What is genetic distance?
Genetic distance is a term used to describe the degree of mismatch between two Y-DNA test results. In general, the greater the genetic distance between two DNA samples, the further you must go back in time to find a common ancestor. While genetic distance can be a useful way to evaluate the likelihood of relatedness, it should not be considered “proof” of relatedness. The science of genetics is still evolving and there are several different methods currently being used to calculate genetic distance. The calculation algorithm used for this project produces similar results as the one used by the FTDNA Genetic Distance Report.
Genetic distance is the number of differences, or mutations, between two sets of results. For example, if two men test DYS # 393 and one of them scores a 12 and the other is a 13, but their results are otherwise identical, there is a genetic distance of one and they are a one-step mutation match. However, if the first man scores an 11 and the second scores a 13, then there are two mutations on the same marker, so the genetic distance is two.
Genetic distance is the number of differences, or mutations, between two sets of results. For example, if two men test DYS # 393 and one of them scores a 12 and the other is a 13, but their results for all the other markers are identical, there is a genetic distance of one and they are a one-step mutation match. However, if the first man scores an 11 and the second scores a 13, then there are two mutations on the same marker, so the genetic distance is two.
Genetic distance is the number of differences, or mutations, between two sets of results. For example, if two men test DYS # 393 and one of them scores a 12 and the other is a 13, but their results are otherwise identical, there is a genetic distance of one and they are a one-step mutation match. However, if the first man scores an 11 and the secon …
