08 November 2016

MyHeritage DNA

Israel-based internationally active MyHeritage has entered the genetic genealogy business, a market that getting increasingly crowded.

Here's information from the company

Our mass-market home-testing kit is simple, affordable and will help millions of people around the world uncover their ethnic origins and make new family connections.

The kit consists of a simple cheek swab and takes only a minute to complete, with no need for blood or saliva. The sample is then mailed to MyHeritage DNA’s lab for analysis and the user is invited to view the results on the MyHeritage website. In its initial version, MyHeritage DNA provides two main features: detailed ethnicity reports that map the user’s ethnic and geographic origins, and DNA Matches for finding relatives. Additional features and capabilities are planned for the future.

The initial reports currently include 25 ethnicities, but this will improve dramatically thanks to MyHeritage’s unique Founder Population project unveiled today — the largest of its kind ever conducted. More than 5000 participants have been handpicked for this project by MyHeritage from its 85 million members, by virtue of their family trees exemplifying consistent ancestry from the same region or ethnicity for many generations. In the next few months, the project will be completed, resulting in a rich DNA data set of more than 100 ethnicities that will enable MyHeritage to show users their ancestral roots with far greater resolution than other services. To this end, the company has been sending its DNA kits to project participants far and wide, from Uzbekistan to Fiji, from Greenland to South Africa, and every corner of the globe. Standard ethnicity reports are currently available, with the expert reports to be released at no additional cost to users following the completion of the Founder Population project. 

MyHeritage DNA is seamlessly integrated with the other services provided by MyHeritage on all web and mobile platforms, as well as offered on a dedicated standalone mobile app released today named MyHeritage DNA.

MyHeritage DNA kits are available at the affordable introductory price of $79 + shipping (prices vary by location). MyHeritage has already amassed a significant number of DNA kits uploaded by its users from other DNA services, providing valuable matches on MyHeritage from day one. Users who have already tested their DNA on other services are welcome for a limited time to upload their DNA data to MyHeritage at no cost to benefit from free DNA Matches.

To learn more about MyHeritage DNA please visit https://www.myheritagedna.com.

If you've already taken an autosomal DNA test with another company you can upload those results to MyHeriatge DNA, seemingly without charge. However, unless you have a MyHeritage subscription you won't be able to contact any matches.

Bloggers who specialize in genetic genealogy have already posted on their experience.  Start with this post by Debbie Kennett and follow her links.

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