Is anyone taking X-chromosome DNA tests, or just autosomal tests?

Question

Hi WikiTreers,

Thanks especially to Peter Roberts, we're looking at improving how we handle X-chromosome DNA on WikiTree. XDNA matches seem to have a lot of underutilized potential.

Some time ago we enabled members to specify that they've taken an X-chromosome DNA test. Over 70 have: http://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=Special:DNATests&id=14

I'm thinking now that most of these are just autosomal tests from 23andMe, FTDNA, or AncestryDNA. I think all three of these companies are reporting X-chromosome matches separately. Plus you could upload to GEDMatch for this.

Has anyone actually taken an X-chromosome test that isn't an autosomal test? If not, or if it's a really tiny number of people who have used obscure testing companies, we should remove this option. It just adds confusion.

Soon we can start breaking out xDNA connections for everyone who has taken an autosomal test.

Thanks in advance for any insights. I'm no expert here.

Chris

Comments

Everyone who has taken the a 23andMe test or Family Tree DNA's Family Finder test or the current AncestryDNA test have also ALL taken an X chromosome test.  However most of them (especially AncestryDNA testers) don't currently know how to find or make good use of their X chromosome results.

X chromosome (X-DNA) matching is actually more useful than autosomal matching because the X-DNA matching can only be due to shared ancestry somewhere on a known portion of one's ancestral tree.  http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~hulseberg/DNA/xinheritance.html Also because males only have one X chromsome then a match between males is unmistakably due to a shared ancestor.

In the past Family Tree DNA offered an X chromosome STR test which is not the same as the X chromosome SNP test that is included as part of all  Family Finder results.  The X-DNA STR test could help a woman identify who her father might be before auDNA testing became available.  AncestryDNA and 23andMe also do the same X chromosome SNP testing as part of their autosomal test.  All three tests use the same technology which is why it is possible to compare auDNA and X-DNA results between those three different labs at GEDmatch.

See also http://www.wikitree.com/blog/wikitree-uncovers-xchromosome-ancestral-treasure/

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Wow, I didn't even know the X chromosome test came with the Family Finder. (love learning something new! :) LoL)

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Peter, thanks for the clarification, especially about FTDNA having offered an xDNA test before, and not offering it any longer.

I doubt that many of the people who are saying they've taken an xDNA test have taken that one. It's just adding confusion to have that as an option. We will delete it now.

That will clear the slate for doing more xDNA stuff with the autosomal tests.

Answer 1

I suspect there could be confusion about whether the x test is an mtdna test.  I personally have taken both an mtdna and an autosomal test at ftdna.  When referring to my X chromosome results, it would come from the autosomal test (ie Family Finder).  The results being able to be compared to others via gedmatch.  I would think most in the list would probably not be a specialised x test, but one of the other two.  Agree it does make it confusing, especially for those new to testing.

Comments

That is what I have done as well, thanks for the clarification.

Regards

Peter

Answer 2

I took a mtDNA test, but have yet to upload this to Wikitree following advice that I might be revealing more about my female relatives genetic conditions than they would be comfortable with. I have been pondering about what to do since and have not reached a conclusion.

Comments

As above these are entirely different tests: an X chromsome test is on the X chromosome in a cell nucleus, an mt test looks at the mitocondrial dna in a cell body.

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Hello Anonymous,

The original question relates to the X chromosome which is not the same as mtDNA.

Your answer/comment would be better addressed in the form of a separate new question.  

The mtDNA results in MitoSearch are only HVR1 and HVR2.  This is a region of mtDNA which does not code for protein and is (in virtually all cases) safe to share.  If you had a mtDNA genetic disorder you and your mtDNA relatives would already know it and you should not share your results.  It is the results of a full sequence mtDNA test (which include the coding region for protein) that you should not share unless you have had a qualified doctor / geneticist check differences in the coding region.

HVR stands for Hypervarible Region.  You can see a relatively large amount of differences in that region and the cell can still survive because the production of protein was not altered.

Most sincerely, Peter

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Hi Anonymous, When you enter DNA test information in WikiTree, all you enter is the fact that you took a particular DNA test. No genetic information from the test appears in WikiTree, so there should be no issue related to revealing private information you learned from the test.

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Apologies for my previous anonymity, I am not that familiar with the site and clicked on a link received by e-mail without realizing that I had to sign in. Hopefully I have done it correctly this time.

When I answered the question whether I had been DNA tested on Wikitree I put on both my FTDNA number and my GEDMATCH number. I cannot remember now whether I had the option not to, but I cannot see what use Autosomal information on the Wikitree site is likely to be if there is no way of comparing my DNA with matches I might find on the site.

Regards

Peter

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Peter - no problem, when one takes an autosomal test it propogates up all your ancestry lines for 5 (I think) generations.  Any common ancestors profile in that range will show both cousins as dna descendants.

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Hello Peter, If you know two or more people's GEDmatch IDs you can independentaly verify which segments they share.  Those shared segments came from a shared ancestor.*  WikiTree can easily show you the shared ancestry of two to five people.

WikiTree can currently use Y-DNA of paternal line relatives and mtDNA of maternal line relatives to confirm the accuracy of those repective direct lines back to their most recent direct line ancestor.   WikiTree should be able to do something similar for X-DNA and auDNA.

Persons who have been DNA tested for genealogy purposes need to describe what practical DNA features they would find useful in WikiTree.

* Without phased auDNA, triangulated groups and segments over about  7cM are important.

Sincerley, Peter

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Hi Peter, I'm not sure if any of the answers you've been given address your question about how atDNA can be compared on WikiTree. You probably need to use a combination of Gedmatch.com and WikiTree. I see that you've posted on your profile that you have taken a Family Finder test. WikiTree will automatically display that information on all the profiles connected to you so that if one of your cousins (back to about 4th or 5th cousin) is looking at your common ancestor on WikiTree your information should be displayed. One question for you: on your profile you say your FTDNA kit # is 361268. Doesn't that make your Gedmatch ID "F361268"?

Answer 3

My X chromosome results are from FamilyreeDNA's autosomal test and were not a separate test.

Comments

The Family Tree DNA's Family Finder test includes both autosomal DNA results and X chromosome results.  Same with 23andMe and AncestryDNA.