Paternal Line Matches That Only FamilyTreeDNA Offers
FamilyTreeDNA is the only company that provides Y-DNA testing and matching. If you’ve hit a wall in your genealogical research, your Y-DNA matches can sometimes provide new leads, confirm existing hypotheses about your ancestry, or confirm your paper trail.
Use Discover™ Tools to Trace Your Father’s Line Further Back in Time
With Discover, you can uncover the story of your father’s line. You can find connections to notable historic people, ancient DNA from archaeological sites around the world, and modern individuals from academic and scientific studies, as well as learn the geographic origins of your paternal ancestors.
For those who have Big Y results, Discover includes two additional features:
- Match Time Tree: Allows you to compare your matches to determine when each match shares a common ancestor with you and potentially determine who that shared ancestor is.
- Globetrekker: Allows you to follow the footsteps of your patrilineal ancestors across the globe over the course of 200,000 years of human history from ancient to modern times and discover where they lived and how they got there.
mtDNA Testing: Exploring Your Maternal Ancestry Line
Taking an mtDNA test can be particularly valuable for those interested in exploring their maternal heritage and gaining a deeper understanding of their family history.
Mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA is passed down from mother to child, so it focuses on a single ancestral line, tracing your mother, your mother’s mother, your mother’s mother’s mother, and so on back to the shared common matrilineal ancestor of all humans.
Everyone has mtDNA, so everyone can take an mtDNA test.
Why mtDNA Matches Are Valuable in Your Family Research
FamilyTreeDNA is the only company that provides mtDNA testing and matching. Researching the women in our family trees can be difficult. Records can be hard to find, and because women often changed their surname with marriage, you can’t trace a single surname to find them.
If you’ve hit a wall in your genealogical research, your mtDNA matches can sometimes provide new leads, confirm existing hypotheses about your ancestry, or confirm your paper trail.
The Mitotree: Building the World’s Largest mtDNA Tree
In 2020, FamilyTreeDNA, in partnership with the research division of National Geographic’s Genographic Project launched the Million Mito Project. The goal: to build the world’s largest mtDNA Tree of Humankind.
The new Mitotree will expand upon the existing academic mtDNA Tree of Humankind, the Phylotree. By looking at more data from mtFull Sequence testers at FamilyTreeDNA, sequences from the Genographic Project, ancient DNA, and academic studies, the Mitotree is expected to add thousands of new branches on our genetic tree.
The Mitotree will have not just new branches, but younger branches. This means that your mtDNA haplogroup can fall within genealogical times, allowing you to trace your mother’s story from modern day to the ancient past.
The new Mitotree arrives in early 2025 and will only be available at FamilyTreeDNA for customers with mtFull Sequence results.
Discovering More About Maternal Roots With Mito Discover
Along with the Mitotree, FamilyTreeDNA is adding more tools to help you learn more about your mother’s story. Mito Discover will include many of the same features and tools available for Y-DNA, so you can find connections to notable historic people, ancient DNA from archaeological sites around the world, and modern individuals from academic and scientific studies, as well as learn the geographic origins of your maternal ancestors.
For those with mtFull Sequence results, you’ll also be able to compare your matches on the Match Time Tree to determine when you share a common ancestor with each other and potentially figure out who that shared ancestor is.
More tools will continue to be added over time, including the Globetrekker which will allow you to trace your maternal ancestors path across the globe from the shared ancestor of all humans 150,000 years ago to modern day.
Collaborative Genealogy With FamilyTreeDNA Group Projects
Genealogy is a team sport. When you work together, you can find more answers. Group Projects are free for all customers to join, and bring together individuals with shared interests, such as a common surname or geographic origin, allowing for collaborative research and sharing of information and discoveries.
Many Project Administrators are knowledgeable in genealogy and genetics. Joining a Group Project gives you access to their expertise, which can help you navigate your research.
With over 11,000 Group Projects available, it’s easy to find one that fits your research goals. And if there’s not one already available, you can always apply to create your own.
Third-Party Resources and Success Stories
Don’t just take our word for it, you can find many success stories and case studies from our customers in the FamilyTreeDNA Blog, as well as at DNA-eXplained, Your DNA Guide, Legacy Family Tree Webinars, and in The Complete Guide to FamilyTreeDNA by Roberta Estes.
How to Start Testing With FamilyTreeDNA
Transferring Your Existing Autosomal DNA Results to FamilyTreeDNA
FamilyTreeDNA offers the ability to transfer into our autosomal database. You can download your raw data from a test at another company and upload it to us and you’ll receive autosomal DNA matches for free. To receive additional tools to help you interpret your matches, there’s a one-time fee of $19 (which sometimes goes on sale).
There’s no swabbing or spitting necessary (unless you later upgrade to Y-DNA and/or mtDNA testing)!
Ordering a New Test Kit and Setting Up Your Account
Once you place your order for a Family Finder, Y-DNA test, or mtDNA test (or a combination of these), FamilyTreeDNA will mail you a DNA collection kit. When the kit arrives, use the swabs included to collect your DNA and mail it back to our lab.
We’ll process your sample once it arrives and you’ll receive results within a few weeks. These will be delivered to your account, which is created upon purchase. You’ll receive your sign in credentials along with your order confirmation email.
Adding New Tests or Upgrades for Existing FamilyTreeDNA Users
If you’ve already submitted your swab to FamilyTreeDNA, adding on or upgrading your results is easy!
The first step is to sign in to your account. In the top right corner, click on Add Ons & Upgrades. Add the test of your choice (or multiple tests) to the shopping cart and place your order.
We’ll use the DNA sample we’ve already received* to process your order and your results will be added to your account within a few weeks.
*Rarely, a new sample may be required by the lab. We’ll alert you if the lab has requested a new sample and will mail a new collection kit to the shipping address listed in your Account Settings.
About the Author
Katy Rowe-Schurwanz
Product Manager at FamilyTreeDNA
Katy Rowe-Schurwanz has always been interested in genealogy, inspired by her maternal grandparents, who told her stories about their family and family history when she was little. After studying anthropology and history in college, she joined FamilyTreeDNA in 2015 and became the Trainer for Customer Support. Katy created and improved training processes and was fundamental in the creation of the Big Y Specialist team. In September 2021, she became Product Manager and has focused closely on improving FamilyTreeDNA’s genetic genealogy products.