"The Big Y product is a Y-chromosome direct paternal lineage test. We have designed it to explore deep ancestral links on our common paternal tree. Big Y tests thousands of known branch markers as well as millions of places where there may be new branch markers."
It took several months but my results were posted recently and provide some additional insight deep into my paternal line.
My original Y DNA test determined that my Y haplogroup is I-M223. The Big Y test determined what my terminal SNP is. The terminal SNP is the most defined branch that my ancestors belong to on the I-M223 tree and in my case it is I-Y56413.
In the Big Y testing database I match two other people. One with paternal ancestors near Bremen, Germany in the late 1600s and another with paternal ancestors in the area of Kiikka, Finland also in the late 1600s.
The test also determined that my branch (I-Y56413) formed around 2,900 to 2,100 years ago and that the time to the most recent common ancestor between my matches and I is estimated at 1,900 to 750 years ago. This is a rather long time frame. I would be nice if it could be refined in the future.
Update
I recently upgraded my English cousin's (direct descendant of Henry Harrison 1734-1812 brother of my ancestor Joseph Harrison c1737-1816) Y DNA to the Big 700 and the results provided on October 11, 2022 are interesting and provide some refinement to the information when I did my own test. The terminal SNP of my Harrison line is now I-BY70347.
The result is that the common ancestor between the both of us and our other match in Finland is estimated to be a man who lived about year 150 (so 1,892 years ago).
The match in Finland is on the parent branch of the Y DNA that my English cousin and I belong to. So our branch diverged from the parent branch through one of the sons of the man who lived about 150.
Looking at the comparison to ancient DNA provided, both my English cousin and I match the following finds (top 3):
- Lakenheath 15 was an old adult man who lived between 400 and 600 CE during the Medieval Age and was found in the region now known as RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, England. You and Lakenheath 15 share a common paternal line ancestor who lived around 800 CE. He was associated with the Medieval Britain cultural group.
- Sedgeford 17 was a man who lived between 700 and 850 CE during the Medieval Age and was found in the region now known as Sedgeford, Norfolk, England. You and Sedgeford 17 share a common paternal line ancestor who lived around 800 CE. He was associated with the Medieval Britain cultural group.
- Öland 1016 was a 60+ year old man who lived between 800 and 1100 CE during the Viking Age and was found in the region now known as Hulterstad, Öland, Sweden. You and Öland 1016 share a common paternal line ancestor who lived around 1450 BCE. He was associated with the Viking Sweden cultural group.
