Paternal Lineage Test | EasyDNA Hong Kong

Paternal ancestral origins DNA testing

A paternal ancestry origins test is a great way to discover your ancient ancestry on your father’s side of the family. Yes, a paternal ancestry test is the right test for you if you want to trace your father and forefather’s ancient origins. It is the most accurate but also the only means of knowing your true, ancestral prehistoric roots.

Click here to read A Beginner’s Guide to DNA Ancestry Testing which compares the different types of ancestry DNA tests we offer.

Our ancestry tests, whether paternal lineage or another test we offer, have been used for both curiosity purposes but also by people seeking to learn more about their origins. Often these clients were adopted and unable to access any meaningful information about their real origins. A paternal lineage ancestry test also makes a great gift for your father, a male relative or anyone you know who takes an interest in their ancestry and genealogy. The price for the Paternal Lineage Test is 3,500 HKD.

Your results will be ready in 4 – 5 weeks.

The Y chromosome and your paternal ancestry

The Y chromosome contains all the information about your paternal ancestry. Deeply encoded in very specific regions of your DNA is some very revealing information about your ancient forefathers. A scientific analysis using advanced technology and large database records of ancestral DNA profiles helps us provide you with the broadest paternal lineage test possible.

The Y chromosome is inherited from father to son and passed down from generation to generation. Males from the same lineage will have the same Y chromosome profiles.

Your paternal ancestry test result will:

Show you your paternal haplogroup affiliation. All humans belong to a haplogroup (which is like an early tribe or clan) that can be identified by a alphanumerical code. Our result will link you to this code and identify your ancestral haplogroup with which you share most genetic similarities. You can use this to extend your research to see who shares your lineage past and present.
To help you understand things more clearly and at a deeper level, you will have a detailed explanation of the haplogroup to which you belong.
A high-resolution certificate we provide is great to visualize and trace your forefather’s movement out of the great African continent to other parts of Europe, Asia and the rest of the globe.

There are a total of 19 major Y-DNA haplogroups.

Can females too discover their paternal ancestry?

Genetically speaking, we all know that females have 23 pairs of XX chromosomes; meaning they have a total of 46 X chromosomes. Paternal lineage testing requires an analysis of certain regions on the Y chromosome where information about our paternal ancestry is encoded. We can thus conclude that females cannot directly, themselves, carry out a paternal lineage test as they do not have a Y chromosome. If a female does wish to learn more about her ancient forefathers, their geographical origins and their migrations patterns, all she needs to do is ask a direct blood male relative (for example a paternal uncle) to take the test on her behalf.

How is the test carried out?

This test uses a method of DNA analysis which we call short tandem repeat analysis. We basically look for repeated sequences or units on your DNA; these units are of course inconceivably tiny and range from 2-6 bp in length. We then look for the number of these very same repeats on your DNA. People with different ancestries will have different repeats on their DNA. STR testing is in fact often used in forensic investigations and of course, for ancestry DNA testing.

From your end, you do not really have to think too much about the complexities of DNA analysis. All you need to do is collect a DNA sample using our home kit. Return the sample back to us and we will do the rest.

Difference between Autosomal Ancestry Tests and Sex-Chromosome Ancestry Tests

Discovering one’s ancestry is proving increasingly alluring and more and more individuals are seeking the help of DNA testing to unravel their roots. Whilst many of us might identify ourselves as belonging to one ethnic group, we actually know nothing about where exactly our genetic roots lie! For example countless people identify themselves as African-American but have no idea as to what part of Africa their African ancestors really came. So here is how ancestry DNA testing can come in useful, what it can tell you and what it cannot!

Ancestry Tests: Understanding How they Work?

Ancestry tests are DNA based tests that look at specific regions or areas of your DNA to derive information about your ancestors. Stopping here with our explanation however would be skimming the surface and given the complexity of tracing ancestry by looking at our DNA, we should take a deeper look.

We might begin by saying that not all ancestry tests are the same; different ancestry tests have different goals and set out to trace a different part of an individual’s ancestry. The question that naturally follows is: What part of our genetic makeup must be analyzed in order to trace a specific part of your ancestry?

On the most basic level we need to look at chromosomes because not all chromosomes are the same and the information encoded in each of our 46 chromosomes is very different. Our 46 chromosomes are paired up to form 23 pairs. There are 22 pairs of chromosomes which are called autosomes. Autosomes are chromosomes numbered 1-22, thus humans have 44 of these autosomal chromosomes and 2 remaining pairs which are the sex chromosome pair. The 23rd chromosome pair is the sex chromosomes (XX in females and XY in males). Sex chromosomes will carry all the genes required to encode everything that makes us male or female. The 22 autosomal chromosome pairs are not in any way involved in sex determination but carry many genes encoding for other important roles and functions.

Ancestry tests using autosomes

Ancestry tests are based on either the analysis of autosomal chromosomes or of sex-specific XX or XY chromosomes. Tests that are based on autosomal analysis will look at a mix of genetic information that is recombined from both our biological parents and thus, from all one’s ancestors from both the paternal and maternal side of the family. The test works by looking at specific DNA sequences which are associated with people or populations in a given part of the world – hence, the term “geogenetic” which is often associated with this type of test because it links ones genes to certain geographical regions. Due to the fact that these tests look at DNA from both sides of the family, they will not give clear results because they trace such varied ancestry. More importantly, the geogenetic information as well as the geographical regions and populations associated with certain genetic markers are not clear-cut or well defined and can only establish your links to major populations such as sub-Saharan African, European, East Asian, or Native American.

Ancestry tests using sex-chromosomes

Ancestry tests that rely on the analysis of sex chromosomes just take one single sex chromosome for analysis (either the Y or the X chromosome) and derive information from that. These tests are often called lineage tests. Sex-chromosome ancestry tests are more accurate because they look at the genetic information from either your paternal side of the family or your maternal side of the family but not from both.

The Y chromosome, used to trace one’s paternal line, is passed down the male line, from father to son, generation after generation and thus allows scientists to trace a direct male lineage. The same applies to Mitochondrial DNA, a special type of DNA which is passed on from a mother to both her male and female children and which can be used to trance one’s maternal lineage. However, only females can pass this DNA onto their offspring. Sometimes very small changes take place on the Y chromosome or the MtDNA and these changes are passed down the line turning them into distinct markers of descent, distinguishing the lineages of different individuals or groups. Whilst lineage testing is insightful, it only accounts for a small portion of a person’s overall ancestry.

So what does the accuracy of my ancestry test depend on?

The accuracy of your DNA heritage test mostly depends on the database used by the laboratory and how comprehensive this database is. The results may also be viewed in conjunction with other family evidence – so if you discover a percentage of your ancestry is Asian, then you could actually look into your family and see whether you can find any Asian blood relatives from which you might have inherited those genes. Overall ancestry DNA tests can be a good tool to discover some interesting information about your roots but if you are keen on getting a bigger picture you may want to combine different tests and also look at your family tree, public registry or perhaps even seek the help of a genealogist.

Bibliography

Anwar, Y. (2007). 10.18.2007 – Researchers caution against genetic ancestry testing. [online] Available at: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/10/18_genetictesting.shtml [Accessed 25 Aug. 2016].

Rootsforreal.com. (2016). Roots for Real – Reviews for Roots for Real – DNA test choice – Advice. [online] Available at: http://rootsforreal.com/reviewadvice_en.php [Accessed 25 Aug. 2016].

O’Hanlon, L. (2016). Tracing Your Ancestry. [online] MIT Technology Review. Available at: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/405384/tracing-your-ancestry/ [Accessed 25 Aug. 2016].

Ucl.ac.uk. (2016). Understanding genetic ancestry testing. [online] Available at: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/mace-lab/debunking/understanding-testing [Accessed 25 Aug. 2016].

Reference, G. (2016). What is genetic ancestry testing?. [online] Genetics Home Reference. Available at: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/testing/ancestrytesting [Accessed 25 Aug. 2016].
Paternal Lineage Test – List of Haplogroups & Descriptions

List of paternal haplogroups, your ancient paternal clans. Below are brief descriptions of the major Y-DNA haplogroups:

Haplogroup A is the most basal and diverse of all Y-chromosome lineages. The group is found almost exclusively in Africa, with high representation among hunter-gatherer societies in Ethiopia and Sudan.

Haplogroup B is an ancient lineage distributed sporadically across the African continent. The group is common among pygmy peoples, as well as hunter-gatherer groups. Just over 2% of African Americans belong to this haplogroup.

Haplogroup C originated shortly after the first migration of modern humans out of Africa. Today the group is most common in eastern Eurasia, East and Southeast Asia, and can also be found among western North American indigenous peoples.

Haplogroup D arose in Asia, and its members migrated along the southern coasts of Asia, ultimately settling in Central and East Asia, but not in the Americas. This haplogroup is distinctive in its geographic differentiation.

Haplogroup E is one of the oldest branches of the human family tree. It arose 55,000 years ago, either in East Africa or Asia. During this time, the very first human migrations out of Africa have just occurred. This haplogroup is very common in Africa today, although a particular sub-branch can be found in Europe.

Haplogroup F is an ancient and widespread haplogroup that today comprises more than 90% of all non-African men. Haplogroup F was one of the first haplogroups of modern humans to develop outside of Africa.

Haplogroup G is relatively young but widely distributed, common in Old World European populations, the Middle East, northern Africa, and Central, South, and Southeast Asia. One subgroup, G2c, is a distinctive genetic marker of Ashkenazi Jews.

Haplogroup H is one of the main genetic hallmarks of India, and its members are believed to be responsible for the first major settlements there around 30,000 years ago. Haplogroup H is also prevalent among the Romani people, or Gypsies.

Haplogroup I is found in 20% of European men today, and comprises several subgroups that are associated with specific geographic regions in Europe.

Haplogroup J is very common in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region, including North Africa and southern Europe. The lineage is divided into subgroups J1 and J2, the latter being associated with Neolithic archaeological sites. Haplogroup K spread from its homeland in southwestern Asia throughout Eurasia. Today the lineage ranges from Australia and Oceania to South Asia, and thence to southwestern Asia and North Africa.

Haplogroup L is most prevalent among certain populations of India and Pakistan. The lineage can also be found at lower frequencies in southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.

Haplogroup M is descended from the Eurasian haplogroup K. Haplogroup M is characteristic of Southeast Asian populations, and some have associated it with the development of rice agriculture in that region.

Haplogroup N arose in Southeast Asia, or possibly eastern Eurasia. This haplogroup is distributed somewhat sporadically from China to northeastern Europe, reaching its highest concentrations in certain Siberian populations.

Haplogroup O is specific to East Asia. Its subgroups O1 and O3 are typical of Chinese populations, while O2 is distributed sporadically from South to East Asia.

Haplogroup P and its major descendant groups, Q and R, are represented in many Western Europeans, Indigenous Americans, and Central Asians. Today the descendants of these related lineages can be found throughout Eurasia and the Americas.

Haplogroup Q is common among Siberian native populations. Approximately 15,000 years ago, the lineage spread to the New World, becoming the most widespread patrilineal haplogroup among both North and South American native peoples.

Haplogroup R is a major European haplogroup. Subgroup R1a split off 15,000 years ago, during the peak of the Ice Age. It is found in high frequency and diversity in northern India and eastern Europe. R1b can be found throughout Europe. Recent European emigration has carried this haplogroup to the Americas as well as to Australia.

Haplogroup S is characteristic of the highlands of Papua New Guinea, and researchers believe it may have originated there. Geneticists have only recently distinguished haplogroup S from its parent clade, haplogroup K.

Haplogroup T is a rare haplogroup that is most commonly found in East Africa and Western Asia. It is also found in the central and western Mediterranean regions.

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3,500 HKD Paternal Lineage Test

Paternal ancestral origins DNA testing

The Y chromosome and your paternal ancestry

Your paternal ancestry test result will:

Can females too discover their paternal ancestry?

How is the test carried out?

Ancestry Tests: Understanding How they Work?

Ancestry tests using autosomes

Ancestry tests using sex-chromosomes

So what does the accuracy of my ancestry test depend on?

Bibliography