DNA Results
How to Read the Results
You can see the raw results by clicking on the link below, but before you do, read this primer on interpreting the results.
1. Different participants have tested different numbers of markers. The way the tests work, a person can elect to have 12, 25, 37, or 67 markers tested. These are specific spots on the Y chromosome which is passed only from father to son. When you look at the table, you’ll see that not every participant has a number in every column. Some only tested 12 markers, some 25, some 37, some 67. It was their personal choice. Eventually it would be great for everyone to have 67 markers so we can compare apples with apples.
2. Don’t worry about the specific numbers in the columns. The numbers themselves aren’t important. It’s comparing the numbers that gives us information. If, for example, you have a lottery ticket, you just want the numbers drawn on television to match the ones on your ticket, in the right order. There’s no particular significance to the numbers themselves; it’s just a question of whether they match or not.
3. The colored squares show the markers that don’t match. The computer looks at all the samples, and for each marker it figures out what the most common value is. If most of the samples have a 12 in the first spot (which all the Bacharachs do), then that is the most common value or “Modal” value. The “Mode” is listed across the top. Any place where an individual differs from the mode will show up as a color. This is the easiest way to see where participants vary from each other. If one individual has all white squares, he matches the mode 100%. If another has one colored square, he has a genetic difference of one from both the mode and the individual who matches the mode. By looking at where the colored squares are, it’s possible to see how closely the individuals within the group match each other. The chart below shows ONLY the markers where all Bacharach participants don’t match.
DYS 464 Anomaly
Now the explanation about the DYS464 marker. Normally there will be four copies of this, labeled 464a-464d. There is, however, a small percentage of Y-DNA samples which contain more than four. Of the Bacharachs who have had at least 25 markers tested, all but one have two additional copies: 464e and 464f. The other person’s results from the lab do not show these two extra copies due to a clerical error which hasn’t been corrected to show on the chart yet. Remember, this is an extremely rare occurrence, which increases the likelihood of a common ancestor for these men.