Xdna question [closed]

+5 votes
164 views
Approximately how many generations can one hope to learn about through the use of Xdna?
closed with the note: Good answer
in The Tree House by Milton Davis G2G6 Mach 2 (29.4k points)
closed by Milton Davis

Milton, I'm going to comment rather than "answer." Because it's a tough question, comes with controversy, and you're liable to get some information that seems to be a polar opposite.

The X is really, really complicated. The hemizygous strand the father contributes to his daughters comes solely from his mother, and does not recombine. For that reason, X segments can linger for many generations essentially intact. Conversely, we have some evidence that the X-chromosome doesn't behave in accordance with the "about 50/50" combination rules--in fact, often not even close--that the autosomes (mostly) follow. One ancestor's X can completely disappear in the course of only two generations.

I'll leave you with a couple of links for some bedtime reading, but a few talking points first:

  • I can't speak about Living DNA or the revised My Heritage algorithms (changed just in January) but none of the major DNA testing companies report a match based solely on the X-chromosome. To be reported as a match, there must also be a match on the 22 autosomes.
  • Of the majors, 23andMe does include any shared segment length in the X into the total amount of autosomal DNA reported. FTDNA does not include the X in the reported total, and as we know AncestryDNA remains something of a black hole: we don't know exactly what they do.
  • An X-chromosome segment could be a very old surviving artifact, going back multiple generations; but without concurrent atDNA or yDNA matching, there's no way to tell if an X segment actually aligns with a suspected MRCA or not.
  • The X-chromosome is a virtual SNP desert. The SNP density--the tested reference clusters, or base pairs--is low, and the markers are few and far between...which potentially leads to algorithmic misinterpretation of the actual length of a contiguous segment.
  • Roberta Estes recently wrote: "...[for the X-chromosome] you will need, on average, a cM match that is twice as large as on other chromosomes to be considered of equal weight. In other words, a 10 cM match on the X chromosome would only be genealogically equivalent to approximately a 5 cM match on any other chromosome."

All of which is why I personally consider the X as highly valuable in possibly sorting out the path of DNA inheritance, but as a standalone matching indicator...not so much.

http://blog.kittycooper.com/2014/01/what-does-shared-x-dna-really-mean/
https://dna-explained.com/2012/09/27/x-marks-the-spot/
http://linealarboretum.blogspot.com/2012/11/phasing-x-chromosome.html
https://dna-explained.com/2014/01/23/that-unruly-x-chromosome-that-is/
https://dna-explained.com/category/x-chromosome/

Good luck!

Thanks so much, I will not be going on any X cousin searches!
Hmmm.  I find X cousin searches more productive than auDNA cousin ones.

1 Answer

+4 votes

Hi Milton,  Your X Chromosome DNA will give you results along these lines?  https://www.wikitree.com/treewidget/Davis-1900/89 

Looks like 6 or 8 generations(?).  I am not sure. 

by Kitty Smith G2G6 Pilot (646k points)
Thanks Kitty that steered me in the right direction!

Related questions

+4 votes
2 answers
280 views asked Oct 29, 2022 in The Tree House by Jim Harris G2G6 (7.8k points)
+4 votes
1 answer
204 views asked Jan 10, 2018 in Genealogy Help by Jana Shea G2G6 Mach 3 (35.6k points)
+5 votes
2 answers
+1 vote
0 answers
+10 votes
2 answers
235 views asked Aug 3, 2023 in The Tree House by Shirlea Smith G2G6 Pilot (284k points)
+3 votes
0 answers
220 views asked Jan 29, 2023 in WikiTree Tech by Lance Martin G2G6 Pilot (126k points)
+53 votes
13 answers
3.5k views asked Jan 17, 2023 in The Tree House by Greg Clarke G2G6 Pilot (110k points)

WikiTree  ~  About  ~  Help Help  ~  Search Person Search  ~  Surname:

disclaimer - terms - copyright

...