Mitochondrial DNA Tests—What Else Can They Reveal?

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) testing is now commonly being used to trace female ancestry. MtDNA is passed only from a mother to her children so it gives us the unique ability to glance back in time at our female lineage; some people even use this test to confirm a suspected common female ancestor such as a great-great grandmother.

When genetic scientists examine mtDNA; they compare two portions called hypervariable region I and II to an agreed upon reference set called the Cambridge Reference Sequence. Everyone's DNA is almost identical in this portion; however, the differences are used to place you in one of 33 major “haplogroups” popularly called "clans." If you are in the same clan, you share a common female ancestor. There have been different maternal lines in existence in human
lines in existence in human history, history, but these are the only lines that can be found in existence today.

Typically a genetic testing lab will send you a report that shows how your DNA varies from the Cambridge Reference Sequence, your haplogroup designation, information about where and when your haplogroup originated, and where it exists today. Genelex offers the most in-depth haplogroup report available, but there is more information you can find if you are willing to dig a little deeper. For instance, if you happen to be in one of the haplogroups of Eurasion origins, you can read The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes who tells a story of what life was probably like for the original women who started the Eurasian lines.

Interested in finding your genetic cousins? If you go to www.mitosearch.org; you can enter in your mtDNA results to find genetic matches; people with an identical mtDNA signature are related to you in the more recent past. If you are interested in finding people in the same haplogroup, you can do a halpogroup search to find other members of your “clan.” Keep in mind that for haplogroup matches, your common ancestor may have walked the earth over 10,000 years ago or more.

To find out more about Ancestry DNA Testing visit:
http://www.healthanddna.com/ancestry-dna-testing/dna-testing.html