The Morley Y-SNP Subclade Predictor Tool showing my dad’s estimated haplogroup
(click to enlarge)
If you are male and have taken an AncestryDNA, 23andMe or MyHeritage autosomal DNA test, it may be possible to extract some Y-DNA data from your DNA file to obtain an estimated haplogroup. I should emphasize that this isn’t a substitute for a dedicated Y-DNA test but it might be useful in pointing you in the right direction for further testing or to see whether you are likely to match with others who share your surname.
It’s free to use the Morley Y-SNP Subclade Predictor Tool at https://ytree.morleydna.com/extractFromAutosomal. All you need to do is download your raw data file from one of the three testing companies mentioned above and run it through the tool so there’s nothing to stop you having a go. It’s very easy to do. There are limitations in that the SNP needs to be present in the Morley tool and in your autosomal DNA test which is why you will only get a basic haplogroup.
This link provides instructions on how to use your AncestryDNA kit with the Morley Tool. [Note the original web page is no longer live on the internet so this link takes you to a copy of the page via the Internet Archives’ Wayback Machine. Please be patient while the page loads.]
My dad took the Big Y test at FamilyTreeDNA which gave him a current terminal SNP of Z36747 which can be written as…
R1b-M343 > P297 > M269 > L23 > L51 > P312 > Z290/S461 > L21 > DF13 > DF21 > S3058 > S424 > S426 > CTS2187/S190 > Z36747
Before ordering Big Y, using my dad’s AncestryDNA kit and the Morley Tool, my dad’s haplogroup was reported as S190. You can see therefore that he made it quite a way down the Y phylogenetic (or evolutionary) tree towards his terminal SNP by simply using his autosomal test.
Likewise, my husband, Harvey, has recently ordered a Big Y test but he’s undertaken some SNP testing in the past to give him a subclade of S18890 which can be written as…
R1b-M343 > P297 > M269 > L23 > L51 > U106 > L48 > Z9 > Z30 > Z2 > Z7 > Z8 > Z338 > Z11 > Z12 > Z8175 > FGC12057 > S18890*
The Morley Tool gave him a haplogroup of Z12 which is how I knew to order the L48 SNP Panel at YSEQ. The Big Y will supersede this SNP Panel when the results are back and he might even end up further downstream of the S18890 SNP.
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[UPDATE June 2025: since I first posted, more men have tested their Y-DNA at FamilyTreeDNA and now my dad’s terminal SNP is Y85420 and Harvey’s is BY100453.
The full path to my dad’s terminal SNP is now being presented as…
R-M207 > M173 > M343 > L754 > L761 > L389 > P297 > M269 > L23 > L51 > P310 > L151 > P312 > Z290 > L21 > S552 > DF13 > DF21 > FGC3213 > ZZ1_1 > S3058 > S424 > S426 > CTS2187 > FGC3215 > Z36747 > Y85420
And the full path to Harvey’s terminal SNP is now being presented as…
R-M207 > M173 > M343 > L754 > L761 > L389 > P297 > M269> L23 > L51 > P310 > L151 > U106 > Z2265 > BY30097 > FTT8 > Z381 > Z301 > L48 > Z9 > Z30 > Z27 > Z345 > Z2 > Z7 > Z31 > Z8 > Z338 > Z11 > Z341 > Z12 > Z8175 > FTB34754 > FGC12057 > S18890 > FT161969 > BY116091 > BY137021 > BY112552 > BY100453
(See more on Harvey’s Y-DNA at this link.)]
