Ancestry FAQ
Ancestry Report: What You’ll Discover
Our Ancestry Report brings together advanced population genetics and haplotype analysis to help you understand where your DNA comes from, both recently and deep in your maternal lineage. Below you’ll find updated, streamlined answers to the most common questions—refreshed to reflect how the report works today.
Getting Started with the Ancestry Report
Why am I being prompted to purchase a DNA kit?
To generate your Ancestry Report, we need sufficient genetic detail in your raw DNA data.
While we support uploads from some third‑party DNA providers, not all files include the haplotype markers required for accurate ancestry analysis. This also applies to older SelfDecode DNA files, which may predate the markers now used in the report.
If you’re unsure whether your existing DNA file is compatible, our support team is happy to check for you. Just shoot us an email at support@selfdecode.com
Lineage & Ancestry Types
Do you test paternal lineage?
At this time, the Ancestry Report focuses on maternal lineage through mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
Paternal lineage analysis is actively planned for a future release. As new lineage reports roll out, they’ll appear automatically in your dashboard when available.
What’s the difference between global ancestry and mitochondrial ancestry?
These two views of ancestry answer very different questions:
Global Ancestry
- Reflects ancestry from all family lines
- Most accurate for the past ~10–15 generations
- Shows the genetic contributions you inherited from parents, grandparents, and more recent ancestors
Mitochondrial (Maternal) Ancestry
- Traces your direct maternal line only (mother → grandmother → great‑grandmother, etc.)
- Can reach back thousands of years (up to ~8,000 generations)
- Remains largely unchanged over time
Because mtDNA is inherited differently, it can tell a completely different story than global ancestry. For example, you could have 100% Eastern European global ancestry while carrying a mitochondrial haplogroup that originated in East Asia thousands of years ago.
👉 Tip: Click on any haplogroup letter in your report to explore its history and migration patterns. You can also use the question‑mark icon in the report for a deeper explanation of the methodology.
How Your Results Are Calculated
How do you determine ancestry results?
On a genetic level, people tend to share more DNA with others from the same population or region.
Our ancestry algorithm works by:
- Segmenting your DNA
- Comparing each segment against 32 global reference populations
- Assigning ancestry based on genetic similarity across those regions
Your final report shows how your DNA connects—segment by segment—to these reference populations, producing a detailed and nuanced ancestry profile.
How accurate is the Ancestry Report?
Our ancestry model consistently performs at or above current industry standards.
Based on internal benchmarking and published research, the only other platforms with comparable ancestry accuracy today are:
- 23andMe
- AncestryDNA
- MyHeritage
Our algorithm meets—and in many cases exceeds—their performance by leveraging fine‑grained population comparisons and advanced phasing techniques.
The Ancestry Questionnaire
Why do I need to answer the ancestry questionnaire?
Even though we analyze your DNA directly, your questionnaire responses help us assign DNA segments to the correct parental chromosomes.
Here’s why that matters:
- DNA is read as pairs (e.g., AA, AT, GT)
- One value comes from your mother, the other from your father
- Without parental DNA, algorithms can only partially separate these
If your parents have different ancestral backgrounds, this can result in “scrambled” chromosomes, which slightly reduces accuracy.
By answering the questionnaire, you help us:
- Improve chromosome phasing (maternal vs. paternal)
- Increase ancestry accuracy, especially for admixed individuals
- Refine downstream analyses, including polygenic risk scores (PRS)
Your answers do not determine your ancestry—they simply help the algorithm assemble the results more precisely.
Additionally, ancestry information is used to calibrate health risk predictions, ensuring your results are compared against the most relevant genetic reference populations.
Explore More with SelfDecode
🤖 Meet Decody, Your AI Health Coach
Need help interpreting your ancestry or health data? DecodyGPT is built directly into your dashboard to guide you.
You can ask Decody things like:
- “What does this haplogroup mean?”
- “How does my ancestry affect my health reports?”
- “What should I explore next?”
✨ Want the Full Picture?
For the most complete SelfDecode experience, explore the Ultimate Bundle, which unlocks all premium reports in one discounted purchase:
- Ancestry Report
- Medical Reports
- Longevity Screener
- Pharmacogenetics (PGx)
- Carrier Status
You can upgrade directly from your dashboard at any time.
📧 Have questions or want sample reports? Email support@selfdecode.com — we’re here to help.