Autosomal DNA tests capture a broad, recombined mix of DNA from all recent ancestors, making them ideal for identifying living cousins across all family lines. DNA companies like Ancestry, 23andMe, My Heritage, etc. provide tools to find DNA matches. GEDMatch provides tools to analyze and categorize DNA matches across the DNA companies.
Y-DNA, in contract, is passed strictly from father to son. By exploring direct paternal lineages and surnames, Y-DNA reliably bypasses recent genealogical deadlocks to map deep male heritage.
Autosomal matches provide short-term, family-wide clues, while targeted Y-DNA testing confirms specific paternal surnames and traces heritage much further back in time. To explore our direct paternal roots, we utilize FamilyTreeDNA, which is the primary provider for Y-DNA matching.