Genelex offers two DNA testing options to confirm Native American heritage.

Paternal Line Native American Test or Common Male Ancestor (Y-chromosome for males only) examines DNA from the paternal line (i.e., the Y-chromosome comes from the participant’s Father’s, Father’s, Father, etc.) for genetic markers unique to Native Americans. Three major haplogroups account for 96% of Native American male Y chromosomes. The three haplogroups are called Haplogroup Q, C and R. Haplogroups Q and C represent early Native American founding male lineages. Haplogroup R lineages, present in Native Americans, are believed by scientists to most likely have come from recent admixture with Europeans.

Maternal Line Native American Test or Common Female Ancestor (mtDNA for males or females) examines DNA from the maternal line (i.e., the mtDNA comes from the participant’s Mother’s, Mother’s, Mother, etc.) for genetic markers unique to Native Americans. Nearly all Native Americans belong to one of five mtDNA haplogroups: A, B, C, D or X which are broadly distributed throughout the Americas. (Peopling of America Map, Schurr et al 2002)

A new study indicates that 95% of Native Americans can be traced to six women. These “founding mothers” are believed to have lived between about 18,000 and 21,000 years ago, in Beringia, a now-submerged land bridge that once connected Asia and North America. The six founding mothers belong to sub-haplogroups A2, B2, C1b, C1c, C1d and D1. The other 5% of Native Americans belong to sub-haplogroups X2a, D2, D3, C4 and D4h3. (Achilli et al 2008)