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  4. Y-DNA Matches

Getting Started With Your Y-DNA Matches

What are Y-DNA Matches?

Y-DNA matches connect you to other participants who share a common ancestor through the direct paternal line. The Y chromosome passes from father to son almost unchanged. Our Y-DNA tests measure the small changes we find in your Y-DNA that make you unique.

Your Y-DNA test results identify the values of specific genetic markers, known as Short Tandem Repeats (STRs). The complete set of your STR values creates your unique Haplotype. FamilyTreeDNA compares your Haplotype to the Haplotypes of others in the database. When two people share similar marker values, the system identifies them as a match.

The meaning of a match depends on the number of tested markers and the level of difference between your results. This difference is called Genetic Distance (GD). Generally speaking, the greater the Genetic Distance, the further back in time your shared a Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) lived.

Conversely, a lower GD means that fewer mutations have occurred since you and your match shared an MRCA, which suggests a closer genealogical relationship. If you share a match with the same surname and a low GD, you have strong evidence that your paper trail research is correct, or you can begin searching for your connection.

Accessing Your Y-DNA Matches

You can access your Y-DNA matches from your dashboard or navigation bar.

To access from your dashboard:

Y DNA Matches dashboard w numbers.png

  1. Sign in to your kit.
  2. On your dashboard, locate the Y-DNA Results & Tools section.
  3. In the Y-DNA Results & Tools section, click the Y-DNA Matches button.

To access from your navigation bar:

Y DNA Matches Dashbord dropdown w numbers.png

  1. Sign in to your kit.
  2. Hover your mouse over Results & Tools on the navigation bar at the top of the page.
  3. Follow the drop-down menus to Y-DNA > Matches

Understanding Your Y-DNA Matches

The Y-DNA matches page contains a wealth of information about the genealogy and Y-DNA of your matches. This page can be viewed it two different ways - the Detail View and the Table View. Each offers primarily the same information, but in different ways, you can learn more about them here:

Y-DNA Matches page - Detail View Guide

Y-DNA Matches page - Table View Guide

 

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