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Big Y Block Tree Guide

Branch Information Overview

A Branch Information card is displayed below each branch. This card contains the following sections: Countries and DNA Matches.

Countries

The Countries section is located in the information card. It displays the number of countries and a flag icon for the top four Paternal Countries of Origin reported by the testers on that branch.*  You can hover your cursor over a flag icon to see the country associated with that flag.

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*It is important to note the following:

  • This is self-reported information from Y-12 through Big Y testers.
  • Since this is self-reported information, it may not reflect accurate branch/haplogroup origins.
  • Unknown origins are not included in the calculated distributions. 

Countries Detailed View

To navigate to the detailed Countries view: 

  1. Click on the Branch Information card. The Detailed View window is displayed.
  2. At the top of the Detailed View window, click Countries. The detailed Countries view is displayed.

Detailed

The detailed Countries view contains the following columns:

  • Paternal Origin – Reported country of paternal origin.
  • Branch Participants (specific branch)  – Number of testers who are assigned to that specific branch who have reported the country as their paternal origin.
  • Downstream Participants – Number of testers who are assigned to the specific branch and testers who are downstream of the specific branch (excluding other haplogroups) who have reported the country as their paternal origin.
  • All Downstream Participants  – Number of testers who are assigned to the specific branch and testers who are downstream of the specific branch (including other haplogroups) who have reported the country as their paternal origin.
  • Distribution – Percentage distribution of testers assigned to the branch and all downstream branches who have reported the country as their paternal origin.

*It is important to note the following:

  • This is self-reported information from Y-12 through Big Y testers.
  • Since this is self-reported information, it may not reflect accurate branch/haplogroup origins.
  • Unknown origins are not included in the calculated distributions.  

Big Y Matches

The DNA Matches section is located at the bottom of the information card. This section displays the number of Big Y matches you have on the branch and their names. Note that only the top three matches who have the least amount of non-matching variants are displayed.  

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Big Y Matches Detailed View

The detailed Matches view displays information about your Big Y matches.

To navigate to the detailed Matches view: 

  1. Click on the Branch Information card. The Detailed View window is displayed.
  2. At the top of the Detailed View window, click Matches. The detailed Matches view is displayed.

The detailed Matches view contains the following columns:

  • Match Name - Displays the name of the Big Y match. You can click on a match's name to see their information card.
    • Country flag icon - Displays the icon of the flag for the self-reported Paternal Country of Origin.
    • Envelope icon - If you have Outlook, you can click this icon to email the match.
    • Callout icon - You can click on this icon to add a note about your match.
  • Non-Matching Variants - Displays the non-matching variants between you and that match. Non-matching variants are SNPs for which you are positive and your match is negative or vice versa.
  • Y-37 - When you and your match have both taken the Y-37 test:
    • If an X is displayed, it means that your match has their sharing setting turned off for this level of testing OR that your match is not within the matching thresholds at this level.
    • If a number is displayed, the number is the genetic distance between you and your match.  For more information, see What is a Relevant Match?
  • Y-67 - When you and your match have both taken the Y-67 test:
    • If an X is displayed, it means that your match has their sharing setting turned off for this level of testing OR that your match is not within the matching thresholds at this level.
    • If a number is displayed, the number is the genetic distance between you and your match.  For more information, see What is a Relevant Match?
  • Y-111 - When you and your match have both taken the Y-111 test:
    • If an X is displayed, it means that your match has their sharing setting turned off for this level of testing OR that your match is not within the matching thresholds at this level.
    • If a number is displayed, the number is the genetic distance between you and your match.  For more information, see What is a Relevant Match?
  • Big Y - Displays the number of mismatches between you and your match out of the total number of STR values being compared.  For example, if 11 of 582 is displayed in this column, it means that there are 11 mismatches out of 582 STR values.
  • Earliest Known Paternal Ancestors - If reported, displays the match's Earliest Known Paternal Ancestor.  
  • Match Date - Displays the date you were matched with the match.

Navigating the Block Tree

Scrolling to the Left or Right

On the Block Tree, if the branches spread off to the left and/or right of your screen, you will see an arrow pointing toward the left and/or right. You can click these arrows to scroll to the left or right of the Block Tree.

Navigating Upstream

There are two ways that you can navigate upstream on the Block Tree: by SNPs or by using the up arrow. 

By SNPs 

At the top of the Block Tree, there is a SNPs navigation bar. This bar displays the immediate parent branches for the highest level branch that is displayed on the Block Tree.

Click on any of the SNPs in this navigation bar to navigate upstream to that branch.

Arrow Up

At the top of the Block Tree (under the SNPs navigation bar) there is an upward arrow. You can click on this arrow to navigate to the branches upstream.

Navigating by Branch

You can navigate to a branch by clicking directly on that branch in the Block Tree.

Navigating to a Specific Branch

To navigate to a specific branch:

  1.  In the upper-right corner of the Block Tree, in the Go to Branch Name field, enter the specific branch to which you want to navigate. Make sure to enter the complete branch including the haplogroup.
  2. Press Enter on your keyboard. You are directed to that branch. 

Navigating to Your Big Y Matches' Branches

The Block Tree allows you to navigate directly to your Big Y matches' branches.

To navigate to a match's branch:

  1. In the upper-left corner of the Block Tree, click on the Matches link. On the left side of the tree, your Big Y matches are displayed.
  2. Hover your cursor over the match for which you want to see their branch, you will see a block icon to the right of the match's name.
  3. Click on the block icon. You are directed to that match's branch.

Resetting Your View

You can reset the Block Tree to your original view by clicking Reset in the upper-left corner of the Block Tree.

Expanding/Collapsing Your View

In the upper-right corner of the Block Tree, you will see a square icon. Click on this icon to expand and collapse your view.

Display Options

In the upper-right corner of the Block Tree, you can click Display Options to select what information you want to display on the tree.

The following options are available:

Branch Info 

  • Show Countries - Select to display the Countries section on the Branch Information card.
  • Show DNA Matches - Select to display the Matches section on the Branch Information card.
  • Show Y-STR Matches - Select to display only your Y-STR matches in the Matches section on the Branch Information card.

Variants 

  • Show Aggregated Downstream Variants - If selected, displays the downstream Aggregated Public and Private Variants blocks. This option is only available if you have navigated to an upstream branch and the branches below are collapsed and/or aggregated.
  • Show Private Variants - If selected, displays the Private Variants blocks.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Aggregated Variants?

Aggregated blocks are shown when several branches have been collapsed (usually when you navigate upstream). These aggregated blocks are shown with an average count representing all available downstream variants below the collapsed branch.

You might see two different types of aggregated blocks:

Aggregated Private Variants - These are blocks of Private Variants that have been aggregated.

Aggregated Public Variants - These are blocks of SNPs (branches) that have been aggregated. 

Once I've navigated upstream, how do I expand a branch block if it's collapsed?

To expand a branch block that is collapsed, click anywhere in that block.

What is the ruler/counter on the left of the Block Tree?

The ruler/counter on the left of the Block Tree allows you to judge how many SNPs are in a block.

 

 

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