Avuncular DNA Tests (Aunt or Uncle)
At dadcheck®silver we conduct scientific personal information aunt or uncle DNA tests, commonly known as avuncular DNA tests. This is to determine if two or more individuals are related as paternal aunt/uncle and niece/nephew.
An avuncular DNA test may be performed instead of a paternity test when the alleged father is deceased, unavailable or unwilling to take part but the alleged father’s full brother or sister is available.
When ordering such complex tests, we recommend that once the order is placed, you call us to explain the case background to ensure we are testing the correct scenario.
How accurate are avuncular DNA tests?
Every one of us is unique. This uniqueness comes from our genetic code, which we have inherited equally from our biological mother and biological father. If we analyse the samples of possible aunts or uncles to a child, we would expect to find these common maternal or paternal genetic markers which can in turn be used to determine if individuals are related.
For such 'complex' tests, we would strongly recommend that the known biological mother of the child participates in the testing as this really helps with the interpretation of the final result and makes the results much more conclusive.
Occasionally a biological relationship may exist between two (or more) tested people, but it cannot be detected because of the relatively low amount of DNA shared between the tested individuals. This would be the one thing we would like to make you aware of before embarking on such as test.
A paternity test would give the most conclusive results, but this can only be carried out if we can obtain DNA samples from the alleged father.
How do I get the best results?
If the child’s mother takes part in the test, it enables us to identify the mother’s DNA inherited by the child and take it out of the equation, leaving only the DNA inherited from the paternal side to be compared against the other test participant(s). This gives us a much greater ability to provide a meaningful result.
Relationship DNA testing can be a life-changing event and we would recommend that before ordering a test you think carefully about the potential outcomes and have considered if testing will be in the best interests of those involved.
Please note that this at-home test is for personal information only - this means that the results will not be accepted in UK courts by the Child Maintenance Service or any other legal body.
