Scottish Ancestral Trail

DNA Profiling Applications for Genealogy and Tourism

• General Kinship analysis (16 genes)
• Male lineage: Y-chromosome analysis (12-60 genes)
• Female lineage: mitochondrial (mt) DNA analysis
• Ethnic/Clan lineage: SNP analysis (single nucleotide polymorphism)

DNA Analysis for Genealogists

(Dr. John Gow – Caledonian Genealogy)

DNA testing can be used by the Genealogist to either confirm or rebuke the theory that people are related through a common ancestor. There are many types of DNA test available to the modern genealogist, the two most common are outlined below. Samples for the tests are taken by painless, non-invasive, mouth swabs.

Y-chromosome DNA Analysis

Every person, male or female has 22 matching pairs of chromosome - one inherited from each parent. The unmatched 23rd pair, the X and Y gender chromosomes determines whether we are male (XY) or female (XX). A mother always provides a single X chromosome. If you inherit an X from your father you will be female but if you receive a copy of his Y chromosome you will be male. The Y chromosome therefore travels from father to son and is present in uncles and cousins etc from a common male ancestor. This fact allows us to trace a direct genetic line, linked to a surname, through many male generations. It is the Y-DNA STR PCR test which is used in typical surname projects. The Y-chromosome DNA test can help determine whether two or more specific individual men or men with the same or similar sounding surname share a common male ancestor.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) DNA Analysis

Mitochondria are tiny cellular organelles passed from mothers to all their children. The mitochondria, however, are only passed on through the female line. The mtDNA DNA test compares an individual’s “Hyper Variable Section 1” of the mtDNA with the standard Cambridge Reference Sequence (CRS). This determines a person’s maternal ancient Haplogroup. An additional test compares the second region of the mtDNA called “Hyper Variable Section 2”. Together the results provide evidence of the individual’s maternal line and reduce the time to your most recent common maternal ancestor when you have a match between two people for both HVS1 and HVS2. There are about 30 distinct major groups called Haplogroups and many sub groups. If a person matches someone on the mtDNA side you will know that they share a common female ancestor.

DNA Name Projects

A Surname or Last Name Project allows people from all over the world with the same or similar surname to use DNA markers to determine the roots of their surname and reunite family groups.

A DNA Marker Test is thus a very powerful means to conduct ancestry research and allows you to confirm existing family lines as well as helping you to discover your global family.