There Are 3 Different Types of DNA Tests

Another important thing to understand about using DNA tests to learn about your ancestry is that there are three types of tests. Autosomal DNA tests look for genes that were passed down from both parents. These are the most common tests because they provide information about your overall ancestry without distinguishing between your mother's and father's ancestors. Autosomal DNA tests typically provide reliable information going back 4-5 generations.

Mitochondrial DNA tests, or mtDNA tests, only look at genes passed down from your mother. As a result, they can only trace your ancestry back to your mother's side of the family. mtDNA tests can provide information going back 8-10 generations, but they don't provide much information about family structure.

Y DNA tests only look at genes passed down from your father and can only be used to trace ancestry on your father's side of the family. Because women lack a Y chromosome, Y DNA tests are only available for men. Y DNA tests, like mtDNA tests, provide information about the last 8-10 generations.