Can someone help me find out about my father's ancestry?

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Question:

I have grown up not knowing much about my father!. My mother did not know him very well and thinks he was of Australian & Polynesian roots!. We have tried to track him down previously but he does not vote and may have changed his name!. I know all about the nationalities of my mother's ancestors but nothing of my father's and I would like to find out!. I have heard about DNA ancestry testing but I am very confused!. Can someone please tell me the best DNA test to find out about his ancestors nationalities or some other way I could!?

` Brandt!.

All help would be greatly appreciated!.

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Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Y DNA is passed from father to son only!. Mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to both sons and daughters but only the daughters pass it on to their children!. Both are used in genealogy testing as they go back in a straight line virtually unchanged!. It is valuable and helping people match with other family trees!.

However, your Y DNA will not give you any information on the background of your paternal grandmother and other ancestors who married into your direct Y DNA line!. They are a part of you also!.

FamilyTreeDNA is the oldest testing company for genealogy DNA!.

http://www!.familytreedna!.com/

Now, most of your DNA is Autosomal which you get from both parents coming down from all your ancestors!. Except for your reproductive system it is the DNA that determines your genetic pattern!. Using Autosomal is more complicated!. A lot of companies state they are working to use it in the future!. DNATribes uses it to help identify your DNA with populations all over the world but it isn't broken down between mother and father!.

As you go back the number of people you descend from pyramids!. If you get back to your 6xgreat grandparents(that is 9 generations including yourself), barring any duplicates, you are directly descended from 510 individuals!. Of those 510 individuals only 8 will have your Y DNA and only 8 will have your Mitochondrial DNA!. So Autosomal would be the only testiing that would give you some idea as to your somehwat ethnic or racial heritage!.

Now since each child does not inherit the same genetic pattern, your siblings would have some differences in their Autosomal DNA, but your Y & Mitochondrial would be exact!.

http://www!.DNATribes!.Com

When you go into their website, there is a way you can send them an email and ask questions!.

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Meet the contemporaries of your father and evenolder people in and around!. Record what ever they say about your father's ancestry!. Go to the church and verify the register!. Go to the village where your father was born, meet the elderly people and hear from them about!. Perhaps even the primary school your father attended may have registers with some informationWww@QuestionHome@Com

http://www!.npr!.org/templates/story/story!.!.!.

Check out this article and links on NPR!. Good luck!Www@QuestionHome@Com