DNA Testing

Y-DNA evidence is incredibly powerful. Learn the ins and outs, pros and cons, of advanced Y-DNA testing (the FTDNA Big Y700 test) and how to utilize Y-STR and Y-SNP test results for genealogical evidence.

We often need other family members to take a DNA test for us to help us solve our genealogical problems. We’ll discuss ways MyHeritage can help us find, test, and collaborate with our DNA cousins.

When our families scattered across the globe, they often left close family behind. The family connections were lost over the subsequent generations. Now through family history research and DNA we are reconnecting with the branches of our family tree as shown in these case studies.

X-chromosome DNA is often one of the hidden gems of the genetic genealogy world especially when used in conjunction with autosomal DNA. This webinar will present an overview of the unique inheritance patterns of X-DNA and set out how and why X-DNA matching differs from atDNA matching. Michelle will guide you through the advantages of utilizing X-chromosome data and demonstrate how to use it to effectively narrow down and identify connections with your DNA matches. She will also cover which companies provide access to X-DNA data, include an array of tips on how to set yourself up to succeed with X-DNA and provide genuine case study examples that show what can be achieved when you harness this powerful type of DNA.

Whether testing ourselves or others, or disclosing results, informed consent to DNA testing is essential, requiring knowledge and understanding of the risks and a voluntary acceptance. Learn more about this key ingredient for ethical DNA testing.

Your DNA matches hold powerful clues, but it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume. In this session, we will cover practical strategies to keep your research streamlined and productive. You’ll see how to use Ancestry and MyHeritage labels as powerful filters (not filing cabinets!), focus on the right matches, and apply simple tools like DNA Painter’s matrix to spot meaningful patterns. With a clear step-by-step framework as scaffolding, you’ll discover how to stay organized, reduce confusion, and make steady progress on your family history.

Ethnicity estimates can provide a fascinating glimpse into your ancestral origins, but understanding their scope and limitations is key. This session examines how testing companies generate ethnicity estimates, what they reveal, and how they can be used in genealogical research. Discover how to interpret these estimates in the context of your family history and integrate them with other tools for a more complete picture of your heritage.

Genealogists who overlook or underutilize the MyHeritage DNA test miss out on many great tools. Using examples from his personal account, Richard will demonstrate these features and show how they can be used productively by genealogists, adoptees, and anyone curious about their family history or ethnic background.

Our DNA matches can’t really help us if we don’t know who they are. But we also need to ask ourselves what the match is telling us and what evidence it can provide for our genealogical research.

Shared matching is an essential strategy for tackling genealogical puzzles and breaking through brick walls. In this lecture, we’ll demonstrate how to use shared matches effectively, focusing on strategies to solve mysteries related to ancestors from the 1900s, 1800s, and beyond. Learn how this technique can reveal hidden connections and strengthen your research.

In this presentation, Adwoa Ulzen-Setrakian, founder of spanDNA and Human Temple Therapeutics LLC, explores how genetic genealogy has become a powerful tool for families of African descent to reclaim their histories and restore connections severed by displacement, migration, and historical traumas. Through a family-centered approach, Adwoa demonstrates how commercial DNA testing can do more than uncover personal ancestry—it can reconstruct the bonds of kinship across generations and continents. Drawing from real-life case studies, Adwoa will share stories of how African-descended families are using genetic genealogy to facilitate reconnecting with lost relatives, restoring collective memory, and explore opportunities for healing from intergenerational wounds. Attendees will learn about the unique challenges faced by these families, especially when traditional records and oral histories fall short, and how spanDNA’s method helps bridge the gaps using DNA analysis, compassionate research, and a collaborative, community-based approach. A key focus will be the culmination of these efforts at gatherings such as the upcoming Transatlantic Genealogy Summit 2025, where families who have reconnected through DNA will come together to celebrate their shared heritage, foster deeper connections, and continue building their family legacies. Attendees will walk away with: Insight into how genetic genealogy can be a transformative tool for family legacy-building, particularly within the African diaspora. Practical knowledge of how to use commercial DNA testing platforms to connect with genetic relatives and uncover ancestral histories. A better understanding of how family reunions and summits, such as the Transatlantic Genealogy Summit, can serve as a powerful culmination of genealogical research and DNA connections. Real-life examples of success stories and the emotional impact of restoring long-lost family ties. This presentation may inspire families to see themselves as protagonists in their own stories, capable of uncovering veiled memories and reclaiming their place within the larger, interconnected human family.

The mitochondrial tree of humanity has been rewritten, connecting all of us more closely than ever before on the new Mitotree. Everyone receives mitochondrial DNA only from their mother, who receives it from her mother, and so forth, all the way back in time to Mitochondrial Eve. Mitochondrial DNA is never admixed with the DNA of the other parent, so you never have to sort out which lines it comes from. We are all leaves on the twigs on the branches of the tree of humankind. The mitochondrial tree had not been updated since 2016, but now, with more than a Million samples to work with, 50 times more than before, the tree structure has been expanded eight-fold by combining samples from academic publications, ancient DNA, public sources and testers at FamilyTreeDNA. The new Mitotree and tools provide information never before available to genealogists about their matrilineal lineages. In addition to the vastly expanded genetic tree, FamilyTreeDNA has rolled out the companion MitoDiscover, a dozen fascinating chapters in your mitochondrial book. As a Million Mito Team member, Roberta will explain the challenges we overcame to create the tree of humanity – and how it’s useful to genealogists. All genealogists can benefit from the results of the Million Mito Project, because everyone has mitochondrial DNA that holds keys to information never before available! Let those brick walls fall!!!