Y-DNA and mtDNA

Your cells have other DNA that can be tested

Two other types of DNA do not recombine, so are passed down the generations in a near-unaltered state. Y-chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) is only carried by men, and is passed from a father to his sons. As such it tracks male descent only. However, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is found within every nucleic cell in our body, since it provides the energy to make it function, and is passed from a mother to her children, both male and female. Because these types of DNA are never broken, they can be used to track the migration and origin of specific lineages, although Y-DNA represents only a very small portion of a man’s total genome so cannot be used to infer large population movements. Admixture using autosomal DNA is much more representative for this purpose.