What's in a DNA test kit?

• i) Three sterile sample swabs
• ii) Full instructions on how to take a good sample
• iii) A Consent Form - which legally allows us to test your DNA
• iv) A return-addressed envelope (including a swab envelope)

How long do the results take?

Does it hurt?

No. The DNA kit contains three cheek swabs, return envelope and full instructions. The swab is like a Q-tip/cotton-bud and doesn't hurt when brushed against the inside of your cheek. A few brushes and that's it!

Why are prices all in US dollars?

Will I have the right to remove my results from the Oracle database at some later time?

Will DNA Heritage have the right to publish the results of my test?

What is Oracle?

Where is the testing being performed?

Is it confidential?

Yes. If you are tested on an individual basis, your result will only be available to you.

If you are taking part in a Surname Project, your result will only be available to you and your Surname Project Administrator(s) through Oracle – our online customer database, although you will probably want to share and compare with others in your group.

Your results are also sent back to you in the form of a certificate along with an explanatory report. Your DNA is destroyed 6 months after testing has been performed. Your sample is never passed on for further studies, whether academic or otherwise.

Additionally, when you receive the DNA kit, it will have been given a unique code. This code will track your sample throughout the laboratory tests, your name is never used.

Your Y-chromosome result (your haplotype) will not identify you as an individual and is very different from the police DNA fingerprint. Because of this, as DNA won’t actually identify you as an individual, many researchers choose to place their results and other genealogical information into Ybase (at www.ybase.org). Ybase is the best way for your genetic cousins around the world to find you, and see if you match with any other researchers.

Ybase was set up and is maintained by DNA Heritage but is open to everyone, not just those tested at DNA Heritage.

You can also search the new SMGF and Ysearch databases as well as the YHRD database.

Please also ensure you read our Privacy statement and Terms & Conditions.

When do I pay for my test?

How do I pay?

How do I qualify for the group rate?

How do I start or join a Surname Project?

Surname Projects are a great way to coordinate members from all around the globe and answer more of your genealogical questions in one go.

Firstly, make sure to read the Surname Projects webpage including this PDF Download.

Secondly, search by surname to see if there are any other Surname Projects or persons researching your name and are having their DNA tested through DNA Heritage. You can do this by going to the Home page and entering your surname in the 'Search by Surname' box.

If you find and wish to join a particular Surname Project, contact the Surname Project Administrator via the contact form for that group (which will be found on that groups information page). Alternatively, you can contact us and we will pass your message onto the Administrator.

Thirdly, if you wish to start your own Surname Project, please get in contact with us via email or Contact Form so that we can advise how best to manage your project. Many people who have been tested individually first will go on to run their own Surname Project, simply by adding members to it. Oracle is set up so that Surname Projects can easily be started this way. This movie will show you how.

I am researching a family tree with many distinct branches. How many people from each branch should I use?

If the results show that I carry a problematic gene, will I be informed?

Can I get tested for either Viking or Cohanim (Jewish priesthood) ancestry?

Can you tell me about my African ancestry?

For African ancestry, we use the Maternal Roots and Paternal Roots tests depending on if you want to look at your direct maternal lineage or direct paternal lineage.

Can you tell me about my Native American ancestry?

For Native American ancestry, we use the Maternal Roots and Paternal Roots tests depending on if you want to look at your direct maternal lineage or direct paternal lineage.

Why would I want to take a Surname DNA test?

As our forefathers have drifted around the globe, and records that would otherwise connect ourselves with them are lost, destroyed or otherwise absent, DNA becomes invaluable in re-connecting individuals, surnames, and families.

There no doubt comes a time when you would like to confirm a link to another person or family line but can’t find a way around that particular brick wall.

Surname DNA tests are an excellent research tool for those performing surname-based research, all from a painless cheek swab. This tool is best used when used in conjunction with existing genealogies.

Can the Surname DNA test prove paternity?

No. Paternity tests examine different chromosomes altogether for which there are a number of specialist companies. The Surname DNA tests do not have the discriminating power of paternity tests and cannot determine the father of a child.

However, Surname DNA tests will show if two males are not related. For example, if two brothers have vastly dissimilar Surname DNA results they cannot have the same biological father. Please be aware of this possibility before requesting Surname DNA tests.

Who can be tested?

Any adult male. The Y-chromosome is only carried by males and is passed down from father to son, so it follows the paternal line. Sons, fathers, uncles and other cousins can all be tested and used to confirm the relationship to other distant cousins and family lines.

How many markers do you test and why?

43. We have chosen these 43 markers because:

• i) they have all been shown to be useful for genealogical studies
• ii) they overlap with markers in use by other testing companies (making comparison with others possible)
• iii) 43 markers will not give the inconclusive results that low-resolution test (e.g., 10 or 12 markers) can give
• iv) With 43 markers you won't need to upgrade in the future

Why don't you sell 12 marker tests?

Simply because the conclusions are often wrong. In 21% of cases, a perfect 'match' using just 12 markers proves not to be the case when expanded to 25. This gives rise to the the potential of people re-writing their family tree based on the evidence, when in fact if more markers were used, these errors would not have happened. Thus we refuse to sell less than 20 markers (23 being our minimum). In '11/12 near-matches' this error rate rises.

If I can pick the markers from a total of 43, which ones shall I choose?

Because you can choose your own markers, you can select the markers depending on who you want to compare with. For example some people will want to compare with the FTDNA 25-markers test, others with the Relative Genetics test. Or you may decide to opt for our minimum 23 most variable single-copy markers as these will provide the most easily comparable markers which have more chance of variation - although because of our competitive pricing and opportunity to retrieve more information, most people opt for the full 43-marker test.

What are 'multi-copy' markers?

A primer pair will usually locate only one specific region on the DNA strand. A multi-copy marker occurs when a primer pair locates more than one region.

The following are examples of multi-copy markers:-

DYS385a, DYS385b

DYS464a, DYS464b, DYS464c, DYS464d

DYS459a, DYS459b

YCAIIa, YCAIIb

They can be very problematic when making comparisons between two people. For example, DYS464c in one person may not be the same DYS464c in another person.

Because of these potential problems, our old panel only included DYS385a and DYS385b. The new 43 marker panel now includes all of the above multi-copy markers and customers are advised to interpret them with caution. This still leaves 33 single-copy markers with which to compare directly, and additional multi-copy markers to those that wanted them.

How much does it cost?

Through our DNAOptions ordering capabilty, you can choose which markers you want to be tested upon and thus determine how much you wish to pay. However, in each case we test ALL of the 43-marker panel for you allowing you to upgrade at any point, one marker at a time if desired.

Each marker costs just $5.99 and the minimum number of markers is 23 - thus the minimum price is just $137.77 for a high-resolution test.

You can save on the most accurate test we do by ordering all 43 markers in one go – for just $199. For Surname Projects, the full 43-marker test is just $189.

What are the limitations of the Surname DNA test?

• i) The Surname DNA test looks specifically at the Y-chromosome and thus will tell you about your direct paternal line - information about other lineages cannot be provided using this test.
• ii) The results need someone to compare with. This is usually a putative cousin. It wouldn't be able to predict your surname just from the results. In the case of adoptees, prior knowledge in the form of a suspected or lineage would be needed first.
• iii) Females cannot undertake a Surname DNA test.

Will the Surname DNA test tell me how many generations ago that two people share their Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA)?

Do you provide individual mutation rates for your Surname DNA markers?

Can I take the Paternal Roots test?

Yes. We are able to test an incredible number of of Y-chromosome SNP markers making it an accurate biogeographical test for your direct paternal line (the test is solely for males). New customers can order order online and existing (and past) customers can log in to Oracle and place their new orders via their Personal Page.

How much does it cost?

Currently just $129.

What are SNP markers?

They define which Haplogroup you are in. We are able to broadly predict your haplogroup from your Surname DNA/Y-STR results, but our new test actually defines where your Y-chromosome lies on the Y-Chromosome Tree to a far higher level. This results in a much more defined geographic placement.

As an example, where it was once achievable to tell if your Y-chromosome was Haplogroup I (Central European), we're now able to focus the test and determine if your Y-chromosome is in fact sub-haplogroup I1b2 (almost exclusively found in Sardinia).

Which lab is performing the testing?

We have teamed up with Marligen Biosciences to bring this exciting product to the public.

Can anyone be tested?

As long as you have a Y-chromosome (i.e., are male) we can test your DNA.

Can particular populations be tested e.g., Native American, African etc?

Yes. This test covers all populations. Most haplogroups have strong geographic affinity and thus indigenous populations will lie within the particular haplogroups found within those regions.

How long do results take?

About 4-5 weeks.

Do you need my Surname DNA/Y-STR results first to decide which haplogroups to test?

No. We test every sample from the root of the Y-Chromosome Tree to the very top without needing Surname DNA/Y-STR test results as a guide.

What kind of information will I receive?

Every man can be placed somewhere on the Y-Chromosome Tree. By knowing your haplogroup, we can provide information about the history of your direct paternal line going back many thousands of years.

Our reports that come with the results of the test have been written by PhD research scientists specialists in their areas and include maps. This ensures that information is both accurate and up-to-date.

We have reports that cover the vast majority of possible results (95%) and we continue to add to this (the Tree is quite complex).

Take a look at our interactive Y-Chromosome Tree or our sample report.

Are the Paternal Roots results medically informative?

No. The very small sections that we test for (literally single letter changes) can mutate without any adverse effect on the individual.

There is a caveat that if an entire region of the Y-chromosome has been deleted, this deleted section may include a gene as well as markers that we test for.

This may occur for the P25 marker in approx. 0.025% of the male population. We do test for this marker but would report a null value if it is not detectable. If the entire section is deleted, then the AZFc gene which regulated fertility will also be deleted. Please be aware of this when ordering.

If we are unable to detect the P25 marker, we shall of course inform you. Please note that this is an identical situation to the DYS464 marker in our Y-STR test.

What are the limitations of the Paternal Roots test?

• i) The Surname DNA test looks specifically at the Y-chromosome and thus will tell you about your direct paternal line - information about other lineages cannot be provided using this test.
• ii) The results provide a haplogroup which is a branch of the gentic tree. Using academic databases we can provide a geographic region of that haplogroup and history. These databases are undergoing continued refinement and while we know a lot already, there is still more to learn.
• iii) The haplogroups are rarely country specific.
• iv) Although it may indicate affinity with and higher frequency within a particular population e.g. Jewish, Native American etc., the results are not usually exclusive to one population. For example, Middle Eastern Jews and Arabs share the same haplogroups

Can I take the Maternal Roots test?

Yes. Everyone has mtDNA. When we receive your sample we extract the DNA and sequnce the DNA strands. This means that we read the actual letters (bases) of the DNA. Using these bases we can determine which genetic group (or 'haplogroup') you are in and with this we can provide information about geographical origin for your direct maternal line.

New customers can order order online and existing (and past) customers can log in to Oracle and place their new orders via their Personal Page.

How much does it cost?

Currently just $219.

What is mtDNA sequencing?

Sequencing involves reading the letters of the DNA. In total we read 1,144 bases covering the Hyper Variable Regions of HVR1, HVR2 and HVR3.

Can particular populations be tested e.g., Native American, African etc?

Yes. This test covers all populations. Most haplogroups have strong geographic affinity and thus indigenous populations will lie within the particular haplogroups found within those regions.

How long do results take?

About 5 weeks.

What kind of information will I receive?

Every person can be placed somewhere on the mtDNA Tree. By knowing your haplogroup, we can provide information about the history of your direct maternal line going back many thousands of years.

Our online reports that come with the results of the test have been written by PhD research scientists specialists in their areas and include maps. This ensures that information is both accurate and up-to-date.

We have reports that cover the vast majority of possible results (95%) and we continue to add to this (the Tree is quite complex).

Take a look at our sample report.

Which lab is performing the testing?

What are the limitations of the Maternal Roots test?

• i) The Maternal Roots test looks specifically at the mitochondrial DNA which is carried by all but only passed on by females. Because of this, it will tell you only about your direct maternal line - information about other lineages cannot be provided using this test.
• ii) The results provide a haplogroup which is a branch of the gentic tree. Using academic databases we can provide a geographic region of that haplogroup and history. These databases are undergoing continued refinement and while we know a lot already, there is still more to learn.
• iii) The haplogroups are rarely country specific.
• iv) Although it may indicate affinity with and higher frequency within a particular population e.g. Jewish, Native American etc., the results are not usually exclusive to one population. For example, Middle Eastern Jews and Arabs share the same haplogroups