Y Chromosome – Male Inheritance

Y-DNA is inherited only by sons from their fathers. This chromosome mutates very slowly, allowing the tracing of a male line back many generations. Theoretically, all men can trace their Y-DNA to one man, known as Y-Adam. In genealogy, Y- DNA is useful in identifying other men who share the same haplogroup. Learning about their families through contact or research can help us find our male ancestors. According to Diahan Southard, the only genealogically valuable tester is FamilyTreeDNA. However, Y-DNA testing is also available at 23andMe and LivingDNA, among others.