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FREQUENT ASKED QUESTIONS

WE ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

Which parent do my ancestry percentages come from?

The quick answer is that it comes from both.

Our genetic test does not go back through your paternal and maternal ancestors for generations to tell you where your oldest relative comes from.

What we do is compare the information in your DNA or genetic material with the genetic information of numerous reference populations and ethnicities from multiple regions of the world. We analyze the genetic variants observed in the autosomal region of your DNA, commonly known as SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). Each population has unique genetic variants, so this is a very useful type of genetic marker when determining your ancestry.

By comparing the SNPs you have in your DNA against those of the recorded populations, knowing that they have been inherited through the generations of your family, we can calculate the origins of your ancestors. Since you have received the same amount of genetic material from both your father and your mother, the ancestry result we give you comes from both family branches equally.

The ancestry we give is different from the haplogroups and should not be confused. The paternal and maternal haplogroups do indicate the specific line of origin of the father and mother by taking fragments of the genome that can only be passed on by that particular relative.