AncestryDNA launches in Canada and Australia

See links below for Canada & Australian orders

AncestryDNA has been officially launched in both Canada and Australia during the last week.

Not only is this good news for researchers in those countries, it's also good news for those who have already tested in the USA, Ireland and the UK because as the numbers of people being tested increases, so the number of potential matches increases for everyone in the database.

The official press release issued in Toronto yesterday says more than 850,000 people have had their dna tested. From this, my well-honed mathematical skills can calculate that some 150,000 have tested since the end of January when the AncestryDNA service arrived in Ireland/UK.

Announcing the news in Toronto, Christopher Labrecque, Country Manager for Ancestry Canada said: “Historical records on Ancestry.ca provide an insight into one’s recent past, but usually go around 200-300 years, so it’s incredibly exciting to be able to offer DNA testing that takes your family history experience back many hundreds and even thousands of years. AncestryDNA enables users to learn more than ever about where they came from and discover new family lines and relatives. It really is the ultimate family history experience.”

The AncestryDNA test uses microarray-based autosomal DNA testing to look at more than 700,000 locations across an individual’s entire genome through a simple saliva sample. The company says that its approach provides a much more detailed look at one’s family history than other existing Y-chromosome and mitochondrial DNA tests that only look at specific branches of a person’s family tree.

In a recent survey, more than three-quarters of Canadians stated they would consider having their DNA tested to discover more about where their ancestors came from. Many said they know very little about their own family history, with 42 per cent indicating that they do not know where their grandparents were born, and 30 per cent stating they do not know where their ancestors lived before coming to Canada.

AncestryDNA kits are now available for purchase from dna.ancestry.ca for CAD$149 plus shipping and from dna.ancestry.com.au for AUS$149 plus shipping.


NOTE, 14 June: AncestryDNA has a 10% discount for Father's Day, 21 June (not Australia). Click below.