Improved Models of Coalescence Ages of Y-DNA Haplogroups

Databases of commercial DNA-testing companies now contain more customers with sequenced DNA than any completed academic study, leading to growing interest from and forensic entities. An important result for both these entities the test takers themselves is how closely two individuals are related in time, as calculated through one or molecular clocks. For Y-DNA, existing interpretations clocks insufficiently accurate usefully measure relatedness historic times. In this article, I update methods used calculate coalescence ages (times most-recent common ancestor, TMRCAs) using a new, probabilistic statistical model that includes Y-SNP, Y-STR ancilliary historical data, provide examples its use.