Understanding our results pages 

A detailed spreadsheet displaying our project participants’ Y-111 and lower STR results are posted in our project’s “Y-DNA Results Overview.” 

This single report consolidates the two legacy reports (classic and colorized) now giving us the option to view the colorized differences or to view the same chart without colorization. We now have the additional option of toggling min/max/mode off and on.

You can also find SNP results in our results overview report. Big Y tests will have a complete SNP path available. Other tests that display just a single SNP or group of SNPs include members who have a confirmed Family Finder-assigned haplogroup or a My Heritage or Genographic 2.0 transfer, as well as members who tested a single SNP or pack of SNPs. (The Genographic project is no longer active, and the SNP packs and individual SNPs are no longer offered). A detailed list of all of our Big Y tester’s SNPs (both positive and negative) can also be accessed from our results page, as well as a map showing locations for our earliest known ancestors and a group time tree, useful for comparing haplogroup origins. 

Most of our results are manually sub-grouped by lineage. These lineages are defined by SNP test results, STR test results, and genealogies, both member-supplied and collaborative. Our subgroups are updated periodically as we add new members or as existing members upgrade.

Our Stevenson-Stephenson project includes testers from several major haplogroups. The majority of our members have R1b ancestry, with R-M269 (R1b1a1b) our most common haplogroup, as it is across much of western Europe. Our second-largest haplogroup represented is I1 (I-M253) another haplogroup common in western Europe and among Scots and Irish men. 

Our group also has several I-M223 men, as well as testers from E, G, and J. 

While our project members have historically been grouped using STRs, we now are able to provide more definition to our lineages and sub-lineages thanks to our members who have taken advanced SNP tests. Big Y tests define specific branches on the giant tree of mankind and greatly improve age estimates, making it more likely that we will eventually identify our common ancestors, if not by name, at least by location and approximate date. 

That’s why we encourage anyone who is able to sponsor or co-sponsor a Big Y along their presumed family line. 

Each person testing helps all of us!

Using our results pages

Some members might find it helpful to turn off colorization and min/max/mode to make the results chart easier to read when scanning for kit numbers, earliest known ancestors, countries of origin, or haplogroups. Adding those values in allows for more detailed analysis, with markers that differ from the modal values highlighted and color coded.

Be sure to read the explanations at the top of each chart, and use the imbedded links to find articles on understanding test results. They explain concepts such as fast-moving vs. slow-moving markers, and how the STR differences are coded. Consider using the drop downs to sort by the number of STRs tested when you need to limit the data to more informative testing levels, or to fit all of our project tests on one page. 

You can also set the ‘page size’ filter to your preference. A setting of 300 will display all of our project members’ results. 

Finally, you can search the entire chart by clicking “show advanced filter” to search by kit number, paternal ancestor name, country, or haplogroup.

Remember that tests that report 12, 25, 37, 67, or 111 markers are STR-only tests, while Big Y tests (Y500 or Y700) report both STRs and SNPs.

Diving into Y-DNA research can be challenging, but extremely rewarding. If you have questions, please post them to our Activity Feed if they are more general in nature, or reach out to our administrator via email with specific questions about your test. And don’t forget to join in on the discussions on FTDNA’s Y-DNA Facebook group, or on Facebook pages for any haplogroup projects you might have joined.

Happy researching!

Initialisms

EKA – earliest known ancestor(s)

FTDNA – Family Tree DNA

SNP – single nucleotide polymorphism

STR – short tandem repeat