HomeDNA™ Advanced Ancestry Test

Comprehensive DNA analysis gives personal gene-pool percentages and familial DNA migration routes.

$124.00

Overview

Overview

Pinpoint the History of your DNA!

HomeDNA Advanced Test for Ancestry is an innovative analysis that takes you deep into your family history, often back 1,000 years or more—with a high level of specificity that you never thought possible. This next-generation autosomal DNA test combines the latest genetic research with a new ancestral tracking technique to pinpoint more precisely where your most recent DNA signature began and how it changed over time.

The process works a lot like the GPS system in your car. For this test, a unique algorithm uses various points in your own DNA data combined with data from 41 gene pools and over 1,000 reference population groups to pinpoint precise geographic locations where the last three major changes occurred in your family’s DNA. Your results also include your personal gene-pool percentages. Where are you from?

  • 80,000 autosomal genetic markers tested, 1,000+ reference populations analyzed, and 41 gene pools analyzed
  • Results show your personal gene-pool percentages plus the most recent DNA migration routes for both your maternal and paternal lines
  • Simple and painless cheek swabs to collect your DNA sample
  • Highly-accredited lab with privacy-protected service and expert staff; we are the lab and you can rest assured your samples are never sent to a third party 

Kit Contents:

  • Complete instructions
  • Cheek swabs for DNA collection
  • Postage-paid envelope for returning samples to the lab (U.S. customers only)

Results Back:

  • Within 6 weeks

This DNA test for ancestry is available for purchase through retail stores only.  

Details

Details

The desire to know where our deepest roots lie and where we come from are at the heart of testing for ancestry. Your genetic code contains the story of your distant ancestors’ DNA—as well as your own—and a DNA test for ancestry can help you uncover precious information that may have been lost or even changed over time. The HomeDNA Advanced Ancestry Test uses a completely new algorithm for some of the most precise, accurate, and super-targeted results on the market today. Even if you’ve already done a different test, you’ll learn something new with this revolutionary analysis.

Benefits of the Advanced Test

  • Analyzes over 80,000 autosomal DNA markers, 41 gene pools and 1,000+ reference populations for unmatched accuracy
  • Shows the full gene-pool percentages breakdown of your personal DNA
  • Identifies when and where your DNA formed by matching the populations and gene pools that came together to create a genetic line leading to you
  • Traces the migration route of both your maternal and paternal lineages, showing the last three (3) locations where your DNA signature underwent significant changes
  • It’s the first and best DNA test with bio-geographical targeting capability. It's so precise, it may even identify a town or village 
  • Report can be shared with family and friends via Facebook, text, and email

Test Results Include:

  • A personalized report that identifies your ancestral origins (the gene pools or ancestral communities that contributed significant portions of your genetic makeup) and shows the percentages of DNA you inherited from each
  • Maps illustrating the two most important migration journeys for both your maternal and paternal lines, with specific locations and time stamps. Each pinpoint location also includes historical information to help identify reasons for your ancestors’ movements.

This DNA test for ancestry is available for purchase through retail stores only.

The Science

The Science

HomeDNA Advanced Ancestry Test is a revolutionary DNA analysis 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. This test overcomes the limitations of older 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, this test 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, the test 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 this test traced their ancestries to Italy and Scandinavia, probably because the Romans and Vikings, who conquered England, contributed most to their ancestry. After determining the two head points, the test 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, the test 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, the test 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, this DNA test for ancestry 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 algorithm used for this test 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 1,500-2,000 years ago.

See the Glossary of Ancestry Terms

How It Works

How It Works

Once you purchase your kit from your local retailer, register the kit on our website. Next, use the cotton swabs included in the kit to collect DNA samples by swabbing the insides of your cheeks. Once you have your samples, use the prepaid envelope to mail them back to our fully accredited lab, where we will compare your DNA to test for more than 80,000 unique genetic markers across more than 1.000 reference populations. You’ll receive an email once your samples arrive at our labs. Within two to three weeks, you’ll receive another email notifying you that your detailed and personalized report has been uploaded to your secure online account and is ready for you to see.

  1. BUY KIT: Order your DNA test at a store near you
  2. REGISTER KIT: Go online to HomeDNA.com to register your kit’s barcode and pay the lab fee
  3. COLLECT DNA: Use the cheek swabs found in the kit to collect your DNA and mail the samples to our lab
  4. 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
  5. RECEIVE REPORT: You will receive an email within 6 weeks that your personalized report has been uploaded to your secure online account and is ready for viewing

This DNA test for ancestry is available for purchase through retail stores only.

Video

Video

Resources

Resources

Read further about the legendary research and significant historical finds that lead to the creation of this test.

The Diversity of REcent and Ancient huMan (DREAM): A New Microarray for Genetic Anthropology and Genealogy, Forensics, and Personalized Medicine  December 2017

DREAM can be used to study the genetic relationships between ancient humans, archaic hominins, and modern humans as well as to improve our understanding of human migratory history. 

Conversations with Eran Elhaik: Tracking Ancient Migrations July 2017
Q&A with Dr. Elhaik, the creator of GPS Origins. By applying evolutionary genomics to populations, Dr. Elhaik is able to discern snapshots of people by tracing their geographic movements.

My Genealogy Results from Multiple DNA Tests May 2017
A comparison of Family Tree DNA, Ancestry DNA and GPS Origins.

DNA Uncovers Ancient Ashkenaz, Predicts Where Yiddish Originated April 2016
Localizing Ashkenazic Jews to primeval villages in the ancient Iranian lands of Ashkenaz.

Y-Chromosomal Adam Lived 208,300 Years Ago, Says New Study May 2014
The extremely ancient chromosome that still isn’t.

Yale Researchers Map 6,000 Years of Urban Settlements June 2014
Academic-generated database showing long-term trends of urban population densities from 2000 BC to +1000 AD.

Ground-breaking technique traces DNA direct to your ancestor's home 1,000 years ago January 2014
Geographic Population structure analysis of worldwide human populations infers their bio-geographical origins.

FAQs

FAQs

The test allows you to trace your ancestral DNA back to around 1,000 years—or more—to the place where your DNA signature began.

The test uses 41 global gene pools to calculate the genetic signature of your autosomal DNA. For example: Fennoscandia 19%, Southern France 14%, Orkney Islands 20%, and so on. Next, it compares your unique DNA signature to populations all over the world (who we know have lived in the same location for a substantial period) to locate where your DNA began and where it underwent significant changes. In some cases, the test traces your DNA to the village or town level. Finally, it calculates two genetic lineages (your maternal and paternal lines) by tracing the migration routes of your DNA.

The HomeDNA™ Advanced Ancestry Test is available for purchase exclusively through participating retailers—both in-store and online. To locate a store near you, click FIND A STORE next to the kit picture at the top of this page.
Your test kit includes an order form, instruction manual, four (4) buccal (cheek) swabs, a DNA sample envelope and a bar-coded return envelope.

The HomeDNA™ Advanced Ancestry Test features a simple, three-step process:

  1. Purchase a DNA collection kit at your local participating retailer
  2. Upon receiving your kit, follow the instructions for collecting DNA and return samples to us
  3. Log in to your online account and read the full report. You will be notified when your test is available

We are the lab, and all test results are completely confidential. DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC) uses some of the most advanced security measures available for access, storage, and reporting. Unlike others, we do not share your results with anyone - only you choose to share your results.


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You receive a detailed report of your DNA story.

  1. It starts with the Human Origin Story from Africa—the origin of all humankind—starting 200,000 years ago.
  2. It is followed by a story of the formation of gene pools (genetic origins) some 50,000 years ago, with results showing which are most similar to your DNA.
  3. Next, you see an interactive, clickable map containing two migration journeys—one from each side of the family, including their subsequent migration stories. The migration routes include ancestral points of your DNA—the last of which includes the period of its formation.
  4. Finally, you receive a summary page with links to external research to help you learn more about your genetic origin.

The Starter test is an entry-level test that provides ancestral gene-pool percentages for four basic groups: Indigenous American, European–South Asian, East Asian, and sub-Sahara African. The Starter test also shows where DNA like yours is most prevalent in the world today.

The Starter test is available for purchase both on this site and in retail stores.

If you are interested in learning more about your ancestry, please consider the Advanced test. We developed this test with our customers in mind as they requested more details about their past. The Advanced test shows a more specific breakdown in your gene-pool percentages than the Starter test. It also combines the latest genetic research with a new ancestral tracking technique to precisely pinpoint DNA began, using the latest autosomal-DNA technology and algorithm. It also shows the DNA migration routes for both your maternal and paternal lines.

The Advanced test is available for purchase only at a drugstore near you.

Both tests use the same technology and provide the same information. The main difference is that the GPS Origins test includes your raw data to download, which is not included in the lab fee for the HomeDNA™ Advanced Ancestry test.
The HomeDNA™ Advanced Ancestry Test goes beyond broad ethnic/country classifications to identify your ancestral origins to a precise geographic location using an unprecedented number of gene pools and reference populations.

This is an Autosomal DNA test, also known as a SNP (pronounced “snip”) test. It extracts markers from your Y-Chromosome DNA, X-Chromosome DNA and Mitochondrial DNA.

There are four types of DNA:

  1. Y-DNA, which only occurs on the Y-chromosome, is passed down from father to son through the generations, and is only inherited by males
  2. X-DNA, which only occurs on the X-chromosome, is inherited by women from both parents, and by men from the mother
  3. Mitochondrial DNA (also known as mitochondria or mtDNA) is passed down through the maternal line, and is inherited by sons and daughters, but only passed on by females. It is the least changeable type of DNA, found outside the cell nucleus, not on a chromosome
  4. Autosomal DNA can be inherited from hundreds of thousands of your ancestors through the ages. Autosomal DNA can be found in 22 chromosomes, and provides 90% of your DNA

The Advanced ancestry test examines approximately 80,000 of your autosomal markers (SNPs) and compares them with the distinctive mutations in the gene pools of 1,000+ reference populations. This pinpoints the places and times where your DNA last changed.

The test looks at the genetic composition of your DNA—your DNA signature—and compares it to a database of over 10,000 signatures from 1,000+ populations with known geographic locations. This identifies the place where your DNA signature began about 1,000+ years ago.

We have identified over 41 gene pools around the world. Each human population is made up of a mixture of these gene pools. In the distant past, individual migrations were rare. Genetic mixing tended to occur when large groups of people moved from one area to another, through invasion or mass migration. As the incoming gene pool mixed with the local one, a new genetic signature was created across the whole population.

The test assumes that your DNA signature is unique to you but shares many characteristics with the populations or tribes from which it originated. By comparing your DNA to the signature mixes within different populations, this test can pinpoint the origin of your DNA.

The algorithm works out the differences, or genetic “distance” between your DNA and the DNA population signatures in our database, and converts them to geographic distances. Then, like a car satellite navigation system, it uses the distances to calculate the coordinates of your DNA origin, which mark the spot where your DNA most recently changed at the population level. It occurs when two different populations came together and created your DNA signature.

Using a similar method, the analysis then works backward to find two more points and plots the journey to where your DNA was mixed. It repeats this calculation for each element of your parental DNA.

The accuracy depends on your family history. If your parents are from the same place or two different locations, and not mixed themselves, the test can trace your DNA signature back to the country of origin 90% of the time. The test will predict the correct continent.

In a study of people from across the world, the algorithm predicted continental origins with 98% accuracy, assigned 83% of the individuals to their country of origin, and, where applicable, 66% of them to their regional locations.

If your ancestors were from Western Europe, and your parents came from the same region, not moving far from the place that they came from, the test will place your DNA signature within 50 miles of its true origin, and often closer.

Your results will show the origin as a point on a map. Any expected error appears as a circle around the point: the smaller the circle, the more accurate the result. The accuracy also depends on the size of the reference population in a given area; the larger the reference group, the more accurate the results will be.

The algorithm was developed at the University of Sheffield by the research team of Dr. Eran Elhaik who also developed the original algorithm published in a peer-reviewed paper in the highly respected Nature communications journal (Elhaik et al. 2014. Nature communications). In that article, the authors showed that the algorithm traced individuals back to their country, island, and the village of origins. The accuracy of the test was demonstrated by the DNA signature of ancient Ashkenazic Jews, formed some 1,500-2,000 years ago (Das et al. 2016. Genome Biology and Evolution).
This test does not include a raw-data download.
This test does not support raw-data uploads.

A gene pool is the collective set of genetic information within a distinct population which does not breed with others from outside of the group. So far, 41 human gene pools around the world have been identified with each human population made up of a mixture of these gene pools. In the distant past, genetic mixing tended to occur when large groups of people moved from one area to another, through invasion or mass migration. The Advanced test pinpoints the origin of your DNA by comparing it to the signature mixes in different populations.

See All Gene Pools

Also referred to as a study base, a reference population is a defined, representative sample of individuals during a specific time range used to establish norms for reference ranges. This test uses 1,000+ reference populations in its database when calculating your results. This large number of reference populations, obtained from publicly referenced datasets—along with the 41 gene pools—helps deliver the accuracy in your test results.

A gene pool is the collective set of genetic information within a distinct region where populations had limited interactions with populations from outside the group for up to about 20,000 or 60,000 years. So far, 41 human gene pools around the world have been identified with each human population made up of a mixture of several such gene pools. In the distant past, genetic mixing tended to occur when large groups of people moved from one area to another, through invasion or mass migration. This test pinpoints the origin of your DNA by comparing it to the signature mixtures in different populations. Your personalized report shows the complete percentages of DNA you inherited and provides you with the history of the top three gene pools.

A migration route is the path your DNA traveled over the past 2,000-4,000 years. This test traces your migration route back to where it originated and dates the age of your DNA signature. The test provides this information for both your parental lineages, indicating where your DNA began. Your results are detailed in a report that reveals a vibrant picture of where and how your ancestors lived, and the conditions that led them to migrate. It also contains maps illustrating the two most important migration journeys and describes how your ancestors’ circumstances changed as they crossed continents to find better lives.

The circle surrounding each data point represents a margin of error (or range).
This test calculates positions according to your DNA, gene pools, and over 1,000 reference populations. Occasionally, your genetic location may reside over a pond or river, but don’t be alarmed—it doesn’t mean your DNA has originated in the water! It just means the body of water is very close to the region where your DNA originated. Moreover, since our test establishes a location according to genetic proximity of your DNA and its similarities to various reference populations, you will also see a circle surrounding your data point, which represents a margin of error (or range) where your DNA may have formed.
This ancestry test does not report the geographic origins of individual ancestors, but rather, tells you the geographical origin of your DNA. You can be certain that some of your ancestors came from these places within the period indicated.

Discovering your genetic origins helps you get more geographical information beyond the written records of your family history. It can help you open up further avenues of research and you can learn more about the lives of your ancestors at the point in history when your DNA began.

Your “ancestral family” is much larger than your immediate family and you may be able to find out much more about their lives and culture with this test.

Because the Advanced test provides accurate locations, you can discover more about the places where your distant ancestors originated and start searching for records related to those specific places.

This test shows the origin of your DNA and those of users who choose to share it. Results are indicative of tribal DNA membership, but not necessarily direct familial relationships.
In the case that one of your parents is of mixed origins because your grandparents are from two different places (e.g., England and Greece), the migration lines for that parent would be traced along the middle migration paths of your grandparents (e.g., Hungary). This could be revealed via a larger circle (greater radius) around a pinpoint, reflecting higher uncertainty in this area. Remember, this test is the story of your DNA, and not necessarily of specific people. Their DNA (and yours!) may indeed have come from a region that no one remembers existed.

This test reports the results for two lineages (your parents), which may indicate your parental origins that were inherited from your maternal and paternal grandparents, and so on down the maternal and paternal lines.

If your grandparents and parents are of mixed ancestry, the test identifies the most dominant origins, which may differ between siblings because they inherited different genetic material from each parent.

For example, imagine that your parents have hazel and brown eyes. You and your sibling(s) may have blue, hazel, or brown eyes because each one of you inherited a different trait from each parent.

So which sibling’s test results are the “most correct?” They all are correct because each tells a story of different ancestral traits from your family. Despite coming from the same parents, the genetic traits of you and your sibling(s) may show the different path your ancestors have chosen. Combining sibling results together would yield your complete family story. The only siblings with the same result would be identical twins because they have identical DNA.

In the case that one of your parents is of mixed origins because your grandparents are from two different places (e.g., England and Greece), the migration lines for that parent may be traced along the middle migration paths of your grandparents (e.g., Hungary). This could be revealed via a larger circle (greater radius) around a stopping point, reflecting higher uncertainty in this area. Results from the Advanced test are the story of your DNA—not necessarily of people. Their DNA (and yours!) may indeed have come from a region that no one remembers existed.
This test always reports the results for two lineages, which should roughly correspond to the origin of your parents. The test works best for people with DNA from no more than two different places; that is to say, people whose parents are from different places but are not themselves mixed. For people with more mixing, say, four grandparents from various places across the globe, the test will report the midpoint between the four places.
If someone with a high percentage (+30%) of Native American ancestry is tested with the Advanced test, the report would reveal a high percentage of the North American gene pool and migration point(s). People with a more diverse genetic mixture may not show gene pools and migration points of origin in North America.
The test will tell you where your DNA is from and may help you get started on your search to finding your birth family and helping to build a family tree.

All test results are completely confidential. DDC® uses some of the most advanced security measures available for access, storage, and reporting. Unlike others, we do not share your results with anyone - only you choose to share your results.

Privacy Policy >

About This Brand

About This Brand

HomeDNA empowers you with valuable information contained in your own DNA. This targeted selection of easy, at-home genetic tests will help you make better health and wellness choices and provide important answers about family relationships both past and present. Brought to you by DNA Diagnostics Center (DDC), this innovative product line includes:


  • HomeDNA Ancestry Analysis + Report
  • Home DNA Healthy Weight Analysis + Report
  • HomeDNA Paternity Analysis + Report
  • HomeDNA Skin Care Analysis + Report


Established in 1995, DDC was founded on the belief that technological advancements in DNA testing should translate to services that are accessible and affordable to everyone. We have built an international reputation based on our commitment to reliability, innovation, and value by offering DNA testing services for paternity and other family relationships, forensics, animal breeders and veterinarians, and now wellness-inspired consumers. DDC's laboratory in Fairfield, Ohio is nationally and internationally recognized through multiple accreditations. 


As an industry leader in DNA testing we offer:

  • A fully-accredited laboratory with state-of-the-art technology and robotics to ensure accuracy
  • A large team of expert PhDs to conduct results screening, testing, and research
  • A secured facility with established screening protocols to guarantee privacy and security


For 23 years, we have earned the trust of our customers by carefully handling over 10 million DNA samples. Your sensitive DNA test results always remain confidential, and we will not sell your personal data to third parties. DDC is the DNA testing laboratory trusted around the world.

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