DNA Testing Kits that are Still Available to Genealogists



Genographic Project

Lately, there has been some news about DNA testing kits that are no longer available to the general public. Those test kits have been removed from the market because the Food and Drug administration (FDA) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have doubts about the medical information that was given to consumers who had sent in a sample of their DNA. Did you know that there are still DNA test kits available to genealogists?

The purpose of removing DNA testing kits from the direct-to-consumer marketplaces was an effort to prevent people from making health and medical choices based upon the results of their DNA test kit. There isn’t any reason to remove the kits that provide strictly genealogical information. Here are a few that genealogists can still purchase, use, and learn more about their family tree from.

23andMe has been ordered to stop marketing its personal genome service. That being said, the company is still allowed to sell DNA test kits that only offer genealogical information. Visit the 23andMe website, and you can see that they took steps to make it very clear that they no longer offer health related information from their DNA test kits.

The 23andMe DNA test kit will estimate how much of your DNA is from Neanderthals, and will compare that amount to those of other users. It will show you what percent of your DNA comes from East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and other areas of the world. Their service could connect you to relatives that you didn’t even know you had. The kit costs $99.00.

National Geographic has a DNA test kit that is called Geno 2.0 – Genographic Project Participation and DNA Ancestry Kit. It cost $199.95. Those who purchase and use their DNA test kit can choose to take part in the Genographic Project.

The DNA test kit from National Genographic will show you the migrations paths that your ancestors once followed. You will learn what percentage of your genome is affiliated with specific regions of the world. You can learn if you have Neanderthal or Denisovan ancestry. The Geno 2.0 kit box is designed to be a keepsake that you can store your results in after you have accessed them online.

AncestryDNA is the name of the DNA testing kit that comes from Ancestry.com, an extremely popular genealogy website. It costs $99.00. Vanessa Williams used AncestryDNA to learn more about her family history.

AncestryDNA will help you to discover your ethnicity. The “blurb” on their website says “Find out if you’re part Irish, Native American, or maybe Cameroonian”. The DNA test kit will also help you to connect with new relatives. The results you get are described as “even more powerful” when you combine them with what is offered by a membership at Ancestry.com.

Image by Venturist on Flickr.

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