Using DNA to Learn What Is Your Heritage and Ancestry

Sequencing is a health genomics platform. Most people use it to focus on health related insights drawn from 100% of their DNA and all of their over 30,000 genes. For those who are also curious about where their family came from, ancestry and heritage can be explored through optional third party apps in the Partner Marketplace.

Genetic ancestry analysis appeals to a wide range of people. Some are history minded and want to explore the places and cultures their relatives came from. Others know little about their background and use DNA to fill in gaps in their family story. This article explains how ancestry analysis works, what to expect from your results, and which ancestry apps are currently available.

How genetic ancestry analysis works

Most ancestry results are produced through admixture analysis. Admixture analysis is a biogeographical method that infers geographical origins based on your genetic ancestry. It compares single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in your DNA against one or more reference populations, and your results reflect how closely your DNA matches those reference groups.

Because each app draws on different reference populations and algorithms, results can differ from one app to another. This is not an error. It reflects the fact that ancestry estimation is a statistical comparison, not a fixed lookup. It is also why the Partner Marketplace offers more than one ancestry app, so you can compare approaches and choose what fits what you want to learn.

What to expect from your results

Two things are worth keeping in mind before you start.

First, your heritage may turn out to be more varied than you expect. Many people find ancestry across more regions than they assumed, and reactions range from surprise to delight. A diverse result is common, not unusual.

Second, treat ancestry estimates as informed approximations rather than exact percentages. As reference data improves over time, estimates can shift. Reading your results with that context in mind leads to a better experience.

Ancestry and genealogy apps in the Partner Marketplace

To use any of these apps, first upload your DNA data through the Upload Center, then open the Partner Marketplace and select an app. Each app is developed by a partner and runs on your uploaded data. Some are free and others are a one time purchase, with current pricing shown on each listing.

Ancestry apps currently available include:

• World Ancestry Report (developed by Galatea Bio). An ancestry breakdown that estimates your origins across global populations.
• Ancestry Explorer (developed by SelfDecode). An analysis of your broad regional ancestry.
• Genetic Ancestry with Haplogroups (developed by Complete Genome Science). Ancestry results that include your haplogroups, which trace deep ancestral lineages.
• Mitochondrial Ancestry (developed by SelfDecode). An analysis of your mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited down the maternal line and traces your direct maternal ancestry.
• Map My Genes and Map My Genes Archaeology Edition (developed by Genealogy Researchers). Apps that place your genetic origins in a broader population and historical context.

The Partner Marketplace also includes lighter, novelty apps that read the same DNA data in a more playful way, including Santa and Me (developed by Sequencing, free), which compares your DNA to St. Nick, and Am I An Einstein? (developed by Complete Genome Science, free).

Get started

Upload your DNA data through the Upload Center, then browse the Partner Marketplace to choose an ancestry app. If you do not yet have DNA data to upload, you can learn about whole genome sequencing, which reads 100% of your DNA, on the Whole Genome Sequencing page.