THE BIG Y-700

Although it may seem expensive, the most powerful Y-DNA test on the market, manufactured by FamilyTreeDNA, provides a precise examination of thousands of markers, allowing you to dive deeper into your ancestry

The Big Y-700 is an advanced test from FTDNA that combines SNPs and STRs in a single test. There are about 56 million base pairs in the human Y-chromosome. The Big Y sequences roughly 23 million of these base pairs in the parts of the Y-chromosome that are known to be the most informative for building the Y-DNA haplotree. The Big Y not only reports known variants but is also a way of discovering new variants, some of which

might be unique to an individual. A minimum of 700 STRs are reported, and these include the 111 markers that have been tested with the traditional tests.

This will allow your results to be included in the existing FTDNA STR matching database. However, you will also benefit from being included in the Big Y matching database. The matches in this database are based on shared variants, and will provide more

accurate predictions of relationships.

Unfortunately, cutting-edge technology doesn’t come cheap. The Big Y currently costs $649 (£526), although if you shop wisely you may be able to pay about $500 in a sale. Next-generation sequencing tests are also available from Full Genomes Corporation and YSEQ, but you will not benefit from participation in a matching database with these tests.