Ancestry.com is retiring yDNA and mtDNA testing

Question

For Your Information: This is a portion of an email I received.  It concerns Ancestry.com y-DNA and mtDNA tests.  We may need to make adjustments to the WikiTree DNA Project for this.

Y-DNA & mtDNA tests & results will no longer be available on Ancestry.com

We need to focus on our core offerings to ensure we’re delivering the best service and best product experience.  To that end, we’ve decided to retire our Y-DNA and mtDNA service on September 5, 2014, which means you will not be able to review your results after this date, but can download your raw DNA data prior to that time.

To safely and securely download your raw DNA data that comes as part of the service, you can export your results prior to the service’s retirement, by visiting DNA.Ancestry.com and logging in to begin the download process. Your raw DNA data will be exported into a .csv file format, and can be uploaded to other Y-chromosome and mtDNA testing services. (i.e. ySearch.org and mitoSearch.org)

We understand the value you can gain from Y-DNA and mtDNA test results, however we’ve decided to retire these tests in order to dedicate more resources to the autosomal DNA test, called AncestryDNA.

Comments

This certainly took me by surprise, and I must say makes me none too pleased.  I just ordered & sent in autosomal DNA tests for my mother and myself less than two weeks ago to ancestry.com. They didn't mention they were doing away with this service (I phoned & spoke to them prior to ordering the kits); if they had, I would've paid for and had the tests done at FamilyTreeDNA (where I've had my dad's tests for Y-DNA, mtDNA & autosomal DNA all completed).

---

They are continuing with the auDNA test.  They are retiring the yDNA and mtDNA.

---

Kitty, thanks for letting me know this.  (My error in not reading down to the very last sentence of your post...)  

One of my cousins, though, received an email from FamilyTreeDNA stating:  

"There are no guarantee on what the future holds for Ancestry.com's™ autosomal DNA offering so we strongly recommend that you tell people that tested with Ancestry.com™ to transfer their Y-DNA and Autosomal DNA to Family Tree DNA where our main focus is genetic genealogy. mtDNA is not transferable because of compatibility issues."

They then offer the option, for $69, of transferring your autosomal DNA results from ancestry to them.

---

Yes, FTDNA did send out that notice.

Please use the WikiTree following link to purchase a transfer so that WikiTree gets the credit from FTDNA. WikiTree is free to use, but it is not free to operate, so this helps cover operating costs:  http://www.familytreedna.com/cj.aspx?ftdna_ref=600  

There is a more information on our WikiTree DNA Project page.  

---

Kitty I just read this post.  Last night I finally decided too log on to my ancestry account and savedmy raw data to my computer and paid for a transfer to FDTNA for some reason it is saying something about the file name so I had too contact them about that. But they have not responded Im sure its because of the weekend or Sunday. But I will send them another message regarding creditining wikitree.

Answer 1

This is the type of thing that always makes me wary about Ancestry.com when it comes to making an investment in something they offer.  I can't imagine why they need to take away the results of the yDNA and mtDNA tests.  Out of all of the databases they have with how many millions of records, what difference would it really make to keep up minimal databases of yDNA and mtDNA results?  

I feel a similar way about them closing Mundia - their public member tree site.  So - they are going to just pull the Mundia trees into Ancestry (which they did automatically anyway), but if you had a Mundia tree, you won't be able to search public member trees anymore.

This just makes my previous decision to avoid putting much content on Ancestry even easier to follow.  I won't spend any of my time putting my research on Ancestry.  Wikitree and Familysearch are far better alternatives.

Comments

I wonder if they'll make any changes to Worldconnect-- formerly a Rootsweb service?I've used that for years for sharing my research and would miss it.  Ditto with the free web space pages Rootsweb offered.  I better go look.

---

Dear Jillaine,

Oh, I hope they don't make changes to Worldconnect or FindAGrave!  I think the retirement of the yDNA and mtDNA tests and closing Mundia are because they aren't big money makers for the Ancestry.com stockholders/business. If this is correct, then Worldconnect and FindAGrave could be areas of future concern as they are free services. This is just my opinion, so I hope I am wrong, but Ancestry, and other pay-your-way services, are a big business. 

I believe these possiblities provide all the more reason to post our branches, twigs and leaves on the free, worldwide WikiTree. Here on WikiTree.com, we know that our work as genealogists and family historians is valued more than the profit margin. 

Answer 2

The Legal Genealogist writes about this here:

http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/2014/06/08/why-ancestry-why/

Apparently, it's worse than just canceling the service. If I'm reading Judy's blog correctly, Ancestry.com also plans to destroy the DNA samples that have been submitted to them under these to-be-cancelled services.

As Judy points out, that can mean in some cases the loss of genetic information that can no longer be obtained-- for example from a last male descendant that has subsequently passed on.

Perhaps if enough people shout and scream, Ancestry.com will choose to do something different with the samples.

Comments

I agree wholeheartedly, Jillaine!  Please see the question I posted in the tree house today...we've got ourselves a movement!

http://www.wikitree.com/g2g/81760/persuade-ancestry-reconsider-their-destroy-mtdna-samples