Why Would You Want to Use DNA Genealogy?
If you are a serious genealogist, DNA genealogy can help sort out some of the questions you may have about your lineage. Until fairly recently, DNA genealogy was not readily available to the general public. In addition to being more accessible, DNA genealogy is also less expensive than you might think.
Also, you can help your research along by looking into DNA genealogy and testing various members of your family. Today, associations among family members that otherwise would never have been determined is very possible and rather easy.
How Does DNA Genealogy Work?
DNA genealogy is not the same as a paternity test, which is generally used to determine who is the father of a baby. The purpose of DNA genealogy tests is to determine if two or more people have a common ancestor. DNA genealogy is not going to answer all of your family tree questions, but it can give your search a big push in the right direction if you are stuck.
The easiest way to have your DNA tested is to sign up with an online company. They will then send you a test kit. The part you have to do at home is quite simple. A cheek scraper and an enclosable tube are enclosed in the test kit. You then take the cheek scraper and swab the inside of your mouth along your cheek. It does not hurt and it usually feels like a toothbrush rubbing on the inside of your cheek. Finally, you enclose the swab in the plastic tube and send it back to the company. The test results will usually be available about two months after your sample is received back at the lab.
If you are trying to determine how quite a few of your relatives fit into your family tree, the testing can be a little more difficult. Refer to the guidelines of your testing company to be sure that you are sending in the correct types and numbers of samples for testing. Of course, sometimes surprises can occur. Infidelity and adoptions that weren’t reported can pop up when you are looking at DNA genealogy. Those anomalies can make your work on your family tree more difficult, but it can also add a little intrigue to an otherwise straightforward family tree.