GeneticGPS: Ancestry Test
Using a DNA sample you provide through a simple cheek swab, our qualified laboratory tests more than 80,000 unique genetic markers. Cross-checking that information across dozens of gene pools and more than 1,000 reference populations, we use your DNA to create a detailed report about where your family's DNA originated and how your own unique DNA signature migrated over time. This can help you answer questions about your family’s history, shed light on the origins of certain family traits, and help you better understand who you are.
This advanced autosomal test is so targeted, it may even indicate the town or village where groups of your ancestors from different cultures met—building a vibrant picture of the migration journeys that formed your deep genealogical heritage.
- New ancestral tracking technique pinpoints your genetic genealogy
- 80,000 autosomal genetic markers tested, 1,000+ reference populations and 41 gene pools analyzed
- Simple and painless cheek swab to collect your DNA sample
- Highly-accredited lab with privacy-protected service and expert staff
Kit Contents:
- Easy-to-follow instructions
- Cheek swabs for DNA collection
- Postage-paid envelope for returning samples
Results Back:
Details
Learning about your origins through DNA testing can reveal a lot you may not have known about your deepest roots. The story of your family is contained in your unique genetic code, its just waiting for you to discover it. Although your family history may already contain a lot of information about your origins, some information can become lost over generations. With ancestry testing you can bridge the gaps in your family’s records and make connections you never knew were possible.
Benefits of GeneticGPS:
- The first and best DNA test with bio-geographical targeting capability to the town or village level
- Identifies when and where your DNA formed by matching the populations that came together to create your genetic line
- Traces the migration route of both your maternal and paternal lineages, showing the last three (3) locations where your DNA signature underwent significant changes
- Provides detailed stories helping to explain DNA mixture events such as wars, famines and migrations
Test Results Include:
- Downloadable PDF report that can be shared with family and friends
- Your results feature:
- Maps of your top three ancestral origins (the gene pools or ancestral communities that contributed to significant portions of your genetic makeup) along with the percentages of DNA you inherited from each
- A comprehensive gene-pool profile with DNA percentages that goes well beyond basic ethnicity tests
- A detailed map illustrating your maternal and paternal migration journeys with descriptions on how your ancestors' circumstances may have changed as they crossed territories and continents to find better lives
The Science
GeneticGPS is a revolutionary DNA test that enables you to trace your family history based on DNA-mixture events that began over 1,000 years ago. It provides maternal and paternal migration routes with precision targeting—sometimes down to the village or town. Current DNA tests used for genealogy locate where fragments of your DNA formed within countries or continents. Typically you find that some of your ancestors come from Western Europe, Africa, or South Asia and you are given broad estimates of ethnicity. This type of DNA test generally cannot identify a radius of your origins to particular locations with longitude and latitude and it defines your ancestry using the modern-day population names. GPS Origins overcomes the limitations of these DNA tests by using a new ancestral tracking technique that leverages unique markers in your DNA to pinpoint specific places where your DNA was formed. These markers were carefully selected to inform us of the particular routes your ancestors took.
The Science Behind the Test
This DNA test is based on a new way of viewing human populations that considers everyone as mixed from different gene pools. This model is fundamentally different from existing ancestry testing which suggests that humans branched from a small number of populations that changed over time. Instead, GeneticGPS relies upon the genetic uniqueness created by mixing 41 global gene pools in different proportions—more than twice the number being used by other methods. As such, it captures ancient events, like the migration of Indo-Iranian people into Europe around 2500 BC. The gene pools describe the geographical origins of your DNA molecule as passed along the generational lines.
The test utilizes autosomal DNA inherited from chromosomes 1-22, which are more sensitive to the genetic signature of your most recent common ancestors compared to the Y and mitochondria chromosomes. To trace the origin of your DNA, GeneticGPS splits your gene pool's unique signature into its two primary components, roughly corresponding to paternal and maternal, but not always. For example, people whose two parents are of English descent may find that GeneticGPS traced their ancestries to Italy and Scandinavia, most likely because the Romans and Vikings, who conquered England, contributed most to their ancestry. After determining the two head points, GeneticGPS calculates the migration routes that your ancestors’ DNA took, using large circles to represent uncertainty and smaller circles for higher confidence in the geographical region. Circles represent the places where your ancestors' DNA stayed and mixed with the local inhabitants of these lands.
The migration routes are not a literal travel itinerary of your DNA. If there was no gene exchange with the local population at a particular site, GeneticGPS will not report this site, although your ancestors may have traveled there. Moreover, in cases of big migrations of population A into population B, if population A continues marrying within the group, GeneticGPS would trace its geographical origins to the original A site, although population A has been physically living with population B for a very long time. Finally, GeneticGPS uses specific mutations in your DNA to date the most recent migration events. It can then offer an explanation as to what may have incentivized your ancestors to move from point A to point B at this particular time period.
The Test Creator
The GeneticGPS algorithm was developed at the University of Sheffield in 2016, led by the research team of Dr. Eran Elhaik. Dr. Elhaik, a population geneticist, was one of the collaborators on an early version of the technology in 2012 called Geno 2.0 on behalf of the National Geographic Society. Most recently, the journal Nature Communications published a peer-reviewed paper describing the science behind the algorithm on April 29th, 2014. The accuracy of the test was demonstrated by identifying the DNA signature of ancient Ashkenazic Jews and their formation approximately 1500-2000 years ago.
How It Works
Once you receive your sample collection kit from our online store, swab the insides of your cheeks using the swabs included in the kit. Once you have your samples, use the prepaid envelope to mail them back, we will compare your DNA using more than 80,000 unique genetic markers across more than 1000 referenced populations and 41 gene pools. You’ll receive an email once your samples arrive at our lab. Within six to eight weeks, you’ll receive another email notifying you that your detailed and personalized report is ready for you to view in the attached file.
- BUY KIT: Order your complete DNA test through our online store today
- COLLECT DNA: Use the cheek swabs found in the kit to collect your DNA and mail the samples to us
- ANALYZE DNA: You will receive an email when your samples arrive at the lab and our scientific team will extract and process your DNA to analyze the genes
- RECEIVE REPORT: You will receive an email within 6 to 8 weeks informing you that your personalized report is ready for viewing
How to take samples:
