MTDNA

[Babyj]

I am a woman and I just received my results from the MTDNA analysis. Is this just the analysis of my mother's side?
Or is there also the maternal side of my father?

To what period in time does the test analyze?

I have results that do not correspond to my mother's family tree.

[KATM]

You may find this page in the FTDNA Learning Center helpful: "Maternal Lineage Tests."

I am a woman and I just received my results from the MTDNA analysis. Is this just the analysis of my mother's side?
Or is there also the maternal side of my father?

It is only for your direct maternal line: you > your mother > her mother > her mother > etc. See the page linked above. Your father (or his full sibling) would have to do an mtDNA test in order to find his maternal line haplogroup. This post by Roberta Estes may help explain things.

To what period in time does the test analyze?

See the chart shown on the page at the link above. It depends on which test you had done: the mtDNA Plus test, or Full Mitochondrial Sequence (aka FMS or mtFullSequence).

I have results that do not correspond to my mother's family tree.

If you are referring to the results reported on the mtDNA Ancestral Origins page, there is a link on the page linked above, to "mtDNA - Ancestral Origins Page," which explains the ancestry information for your matches. Keep in mind that what is shown on your Ancestral Origins page is what your matches have self-reported for what they know about their genealogy, not a result or prediction from FTDNA. Because it is self-reported, there may be erroneous or incomplete information. Also, since the mtDNA tests cover anywhere from 125 to at least 1,300 years, the match may go back to long before a genealogical timeframe.

[Babyj]

Thank you very much! It's much clearer.

I did the mtFullSequence so if I understand this it goes back 125 years and up to 550 years ago?

And just with MtDNAplus about 700 years?

And the matches are all of my mother's family but they are very distant?

With mtFullsequence I have match from eastern europe, spain and Italy that are not logical for my family, even if they are very fart, in any case if after years 1,500.

[KATM]

Thank you very much! It's much clearer.

I did the mtFullSequence so if I understand this it goes back 125 years and up to 550 years ago?

And just with MtDNAplus about 700 years?

And the matches are all of my mother's family but they are very distant?

With mtFullsequence I have match from eastern europe, spain and Italy that are not logical for my family, even if they are very fart, in any case if after years 1,500.

Yes, FTDNA's chart indicates that for the Full Sequence test that you took, there is a 50% confidence level that the match is within 125 years (5 generations), and a 95% confidence level that it is within 550 years (22 generations). Since you took the mtFullSequence, you don't need to worry about the mtDNAplus, but yes, the chart shows a 50% confidence level that the common ancestor is within 700 years (28 generations).

The matches will be on your mother's side, but more accurately and specifically they will all be along your mother's direct maternal line (mothers of mothers). Any males in her ancestors would not be included, or her father and his family. Many matches will be very distant, but some will be within a genealogical timeframe.

Note that your matches have listed the locations for their earliest known maternal line (matrilineal) ancestors. Ideally, what they've listed will be true. But sometimes people get mixed up, and list their earliest known ancestor from another line, not the direct maternal line. Read the section "Who is my earliest known ancestor?" in the post "Quick Tip - Add Most Distant Ancestor and Location" by Roberta Estes, which has an image illustrating the direct lines for Y and mtDNA, and has an explanation of how to add that information in your account at FTDNA. Also, your matches' earliest known maternal line ancestors may be back farther than your research, or be descended from a sister of one of your earlier maternal line ancestors whose descendants followed a different path and lived in another country. So, those may have a location that doesn't match what you know of your ancestors. You will have to compare trees, surnames and locations to figure out the connections.

You may want to read FTDNA's page "mtDNA Matches Page," in the Learning Center. Read the section on mtDNA - Matches Page Questions, where it says for one question:

On the mtDNA - Matches page, are only exact matches shown?
There are currently two sets of rules for mtDNA matching.

• For those who have tested HVR1 (mtDNA) or HVR1 and HVR2 (mtDNAPlus), only exact matches are shown. SmartMatching is also used to prevent a match between different haplogroups.
• For those who have tested the mtDNA Full Sequence (mtFullSequence), three differences are allowed. These differences include cases of heteroplasmy. Two high frequency insertion/deletion locations are completely excluded from difference counts. These are mutations at positions 309 and 315.

Check to see if any of your mtDNA Full Sequence matches are Exact matches (0 for Genetic Distance column), or 1. Have you, or any of these close matches taken the Family Finder test? You can see if they have in the column to the right of their name; it will show "FF" if they've done the Family Finder test. You can then look for them in your Family Finder match list, to see if the match is related within the last 5 or 6 generations (usually).

[Babyj]

Thank you very much! This helps me understand!