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the greater the difference between two men’s Y chromosomes, the more time has passed since their male lines branched off from a common ancestor
From father to son
Male line testing
If you are male, a Y-chromosome analysis will show you where your ancestors in the direct male or paternal line came from. This analysis can also help identify your relatives through the direct male line. This is possible because the Y chromosome is passed from father to son relatively unchanged through many generations.
Y-groups in the deCODEme Complete Scan
The deCODEme Complete Scan uses over 1,000 SNPs from the Y-chromosome to determine your place in the genealogical tree that connects all men through the direct male line. We classify your Y-chromosome into one of 24 basic branches (Y-groups) on this tree. However, the SNPs we test allow for a much finer classification into more than 100 different smaller branches (subgroups). The deCODEme Complete Scan can reveal where you belong in the great human Y-chromosome genealogy.
“Y chromosome Adam”
Ultimately, all men can trace their Y chromosome through the direct male line to a single male ancestor, playfully named “Y Chromosome Adam”. This important male ancestor is thought to have lived in Africa some 90 thousand years ago. Each of the Y-groups in the male line genealogy represents a different line of descent from “Y chromosome Adam”. Your Y-group can tell you not only how you are related to other people in the direct male line, it also provides information about the role your Y-group ancestors played in the colonization of the world thousands of years ago.
This content was last reviewed on February 18, 2010.
‘you can gain knowledge and try to understand what issues might effect your life and then take some action.’
Doug and Suzy Moore,
deCODEme customers
‘This is an investment in yourself. This is not in the category of spending money.’
Jack Doughery,
deCODEme customer