From the minute we come into the world, it seems we have a natural fascination with our own origins and heritage. From the question of where babies come from that we often ask as toddlers, to the big questions, like is there a God, and should we believe in evolution or creation? We’ll often ask our elders questions about where our families come from in the world.
These questions all come down to the same thing: who are we and why are we here, both in a geographic sense and an ideological one. While we can’t answer some of the philosophical questions, we can tell you about some of the best ancestry DNA testing.
We’ll talk about some of the best kits in the paragraphs below.
1. Ancestry DNA
You may have seen the advertisements for Ancestry on television or the internet, and there’s a reason. It’s a reliable test, and the results are upgraded often. This site uses historical records and the DNA of millions of people to trace autosomal DNA.
People have 23 chromosomes, and one of the most famous ones are the X and Y chromosomes that determine sex. Autosomal DNA refers to every other chromosome in our body.
Autosomal DNA is not exclusive to one sex or the other, so it can be used to trace ancestors on both sides of our family tree. For this reason, it is used in almost all forms of ancestry DNA testing.
Ancestry uses only autosomal DNA, but it can give you a good idea of your ethnic origins, down to the region in many cases.
2. 23 and Me
Another popular service, 23 and Me differs from Ancestry because it includes mitochondrial DNA and Y-Chromosome DNA in addition to autosomal. Y-Chromosome DNA is, predictably, attached to the Y chromosome, and therefore only men have it.
Tracing Y DNA will create a direct paternal line going on for generations.
Mitochondrial DNA is the opposite, except that it’s not exclusive to one gender.
Both men and women will inherit mitochondrial DNA, and all of that DNA comes from our mothers. Again, since we only get it from our mothers, we can use it to trace a direct maternal line.
Another great thing about 23 and Me is that it can use DNA to alert you to health risks and tell you about where certain health conditions come from. Perhaps you have Vitiligo and want to know more about it. This site can do that.
3. Family Tree DNA
If money is less of an issue, you may want to use Family Tree DNA. While it’s a lot more expensive than the others on this list, depending on what you’re looking for, it also offers the most features.
Keep in mind that it does allow law enforcement to search its records, so if privacy is a huge concern for you, it might be best to go elsewhere.
4. Consolidated Lab Testing
Far more particular than the other services, Consolidated Lab Testing offers a sibling DNA test that tells you who your siblings are and whether you’re a half-sibling or full sibling.
It’s also great if you’ve been adopted or are trying to find a long-lost sibling.
The Best Ancestry DNA Testing Kits
There are a lot of ancestry DNA testing kits on the market, and we’ve covered only a few of them in the paragraphs above. There are plenty of other services and tests that we haven’t discussed yet.
If you want to know more, we encourage you to do more research.
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