Heritage Album

I know little of my family history. Can I have my DNA looked at to determine my ancestry?

I only know a sliver of my family tree. I know there's a science to tracking DNA profiles for ancestry. Is this accessible to anyone in the general public?

Public Comments

1. It is accessible now. Many companies are offering this for a fee, from about $800 to $2500. Some or more reputable than others, and there are a lot of bad ones out there. A good firm should offer genetic counseling and follow up access as new data comes out. I read about one today that tags the data in terms of how solid it is. I like that idea. Stay away from any company offering to tell you where you get your sense of humor, whether you could be a good dancer, or what you should eat. We don't know that much at this point. I think yours is a good reason to be tested. For people with access to their family history, it's questionable.
2. There are cheaper ways to do it. One of the best sites is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons). Even if there are no LDS in your family, the records may be there.