1. Y-Chromosome Test
The most popular test for genealogists is the Y-Chromosome test. The Y-Chromosome is passed down along the male lineage, from father to son to grandson, and so on. For most cultures, this is exactly the way that the surname is passed down (e.g. from father to son, along the male line). Thus, the Y-Chromosome test is a powerful test which allows genealogists to trace the origins of their surname. Take the surname "Smith" as a hypothetical example. The "Smith" surname is passed down from father to son for many generations. A "Smith" male from 300 years ago may have many male descendents, who then had male descendents, and so on. Over the centuries, this "Smith" male may have thousands of descendents with the "Smith" surname spread throughout the world. The Y-Chromosome test can allow genealogists to trace the surname and match together individuals with the Smith surname and tell them if they came from the same line and originated from the same common male ancestor. This is because all males with the same male ancestor along the paternal line should have the same Y-Chromosome. Thus, a "Smith" male may choose to have his Y-Chromosome tested and matched against other males with the "Smith" surname. This type of testing can allow large groups of individuals with the same surname to be linked together. With some surnames, there are different male ancestors (lines). By testing the Y-Chromosome, you can reconstruct the picture of your ancestry, determine which line your surname came from, and determine which other family lines you are related to.

The Y-Chromosome Surname Project is an exciting and powerful project which is becoming immensely popular with genealogists and allows genealogists to piece together puzzles in their family tree and unite with distant relatives from the same line. Genealogists who have used this powerful test have constructed Y-Chromosome family projects with hundreds of members. Join the fastest growing branch of Genealogy, ¡§Genetic Genealogy¡¨ and make exciting discoveries about your family tree.

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2. Mitochondrial DNA Test
Another test which is popular with Genealogists is the mitochondrial DNA test. The mitochondrial DNA test is useful for tracing the female line, for example, your mother's mother's, mother's, mother¡K. and so on. Mitochondrial DNA is passed down from the mother (not the father) to all of her children. Her female children will then pass it down to all of her children, and so on. Because the mitochondrial DNA is passed down from the mother along the female line, mitochondrial DNA testing can allow you to uncover the female line of your family tree. The reason that mitochondrial DNA testing is not as popular as Y-Chromosome DNA testing is because most genealogists are more interested in researching the origins of their surname (thus the paternal line). However, for those who are interested in furthering their research by uncovering the female line, the mitochondrial DNA test will be able to accurately trace your female line. Furthermore, the mitochondrial DNA test will allow you to determine the part of the world that your female line originated from as well as migration patterns of your ancestors along your female line. If your female line is of Native American descent, the mitochondrial DNA test will be able to detect this. Thus, the mitochondrial DNA test is useful for genealogists who want to piece together a larger puzzle for their family tree.

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