Using X-DNA for Genealogy
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By Debbie Parker Wayne, cg, cgl dna basics Using X-DNA for genealogy This column is a series on using DNA for What can you DO with X-DNA? genealogical research. There are several types of DNA For most genealogical problems, X-DNA alone tests ofered for genealogical purposes. Researchers is not useful. It is used in correlation with must understand that only like tests can be compared: other DNA evidence to support a theory. For Y-DNA to Y-DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to example, atDNA might support a theory that mtDNA, autosomal DNA (atDNA) to atDNA, and two people are descended from a common X-DNA to X-DNA. To use DNA to solve a problem, ancestor, while X-DNA provides evidence for an understanding of DNA inheritance and the limits the ancestral line that common ancestor is part of the evidence is paramount. This article covers of. X-DNA focuses research on the most likely X-DNA and builds on the atDNA article in the last ancestral lines on which you may be related to a issue. Specialized X-DNA short tandem repeat (STR) person and excludes other lines as a possibility. tests are not covered in this article. Because of random recombination, the absence arlier articles have shown how to research of an X-DNA match does not prove you are not our patrilineal line using Y-DNA, which is related on a particular line, but the existence of passed only from a father to his sons; our an X-DNA match of signifcant size indicates you matrilineal line using mtDNA, which is are related on an ancestral line through which Epassed only from a mother to all of her children, X-DNA is inherited. Charts help determine with only daughters passing it to the next which ancestral lines may have contributed to a generation; and all of our recent ancestral lines person’s X-DNA and are discussed later. using atDNA inherited from all of the ancestors X-DNA is usually tested along with other on our pedigree chart. X-DNA follows a unique chromosomes as part of an atDNA test. Until inheritance patern that is diferent in males and recently X-DNA analysis tools were only females and includes only some of our ancestral available as third-party tools and at 23andMe. lines. Even with access to the X-DNA data, the lack july—september 2014 · volume 40, number 3 Page 57 Figure 1. Female X-DNA inheritance chart. Figure 2. Male X-DNA inheritance chart. of tools and the diferent inheritance patern for parents. When a female tester has a match on X-DNA have caused many genealogists to ignore X-DNA one half of the paternal half of her family X-DNA data when it can narrow down the lines tree and portions of the rest of the tree can be to be searched, allowing for efcient use of our excluded as a source of the X-DNA match. research time. As with autosomal DNA, recombination of the X chromosome may divide and shorten What is X-DNA and how is it inherited? the segments whenever recombination is Each cell of our body usually has twenty- part of the process. With autosomal DNA the three pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus. larger matching segments usually indicate Chromosomes one through twenty-two are closer relationships. With X-DNA we are the autosomes. The twenty-third pair of seeing unexpected recombination paterns; chromosomes defnes gender: an X-Y pair in we still have much to discover about exactly males, a pair of Xs in females.1 how the X chromosomes recombine. Until A male child inherits a Y chromosome from more information is available, genetic his father and an X chromosome from his genealogists must be careful how we interpret mother. The X is a recombination of the two X matching segment sizes when analyzing the X chromosomes the mother inherited from her chromosome. See the endnote for blog posts parents. When a male tester has a match on with some detailed examples.2 X-DNA the entire paternal half of his family The patern of X inheritance is most clearly tree and portions of the maternal half can be illustrated using charts. Blaine Betinger of The excluded as a source of the X-DNA match. Genetic Genealogist blog created colored fan A female child inherits an X chromosome chart images that can be used to determine from her father and an X chromosome from her which ancestors may have contributed to the mother. The X chromosome from her father is X chromosome of a person. See fgure 1 for a the one the father inherited from his mother; female X-DNA inheritance chart and fgure 2 no recombination occurs before it is passed to for a male X-DNA inheritance chart.3 The fan the female child. The X chromosome from the chart images are beautiful when printed in child’s mother is a recombination of the two X color where pink represents female and blue chromosomes the mother inherited from her represents male ancestors. Ancestral names Page 58 ngs magazine can be hand-writen on a printed chart or added with an image editor. With Betinger’s permission, the charts were recreated as a word processor document so ancestor names could be added and easily changed during research. These charts also indicate the average percentage of the X-DNA that could have been contributed by each ancestor. See fgure 3.4 A Creative Commons license was included that allows others to add their own enhancements and make the charts available for all to use and Figure 3. Word processor X-DNA inheritance chart. improve. This shows the power of collaboration between members of the genealogy community as others quickly made further enhancements to the charts.5 Several blog posts illustrate how some have used the X inheritance charts.6 Some charts have ahnentafel numbers included and Figure 4. Family Tree DNA match list showing X-Match. some include the percent of the X chromosome inherited from each ancestor. X-DNA test results The X chromosome is tested along with chromosomes 1 through 22 during an autosomal Figure 5. Family Tree DNA Chromosome Browser showing DNA test. The X-DNA test results consist of X-Match. raw DNA data. Some companies include the X-DNA data in the same fle as the autosomal raw data. Some companies, such as Family name: A, C, G, or T. Everything else we get from Tree DNA, put the X-DNA data in a separate X-DNA data is based on analysis of the data and fle. When downloading raw DNA data to your comparing it to other testers. own device, be sure you get all of the fles if the When a list of atDNA matches is viewed, data is in multiple fles. Keep in mind company an indication as to whether this person also policies can change over time so always verify matches on the X chromosome can be seen. current practice to ensure that you have all of At Family Tree DNA the down-arrow under a your data. person’s photo can be clicked to display the X Raw X-DNA data look very much like the raw match status on the match list page. See fgure atDNA data except the chromosome is listed as 4 showing the display after the down-arrow X or 23 instead of 1 through 22. AncestryDNA has been clicked. When viewing matches in the uses 23 to designate the X chromosome; Family chromosome browser, the X chromosome is now Tree DNA and 23andMe use X. Past and future displayed at Family Tree DNA. See fgure 5. The policies may difer. See table 1 on the following display at 23andMe in the chromosome browser page for sample raw data. As with atDNA, is very similar. AncestryDNA does not display the raw data include a list of marker names, this data in a chromosome browser format and chromosome designation and locations on that does not supply matching segment data that lists chromosome, and the chemical found on each start and stop points for matches on individual chromosome at that location. The chemicals chromosomes. are Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thymine, In-depth analysis of X-DNA matches using the each usually represented by the frst leter of the segment data (the chromosome number and start july—september 2014 · volume 40, number 3 Page 59 Marker name Chromosome Position Genotype rs2840722 X 116155511 AG rs5909828 X 116155870 CT rs2819637 X 116189668 AA Table 1. Raw Data: Raw X-DNA data is usually downloaded as CSV, XLS, or ZIP fle. and stop points of matching segments for each on. Matches may not have posted everything person) is done the same way as described in they know online. Some people don’t respond the atDNA article. The focus is on the ancestral to contacts, but an atempt should be made. Be lines identifed in the X inheritance charts. patient; the person may respond months after an Spreadsheets and third-party analysis tools initial query. help organize the segment data for analysis and comparison with others. Resources This article is a short introduction to X-DNA. Using X-DNA test results For information on tests ofered by diferent The basic steps for using X-DNA are similar to companies see each vendor’s website and the those for atDNA, but an X-DNA inheritance International Society of Genetic Genealogists chart focuses the researcher on the ancestral lines (ISOGG) Wiki pages.7 that may have contributed to a person’s X-DNA.