Covering Your Bases: An Introduction to Autosomal DNA Coverage

Autosomal DNA tests are utilized in genetic genealogy to solve historic research questions by exploring the genetic traces left by deceased ancestors in the genomes of their living descendants. Any given descendant only inherits a portion of their ancestor’s DNA, and different descendants inherit different portions of that DNA. Based on the relationships between tested descendants of a research subject, it is possible to estimate how much of an ancestor’s DNA is represented in any given database. This information can help in prioritization of testing candidates and can also aid in interpretation of shared DNA between multiple groups of individuals.