If you are new to DNA testing for genealogy, you probably wonder why only males can be tested for this project. The chart and explanation below show how the sex of a child is determined by the presence or absence of a Y chromosome. We are fortunate that the sex chromosomes are different from the other 22 pairs of chromosomes. The Y and X chromosomes are so different that they do not exchange genetic material (DNA). The Y chromosome is passed from father to son only and contains no DNA from the mother. These properties allow us to use the Y chromosome to track the male line only, making it a very powerful tool for genealogy.

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