yDNA Marker Mutation Rates

One of the first questions people ask after receiving a yDNA test results is, “So, what does this mean?”  Below are two PDFs and several really good links that explain how to interpret your yDNA test results.

Once you understand how to interpret, you may want to take it a step further. Not all yDNA STR markers are created equally. Meaning the yDNA marker mutation rates vary between each STR result. This is somewhat problematic because we often use a simple genetic distance calculation to describe the likelihood of a match between one yDNA test result and another. This genetic distance calculation the total number of mutations without regard for the mutation rate of the individual STR markers and since they mutate at different rates, the genetic distance calculation is inherently flawed.

The chart below shows the actual mutation rates for each marker in the first 37 markers of a yDNA test result.  The fact that the numbers represent the standard deviation of the alleles is unimportant for most researchers. What is important to know is that the higher the number, the faster the rate of mutation. Knowing mutation rates is extremely useful when comparing results to other study participants.

For example, a mutation for marker 16 – with a slow rate of 0.18 – indicates a significant decrease in the likelihood of a close genetic relationship, since that marker mutates at a low frequency. On the other hand, a mutation for marker 13 – with a fast rate of 0.95 – is less significant since that marker is expected to mutate much more frequently.

In each of the two tables below, the 10 fastest mutating markers are indicated in yellow, while the 10 slowest mutating markers are indicated in orange. For ease of reference, the tables are sorted differently – the first by marker, the second by mutation rate.

yDNA Marker Mutation Rates

 

STR Mutation Rates Per Generation
Sorted By STR ID Sorted By Mutation Rate
STR Mutation Rate FLUXUS STR Mutation Rate
per Generation Weight per Generation
DYS393 0.00070 27 CDYa 0.01877
DYS390 0.00268 7 CDYb 0.01877
DYS19 0.00134 14 DYS712 0.01877
DYS391 0.00209 9 DYS449 0.00939
D385a 0.00171 11 DYS576 0.00939
D385b 0.00375 5 DYS570 0.00939
DYS426 0.00010 179 DYS710 0.00939
DYS388 0.00015 126 DYS650 0.00939
DYS439 0.00469 4 DYS458 0.00626
DYS389i 0.00209 9 DYS534 0.00626
DYS392 0.00075 25 DYS714 0.00626
DYS389b 0.00313 6 DYS504 0.00626
DYS458 0.00626 3 DYS439 0.00469
D459a 0.00034 55 DYS447 0.00469
D459b 0.00110 17 D464c 0.00469
DYS455 0.00008 221 DYS456 0.00469
DYS454 0.00006 300 DYS481 0.00469
DYS447 0.00469 4 DYS549 0.00469
DYS437 0.00110 17 D385b 0.00375
DYS448 0.00209 9 D464d 0.00375
DYS449 0.00939 2 D413a 0.00375
D464a 0.00268 7 DYS557 0.00375
D646b 0.00313 6 DYS446 0.00375
D464c 0.00469 4 Y-GATA-A10 0.00375
D464d 0.00375 5 DYS532 0.00375
DYS460 0.00313 6 DYS715 0.00375
Y-GATA-H4 0.00235 8 DYS510 0.00375
YCIIa 0.00075 25 DYS389b 0.00313
Yciib 0.00171 11 D646b 0.00313
DYS456 0.00469 4 DYS460 0.00313
DYS607 0.00313 6 DYS607 0.00313
DYS576 0.00939 2 DYS442 0.00313
DYS570 0.00939 2 DYS444 0.00313
CDYa 0.01877 1 DYS533 0.00313
CDYb 0.01877 1 DYS390 0.00268
DYS442 0.00313 6 D464a 0.00268
DYS438 0.00012 162 DYS513 0.00268
DYS531 0.00043 44 DYS552 0.00268
DYS578 0.00008 222 DYS635 0.00268
F395s1 0.00032 58 Y-GATA-H4 0.00235
F395s2 0.00033 57 DYS522 0.00235
DYS590 0.00005 400 DYS391 0.00209
DYS537 0.00089 21 DYS389i 0.00209
DYS641 0.00031 60 DYS448 0.00209
DYS472 0.00006 314 DYF406S1 0.00209
DYF406S1 0.00209 9 DYS520 0.00209
DYS511 0.00144 13 DYS441 0.00209
DYS425 0.00005 400 DYS461 0.00209
D413a 0.00375 5 D413b 0.00188
D413b 0.00188 10 D385a 0.00171
DYS557 0.00375 5 Yciib 0.00171
DYS594 0.00029 65 DYS505 0.00171
DYS436 0.00006 330 DYS463 0.00171
DYS490 0.00011 173 DYS495 0.00156
DYS534 0.00626 3 DYS540 0.00156
DYS450 0.00014 139 DYS525 0.00156
DYS444 0.00313 6 DYS643 0.00156
DYS481 0.00469 4 DYS511 0.00144
DYS520 0.00209 9 DYS452 0.00144
DYS446 0.00375 5 DYS19 0.00134
DYS617 0.00082 23 DYS561 0.00134
DYS568 0.00035 53 DYS497 0.00134
DYS487 0.00110 17 DYS572 0.00117
DYS572 0.00117 16 DYS485 0.00117
DYS640 0.00036 52 D459b 0.00110
DYS492 0.00009 207 DYS437 0.00110
DYS565 0.00052 36 DYS487 0.00110
DYS710 0.00939 2 DYS716 0.00104
DYS485 0.00117 16 DYS445 0.00099
DYS632 0.00005 392 DYS587 0.00099
DYS495 0.00156 12 DYS537 0.00089
DYS540 0.00156 12 DYS617 0.00082
DYS714 0.00626 3 DYS556 0.00082
DYS716 0.00104 18 DYS589 0.00082
DYS717 0.00075 25 DYS392 0.00075
DYS505 0.00171 11 YCIIa 0.00075
DYS556 0.00082 23 DYS717 0.00075
DYS549 0.00469 4 DYS393 0.00070
DYS589 0.00082 23 DYS565 0.00052
DYS522 0.00235 8 Y-GGAAT-1B07 0.00049
DYS494 0.00020 92 DYS638 0.00046
DYS533 0.00313 6 DYS531 0.00043
DYS636 0.00023 82 DYS640 0.00036
DYS575 0.00008 232 DYS568 0.00035
DYS638 0.00046 41 D459a 0.00034
DYS462 0.00034 56 DYS462 0.00034
DYS452 0.00144 13 F395s2 0.00033
DYS445 0.00099 19 F395s1 0.00032
Y-GATA-A10 0.00375 5 DYS641 0.00031
DYS463 0.00171 11 DYS594 0.00029
DYS441 0.00209 9 DYS434 0.00025
Y-GGAAT-1B07 0.00049 38 DYS636 0.00023
DYS525 0.00156 12 DYS494 0.00020
DYS712 0.01877 1 DYS593 0.00016
DYS593 0.00016 114 DYS726 0.00016
DYS650 0.00939 2 DYS388 0.00015
DYS532 0.00375 5 DYS450 0.00014
DYS715 0.00375 5 DYS438 0.00012
DYS504 0.00626 3 DYS490 0.00011
DYS513 0.00268 7 DYS426 0.00010
DYS561 0.00134 14 DYS492 0.00009
DYS552 0.00268 7 DYS435 0.00009
DYS726 0.00016 118 DYS455 0.00008
DYS635 0.00268 7 DYS578 0.00008
DYS587 0.00099 19 DYS575 0.00008
DYS643 0.00156 12 DYS454 0.00006
DYS497 0.00134 14 DYS472 0.00006
DYS510 0.00375 5 DYS436 0.00006
DYS434 0.00025 75 DYS632 0.00005
DYS461 0.00209 9 DYS590 0.00005
DYS435 0.00009 209 DYS425 0.00005