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DNA & Genealogical Research
In the last few decades, the introduction of DNA testing sparked two major developments in genealogical research.
First, it created a massive database containing DNA from people all around the world, enabling us to more accurately show where a person's DNA may have originated.
Second, people who did not previously know their biological parentage can now connect with relatives who also opt into the database.
Several websites offer paid DNA testing for genealogical purposes. Explore the links below if you're interested and looking for a place to start!
Paid Resources for DNA Testing
Caution: When using DNA services for ancestry research, be aware that results may reveal unexpected non-parental events (NPEs), which could uncover surprises about biological parentage.
- Ancestry.com DNAAncestry.com provides a paid service that analyzes DNA for ethnicity, traits and matches with relatives in their database.
- 23 and Me DNA Testing23 and Me is a paid service that analyzes DNA for health and ancestry purposes, as well as traits and matches users with relatives in their database.
- My Heritage DNAMy Heritage DNA analyzes DNA for ancestry purposes and also matches users with relatives in their database.
- Living DNALiving DNA purports to analyze DNA for ancestry and "wellbeing" purposes.
- Family Tree DNAFamily Tree DNA offers several different ancestry DNA tests and also matches users with relatives in their database.
- GED MatchGED MATCH is a free online database where users can upload their DNA results from several well known companies and compare them using open source software, as well as match with other users who have opted into the database.