Frequently Asked Questions

Start with a DNA test.

A: Indigenous DNA is an open database which compares your DNA against the DNA of indigenous populations from around the world. You can match your genetic markers against an extensive panel of indigenous populations from published peer reviewed journals. The results of the analysis will rank the populations where similarities to your DNA markers are most frequent.

A:Individuals who have tested at any lab can upload their DNA markers for free and search for free. Markers accepted are Autosomal DNA STR, Y-DNA STR, and mtDNA. Participants can search for immediate family as well as distant relatives.

A: Indigenous DNA contains only indigenous DNA data from peer reviewed published scientific journals instead of against other participants. Indigenous DNA can be used to complement other types of DNA ancestral systems such as haplogroup determination.

A: Individuals who have had their DNA markers tested through Genebase or Genetrack can automatically use Indigenous DNA. No upload is necessary.

A: Yes, the database is free. If you have not already uploaded your markers, you will need to upload them and have them approved before using the database. The upload and approval is free, but there is a waiting period for the laboratory to verify the data input.

A: Indigenous DNA accepts Y-DNA STR markers and mtDNA HVR-1 and HVR-2 markers.

A: The Indigenous DNA comparison feature identifies populations groups where an individuals' ancestral marker type is the closest and most frequent match in comparison to other groups in the search list and lists the results from closest match to most distant. Unlike haplogroup testing which traces deep ancestral ties, Indigenous DNA comparisons can allow an individual to compare against indigenous population groups as they exist today.

A: The Y-STR ancestral analysis system takes place in several steps. The first step is to determine the best "minimum haplotype" for searching. Each individual may have a unique set of markers tested and not everyone will necessarily have tested the same genetic markers. Likewise, each indigenous study in our comprehensive population database is based on the analysis of a particular set of markers and not every scientific study will necessarily have tested the same set of markers. Thus, it is important to calculate the best set of markers to use for the analysis based on which markers you have tested versus the markers in the database. The best set of markers is called the "minimum haplotype" and represents the unique set of markers that have been tested in common between yourself and the various indigenous groups in the population database. You will have the ability to select the number of markers that you wish to compare "minimum haplotype". For example, if you have tested 44 of your markers but want to choose "5" for comparison, the Indigenous DNA program will use automatically calculate and suggest to you which 5 of your markers will analyze the largest number of population sets in the database and generate the most comprehensive results. The top sets of minimal haplotypes will be presented to you and the number of populations that each set will analyze will also be displayed.

The larger the number of markers that you use for searching, the more stringent the search. For example, results obtained by selecting 12 markers for comparison will be much more precise than results obtained when analyzing using only 5 markers. However, as the number of markers increases, the number of populations which share the same set of markers in the minimum haplotype will decrease and as a result, you will end up searching a smaller number of populations.

We recommend starting at a relatively low number such as "6" for your first few searches and then gradually increase the number to refine your search. You will find that at very high numbers, no populations will be available for searching because most research data published to date for indigenous populations have focused on 20 or less markers and even less overlapping markers between populations.

A: Updates to the database will be made whenever new scientific data is published in peer reviewed journals. If there is a particular population that you cannot find in the database, please send us a suggestion by submitting a ticket. Only data that is published in scientific journals will be uploaded. If the population that you are interested in does not yet have any published data, then that population will not appear the database.

A: After selecting the number of markers that you would like to use for ancestral analysis, the program will compare your markers against all of the markers in the various populations in the database and determine the best combinations of markers to use for analysis. Next to each set of markers, you will be able to see the number of populations in the database that will be searched for that set. To view the details of the populations, click on the population number and a detailed list of the populations as well as the sample size of each population will be displayed. To continue with the analysis, click "run analysis".

A: The top matches for your analysis shows where the populations with the closest matches to your DNA profile is found at highest frequency. The top matching population indicates that your DNA profile is most similar to the markers in that population when compared to the other populations in the list. For example, if your DNA is matching at highest frequency with populations from Italy, it does not necessarily mean that your ancestors are from Italy, but it does indicate that other individuals whose genetics are most similar to yours are present at the highest frequency in Italy and that your DNA profile is more similar to the individuals from the Italian population study than to other populations in the comparison.

A: During comparison, a panel of STR markers in the Y-Chromosome are analyzed and compared to a diverse population set. The number of shared markers are analyzed and a Relative Match Index (RMI) is calculated. The RMI is a measure of how closely your genetic profile matches those of the given population group and shows how closely you match that populations as compared to all other populations in the comparison. For example, a RMI of 100 means that you are 100 times more likely to belong to that population set as compared to the rest of the populations in the list of populations compared. A match of 200 means that you are 200 times more likely to belong to that population than all the other populations. To determine how closely you match one population versus another, take of the ratio of the two populations. For example, if you are matching Switzerland at a value of 89, it means that you are 89 times more likely to have originated from Switzerland than from the other populations in the list. To determine how much more likely you have originated from one population set than other, divide the RMI for the two populations. For example, if you are matching Switzerland at an RMI of 89 and Italy at a RMI of 52, divide 89/52 = 1.7. That means that you are 1.7 times more likely to have originated from Switzerland than from Italy. The greater the difference, the more you are able to differentiate between two population sets.

A: Genetic distance is a value which represents the number of non-matches between your haplotype and another haplotype. For example, if you have 3 non-matches, your genetic distance is 3. The smaller the value of genetic distance, the more recent that two individuals shared a common ancestor.

The following resource is helpful for understanding how genetic distance is calculated: How is genetic distance calculated for Y-DNA STR markers

A: A haplotype is the unique set of values obtained when a defined set of Y-DNA STR markers are tested. A minimum haplotype refers to the selected set of Y-DNA STR markers chosen to facilitate comparison between different individuals and different populations. Indigenous DNA calculates the minimum haplotype based on the Y-DNA STR markers that you have tested in comparison to the markers available in the various populations in the database. Indigenous DNA will compare the markers that you have tested against the markers in the database and calculate which of your markers you should use for best compatibility with the populations in the database.

A: By increasing the number of markers used for comparison, you will obtain more precise results, however, the number of populations that you will be able to compare against will decrease.

A: The Y-DNA contains up to 400 different STR markers, but only selected markers are used for testing. In order to compare your set of STR markers against the STR markers in the indigenous populations database, it is important to find those populations who have tested the same markers that you have. Furthermore, since the data for the hundreds of indigenous populations are from peer reviewed scientific studies from around the world, the exact STR markers chosen for testing may vary between different studies and different populations. The minimum haplotype value is a setting which allows you to indicate the number of markers that you wish to use to compare against the markers in the database. For instance, if you select a value of "10", the program will automatically review your set of markers and suggest to you the best sets of 10 to use for comparison. The selection is based upon the data that you have and how it compares to the data sets in the database. Populations which contain at least 10 of the same markers that you have tested will become available for comparison. If you increase the value to 12, the number of populations which have tested the same 12 markers to you will decrease. However, the stringency of the search will become stronger.

A: If you have already have DNA markers from Genebase, you can use the Indigenous DNA database feature automatically. If you have tested at another laboratory, you can upload them and then use the comparison feature after your upload is approved. If you do not already have DNA markers, click here to order your DNA test from Genetrack.

A: Males can join and use the Y-DNA comparison feature and mtDNA comparison feature. Females can only use the mtDNA comparison feature as females do not carry the Y-DNA.

A: Yes, you can use other Genebase features with your Genebase login. Another feature that you may wish to try is the family search feature at http://www.dnareunion.org/.

A: When using the Indigenous DNA feature, you are searching a database of indigenous DNA from around the world to look for the closest matches. It is important to maximize the # of overlapping markers and also ensuring that you are maximizing the number of populations searched to increase the stringency of the search. An overlapping marker value of 8, 9, or 10 is recommended for most people. Any value lower than 8 is not often stringent enough and any value over 10 samples a population size that is too small. The recommended range to use would be 8 to 10.

A: The Indigenous DNA database is based on data from the latest published peer reviewed journals. If different research groups conduct separate DNA studies on the same population, the separate studies are added to the Indigenous DNA database as two separate populations studies since they are from different research groups, even if the researchers are studying the same population. This way, any irregularities in research will not affect other groups.

A: The RMI is important for a quick overall summary of your Indigenous DNA search results. However, to gain a deeper understanding of the actual matching data, we recommend also looking at appendix 4 in your search results to see how relevant the matches are. Let's take a look at a hypothetical example. In a search at 9 overlapping markers, "John" finds a match with Eskimos at a RMI of 91.23 (highest) and Polish at 65.94 (second highest). Upon examining the detailed match data in Appendix 4, we discover that the database search found 1 match out of a population size of 69 Inuits and 1 match out of a population size of 185 Danish at a genetic distance of 0. However, at a genetic distance of 1 (ie one mismatch out of 9 markers), the database search found no matches for Eskimos but 5 matches out of 185 Polish. The reason that the Eskimo came up with the highest RMI score is because populations size was 69 so one match out of 69 is more significant that one match out of 185. However, if you take into consideration the matches found at a genetic distance of 1, the lack of matches in Eskimos at a genetic distance of 1 and the increased number of matches in Polish at a genetic distance of 1 strongly suggests that the match to Polish is more significant..

Indigenous DNA is a free search engine which allows you to find DNA data from published research articles that are most relevant to your own DNA profile.

If you have not tested yet, order your test at Genetrack.