What is the DNA Ancestry Project?

The DNA Ancestry Project is a online database built on a Web 2.0 platform which connects genealogists from around the world and facilitates genetic genealogy research through user to user connections and user to laboratory data source connections.

Once participants obtain their ancestral markers through Genebase, participation in many of the search and analysis features of the project is free. The Project aims to connect people with new developments in Genetic Genealogy by providing a direct link from users to scientific studies. As new studies and data become available, the data is available for searching and comparison by project members. Finding a match in the scientific databases can help users to make new discoveries and family connections across many generations.

The database contains “deep ancestry” data and studies (for tracing lineage back tens of thousands of years) as well as “family genealogy” data (for recent family studies tracing lines over the past few hundred years).

The database contains user data from around the world and continues to grow as membership grows. The family tree feature automatically links various lineages together to facilitate collaborative genetic genealogy studies between different family members to uncover the roots of different lines of the family tree. The database accepts user data which allows comparisons between active users in the project, as well as data from scientific studies which allows users to compare their data to real scientific studies.

The project contains the following database types:

• Y-DNA STR database - For tracing surnames and ancestry on the paternal line.
• Y-DNA SNP database - For tracing deep ancestry on the paternal line.
• mtDNA mutation/SNP database - For tracing ancestry on the maternal line.
• mtDNA sequence - For full mtDNA analysis and comparisons.

User-to-User Comparisons

The database facilitates the comparison of data between active users in the system to allow users to link up to other users and the system to look for matches, discover connections and look for geographical or ethnic correlations.

User to Scientific Studies Analysis

This feature allows users to connect their data to findings from the latest scientific studies and research data. As new findings emerge from various fields of study, the database will facilitate the interaction of users with the findings of the study so that users can see how the studies can shed light on their own data.

Who can join?

Anyone who has had their ancestral markers tested at Genebase will automatically become part of the DNA Ancestry Project.

History of the DNA Ancestry Project

1998 - Traditional DNA testing methods
Genetrack Biolabs processed Y-DNA and mtDNA testing and released results documents directly to clients.

October 2005 - Genebase Database Launched
Clients required a method to compare their DNA results with other clients. The first version of Genebase was launched in 2005 based on a Web 2.0 platform to allow DNA testing recipients to interact with each other and to compare DNA data. This version of Genebase only allows Y-DNA STR data and does not store Y-DNA SNP or mtDNA data.

August 2006 - Genebase 2.0 version developed
The second version of Genebase was developed to accomodate Y-DNA SNPs, and mtDNA data. The official launch of version 2.0 was held back pending completion of the GEDCOM feature.

May 2007 - Genebase 2.0 version launched
The newest version of Genebase is GEDCOM compatible and the database accomodates Y-DNA and mtDNA data, SNPs and full sequences.