Should You Research Y-DNA Pseudoautosomal Regions? | Genetic Genealogy

[@TrevorGrismore]

I hadn't even heard of these pseudoautosomal regions before. It doesn't sound like they provide any genealogical value with current tests, but are interesting to learn about if you're really into the genetic side of genetic genealogy.

[@angelajohnson9979]

My son's dad has an unknown male as dad. I wanted to do Y DNA to see if we could find his biological dad. Is this possible?

[@hannibalbarca4372]

Yes, it's possible, you order a Y test for tour son, a Y37 FTDNA test should be a good start (You'll see if your son has "Y matches" at 37 Markers level (or not)). However, the best way to find your son's Paternal Grandfather is to test your son's father by Autosomal DNA (Ancestry + 23andMe then upload everywhere : FTDNA, HyHeritage, GEDmatch....). If the father isn't willing to test, test your son...

[@TrevorGrismore]

I've got an answer, it's long but I hope it helps. Personally, I would start with an autosomal DNA test. The Y-DNA test is good for tracing migration patterns, finding surnames, and seeing where distant relatives live, but it's not as useful for finding someone as closely related as your son's grandfather. It can be helpful, but I wouldn't start there. I would take a regular DNA test with Ancestry because they have the largest database of test takers. If you have the money, I would get two tests: one for your son and one for your son's father. You only NEED to test your son OR his father, but testing both could make the process a little easier for narrowing down matches. This is what I would do if your son's father got the test: Once his test has come in, go to his DNA matches. With an Ancestry subscription, you should be able to automatically filter his results by parent. Use the filter to remove the maternal matches, and the only thing you'll be left with are his father's matches. If you're really lucky, his father will have also taken a test and he will be the top match sharing 50% DNA. I doubt you'll get that lucky, so I would look at his closest matches first. They are the matches he's most closely related to. See if there are last names that appear multiple times. That's where I would start researching. I'd build a rough family tree using the matches and their trees first, then use paper records to fill in the blanks. To determine how these matches might be related to your son's father, I would use the Shared cM Project tool and the What Are The Odds tool on DNA Painter. It's a separate website to Ancestry and I've found it to be very useful. All of these tools combined should help you make sense of how all the matches are related. Once you're comfortable, I'd reach out to the closest match, explain your situation, and ask them questions. Don't be discouraged if they question you, don't respond, or outright block you. You just have to move on to the next person. If only your son takes the test, it's more complicated but pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Once your son's test has come in, go to his DNA matches. If you have an Ancestry subscription, you can begin to organize your matches into clusters. Ancestry allows you to assign matches to color-coded groups, and then you can filter matches by that color. Since you are looking for his grandfather, I would cluster your son's matches into four color-coded groups for each of his four grandparents (For this example, we will color his maternal grandmother (your mom) blue, his maternal grandfather (your dad) green, his paternal grandmother (his dad's mom) red, and his paternal grandfather (his dad's dad, the man you are looking for) yellow. Now, let's say your son knows three of his closest matches: an aunt on his dad's side, an uncle and a cousin on your side. Let's start with the aunt. All of the matches he has in common with her will be his paternal grandmother's relatives, so they can all be colored red. The uncle, let's say he's a match on your dad's side. All of the matches your son has in common with his uncle can be colored green. Finally, the cousin. Let's say he's a match on your mom's side. The matches your son has in common with the cousin can be colored blue. Once those three matches are done, most of your son's close matches will be colored blue, green, and red. There won't be any yellow matches colored. If there any close matches left uncolored after this, they are most likely relatives of your son's unknown grandfather. Select the closest uncolored match, and look at the relatives they have in common with your son and color them yellow. Now, filter the matches so that you see only the matches that are colored yellow. Those are the unknown grandfather's relatives. After that, you basically do what I wrote about in the second paragraph: Look for last names that appear multiple times, build a rough family tree using trees of close relatives and paper records, and use the Shared cM Project tool and the What Are The Odds tool on DNA Painter to fill in the blanks. Finally once you're ready, reach out to the closest match and explain who you're looking for. I didn't know my father when I first took my DNA test. I got lucky because I thought I knew his last name (Kern). When my results came in, my closest match was to a woman named Patricia Kern. She ended up being my grandmother. Of my 6 closest matches, three had my father's last name Kern, and two had my last name Grismore, so it was pretty simple to put the pieces together. Patricia reached out to me, I explained my situation to her, and she said she was afraid I was a con-man and blocked me. It hurt at first, but I realized I wasn't missing out on anything because I never knew her to begin with. Plus, she's in her 80's and probably worries about scammers online, so I can't really blame her for not believing I'm her grandchild. I tell you that story because that might be the reaction you get from some people. Don't let it bother you too much, you just have to keep going without their help. I hope this comment helps you. I also hope I wasn't confusing. I should add I'm not a geneticist or a professional genealogist, I've just been down this road before and have helped other people find their family. Good luck.

[@angelajohnson9979]

my son's dad is deceased. the others don't know anything or so they say. i am totally out of luck.

[@Demetri450]

Segments? Are they referring to genetic materials?

[@behunin1963]

So do are sudos what cause the male Y to mutate? My thoughts are you get 2Y or 1Y sudos from dad, sorry girls it just is, and then a guy gets X from mom. Does the missing sudo get back filled from the X chromo or does it stay blank? Either of which could contribute to mutation.

[@mariacapaldi5062]

Thanks Andy!

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

You bet!

[@PC-lu3zf]

I thought they were non in the Y as it’s excluded from 23 and me plus Gedmatch

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Correct, they don't show you anything on the Y. You would have to look at those segments manually. (Sounds like a science project for me and my brothers)

[@tinaarnold1607]

What about double cousins.My family has a few

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

I have some videos on Double cousins

[@matthewjohnson6360]

I pretty much knew that by watching Traced Nathaniel Jeanson.

[@lawilks1]

My daughter got my Y-Chromsome and a couple of my nieces got their father as well. The statement that females don't inherit the Y-Chromosome is incorrect,

[@lawilks1]

@@gruilen I have t disagree with this statement as they did not know that she was my daughter until they compared her DNA with my DNA. But let's just say you're right, my nieces also have their father Y-Chromosome. Now before respond to this just know that one of my niece's fathers has not done his DNA so how could she have it if 23andme just out it in? If 23andme just fills it in why don't they do it for all of them?

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

23andMe will display a Y haplogroup for females if there is another DNA kit that is identified as a brother or father through DNA. You can know this by looking at the chromosome painter and seeing whether 1 X is painted (male) or 2 X are painted (female). Also in the browser, if you compare yourself to your daughter, then the X chromosome should show a half match across the entire chromosome.

[@utubeblaw]

I wrote 1st comment! ( my 1st ever!) ;) ok more jokes Why ask y-DNA? I got one more.. Andy Please tell us about y-DNA BUT PLEASE don't go 'man-splain'in' the X chromosome! :)

[@PC-lu3zf]

X chromosome I’ve lots of matches

[@FamilyHistoryFanatics]

Awesome.