Paternal Lineage Test

How can you trace my paternal lineage?

We all originated almost two hundred thousand years ago out of Africa. However, our ancestors did not stay there but moved to different parts of the globe, settling in different parts of the world, perhaps in search of more favourable climates and temperatures, fertile soils and land availability and so forth. Their DNA mutated and evolved as an adaptive measure to the changing conditions in which they settled. These genetic sequences are still present in the DNA of their descendants today, so many thousands of years later. Our partner laboratories have huge databases with the DNA profiles of studied paternal ancestral groups. We can cross reference your DNA with the many paternal groups or ‘haplogroups’ in our database. These populations are your ancient paternal family and we technically call them haplogroups. The price for the Paternal Lineage Test is $209.

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

To see a list of possible paternal haplogroups and their descriptions please visit our Y-DNA haplogroup page.

Information about ancestry DNA testing

All results will be ready by email and available within 4 to 5 weeks from receipt of samples at our laboratory.

We are also offering a special package – the Dual Lineage Test (maternal and paternal) at the discounted price of $299, however please note the duo lineage test is only available for male test participants.

So what do you get when you order your paternal lineage test?

• You get to find out which haplogroups you belong to, your actual pre-historic paternal clan. You will also receive a detailed explanation, delineating the characteristics of each haplogroup.
• A personalised map showing your ancestors’ journey in addition to where they first settled in their ancient world.
• A personalised Y-STR profile (expressing the raw data of your DNA analysis).
• Facts about your haplogroup, which includes parts of the world where you can find your ‘genetic cousins’ and the famous people who share the same haplogroup as you do.

The samples for your DNA test are collected with our home DNA sampling kit. Inside you will find the cheek swabs you need to collect the samples.

The following image shows the inheritance pattern of the male Y chromosome down the paternal line. Females who want to do a paternal lineage test will have to ask any direct male blood relative to take the test instead of them.

Your Y Chromosome

Interestingly enough, the Y chromosome is only passed on by the father during conception and remains somewhat the same for thousands of generations. The Y-STR test can actually determine if two or more males are related from their paternal side. All of the persons included in a direct paternal line e.g. father, brother or grandfather, will have the same Y-STR profile. This means that persons not related from the father’s side will have completely different Y-STR profiles. You and your fathers and forefathers millennia ago will share the same Y-STR pattern.

Just in case any females are interested in discovering their paternal ancestry, then they can ask their brother, father or any direct genetic paternal male relative to perform the test.