The Waves of the genetic genealogy and its underlying test methods is a termed invented on this site and described more fully here.
Based on the introduced three test methods, we also associate three waves in the field of genetic genealogy.
The first wave is based on CE sequencing technology. It focused on haplogroup analysis and yDNA STR testing and comparison as a way to show patriline matching among surname families and similar. This was the start of the industry around 2000 and dominated for most of the decade. Introduced also, but in a more minor way, was mtDNA testing for matriline analysis using similar technology. The mtDNA testing mostly focused on the two, small hypervariable (HV) regions.
The second wave is based on chip microarray testing technology. With its introduction to the consumer market in 2007 by 23andMe and the subsequent price drop to under $100 in 2010, this came to represent the dominant form. Especially after Ancestry entered the marker with their own product in 2014. This wave is mostly characterized by the use of the predominantly autosomal and xDNA testing results to create matching segments and databases of matches based on those segments. This really took hold early in the 2010 decade and continues well into the next. The yDNA and mtDNA SNPs included in the microarray testing did not get heavy utilization or replace the first wave in the first decade but are beginning to now. The 2nd generation NGG test with its 10,000+ yDNA SNPs is actually a microarray test and was the suggested entry point for members of this project.
The third wave is based on Next generation Sequencing (specifically clinical grade 30x WGS technology) that is used as the basis of ALL testing. Providing a more refined picture into almost all uses of DNA in genetic genealogy. Key is, like with the microarray testing in the second wave before, all the DNA is tested and reported on at one time. Of course, some vendors still choose to limit and restrict what is delivered and / or analyzed for the customer base. This phase started for yDNA and mtDNA only sequencing n the 2015 time frame and really ramped up with the introduction of under-$500 personal WGS testing by Dante Labs in 2018 and others in 2020 and later. Unfortunately, although the test method includes all forms of DNA useful to test in genetic genealogy, the tools in the genetic genealogy industry are not making use of this added information and adoption has been slow. Instead, most must use tools such as WGS Extract to bridge the gap between third wave testing and existing genetic genealogy tools. Even true for health analysis uses where most of the consumer tools are based on interpreting 2nd wave microarray testing results.
The three waves roughly correspond to decades in the genetic genealogy industry. Starting with the first in 2000 and continuing into the 3rd in 2020. But even by 2025, the third wave has not made significant inroads into genetic genealogy. And with FamilyTreeDNA reinterpreting their microarray database to include yDNA SNPs (they were after all using the same chip as the NGG test they supported), this project has reverted back to suggesting one start with the Family Finder test there.
Follow the links with each wave test method above to learn more details.
Based on the introduced three test methods, we also associate three waves in the field of genetic genealogy.
The first wave is based on CE sequencing technology. It focused on haplogroup analysis and yDNA STR testing and comparison as a way to show patriline matching among surname families and similar. This was the start of the industry around 2000 and dominated for most of the decade. Introduced also, but in a more minor way, was mtDNA testing for matriline analysis using similar technology. The mtDNA testing mostly focused on the two, small hypervariable (HV) regions.
The second wave is based on chip microarray testing technology. With its introduction to the consumer market in 2007 by 23andMe and the subsequent price drop to under $100 in 2010, this came to represent the dominant form. Especially after Ancestry entered the marker with their own product in 2014. This wave is mostly characterized by the use of the predominantly autosomal and xDNA testing results to create matching segments and databases of matches based on those segments. This really took hold early in the 2010 decade and continues well into the next. The yDNA and mtDNA SNPs included in the microarray testing did not get heavy utilization or replace the first wave in the first decade but are beginning to now. The 2nd generation NGG test with its 10,000+ yDNA SNPs is actually a microarray test and was the suggested entry point for members of this project.
The third wave is based on Next generation Sequencing (specifically clinical grade 30x WGS technology) that is used as the basis of ALL testing. Providing a more refined picture into almost all uses of DNA in genetic genealogy. Key is, like with the microarray testing in the second wave before, all the DNA is tested and reported on at one time. Of course, some vendors still choose to limit and restrict what is delivered and / or analyzed for the customer base. This phase started for yDNA and mtDNA only sequencing n the 2015 time frame and really ramped up with the introduction of under-$500 personal WGS testing by Dante Labs in 2018 and others in 2020 and later. Unfortunately, although the test method includes all forms of DNA useful to test in genetic genealogy, the tools in the genetic genealogy industry are not making use of this added information and adoption has been slow. Instead, most must use tools such as WGS Extract to bridge the gap between third wave testing and existing genetic genealogy tools. Even true for health analysis uses where most of the consumer tools are based on interpreting 2nd wave microarray testing results.
The three waves roughly correspond to decades in the genetic genealogy industry. Starting with the first in 2000 and continuing into the 3rd in 2020. But even by 2025, the third wave has not made significant inroads into genetic genealogy. And with FamilyTreeDNA reinterpreting their microarray database to include yDNA SNPs (they were after all using the same chip as the NGG test they supported), this project has reverted back to suggesting one start with the Family Finder test there.
Follow the links with each wave test method above to learn more details.