Ancestry® has published white papers (detailed, authoritative reports) about how we determine our ancestral regions, ancestral journeys, DNA matches, and traits. The white papers are linked below.
Ancestral regions
Our ancestral regions white paper outlines the science behind our statistical estimation of the historical origins of your DNA. By comparing the DNA of the people in our database to the DNA of people of each region in our global reference panel, we determine the degree of similarity and create an estimate based on that analysis.
Ancestral journeys
Our ancestral journeys white paper explains our Genetic Communities™ technology. It shows how we find groups of interconnected DNA matches and use their aggregated family trees to identify their ancestors’ migration patterns. By studying data from the over 28 million people who’ve taken an AncestryDNA® test, we can make detailed predictions about ancestral journeys and uncover the stories those journeys tell.
DNA matching
Our matching white paper describes the process by which we determine how people in our DNA database are related to one another. Using identical-by-descent analysis, we identify pairs of customers who have long segments of identical DNA that’s suggestive of a recent common ancestor. The number of these shared segments predicts the closeness of the relationship.
Traits
Our traits white paper outlines the science behind our method for predicting customers' physical and behavioral traits based on their DNA data. By reviewing existing scientific research and performing our own genetic-trait association analyses, we're able to identify DNA markers associated with numerous traits. Based on these markers, we predict customers' traits and offer the results in an engaging report.
