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.
- Interpreting Genetic Genealogy Results -yDNA Test Results
- If two men share a surname how should the genetic distance at 111 Y-Chromosome STR markers be interpreted?
- DNA 101: y-Chromosome Testing
- DNA 102: Interpreting Results
- DNA 102: Grouping Participants
- List of yDNA STR Markers and Mutation Rates
- yDNA Library of Scientific Papers
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 |