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Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,923
Registered: ‎03-19-2010

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?

I do genealogy, but I refuse to do DNA.  I'm concerned how my data might be used now or possibly in the future through some way we haven't even thought of yet.  I don't trust any of these companies to not use this data even if you tell them you don't want it used.  I think we've seen via Facebook these companies can't be trusted if there's a chance to cash in on it.  

 

I sorta feel like our DNA in the future will be something like our SSN's are now, something we wish we hadn't given out so freely.  When I was in college, my driver's license number was my SSN and you wrote it on almost every check you wrote.

 

That being said, I'm all for law enforcement using these databases to find criminals, but also realize there can be mistakes.  This has already happened where someone was originally charged with a rape that he did not commit due to his DNA.  I can't remember if it was through lab contamination or if his DNA just happened to be at the scene, but there was a show about it on The Murder Channel (ID).  

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,923
Registered: ‎03-19-2010

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?


@DottieBlue wrote:

@chrystaltree wrote:

I haven't but not for those reasons.  I just don't trust those for profit companies.  I don't know who is doing the testing, I don't what their education or experience is, I don't know what protocols they use.  For all I know they could be making it up as they go along.  There was actually a story on local tv some years ago after those companies started.  Identical twins specimens to two different for profit DNA companies and got different results.  


 

I have the same concerns.  I have many questions before I'd get it done.  Like, where do these companies get their baseline information from?  How legitimate is it?  Do they follow both maternal and paternal DNA heritage?  I heard that for females, they only followed maternal heritage.  

 

To me, this all sounds a bit like getting your horoscope done that was popular in the past, when they needed the place, date and time of birth, etc. to get the most accurate "reading."

 

My sisters and I pretty much know our maternal ancestry, so the only thing I'd be interested in would be my father's heritage. 

 

And I really don't want any long-lost relatives showing up at my front door!

 

 


I think a lot of those differences have to do with the size of the databases.  As they get more participants they get more reliable as far as heritage goes.  From what I understand none of the Native American tribes will accept DNA evidence to get membership in the tribe.  Most of the Native American DNA in the databases is actually Eskimo or Central American, not our Native Americans.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,401
Registered: ‎07-15-2016

Re: Has anyone had their DNA tested?

Back in 2005, the genealogical society that I belong to sponsored a Genetic Genealogy Seminar - with Family Tree DNA presenting info.   At that time, all they offered were Y-DNA  (male only) and mtDNA (carried by male/female).   

 

My brother and I tested ... interesting results.   Our mtDNA is relatively rare (less than 4% of native Europeans - and dates back about 6400 years) and the male Y-DNA is one of the most common western European and believed to have originated about 9500 years ago in the region of the Black Sea.   Basically only good for ancient ancestry.  But - that was the early days of DNA research/testing.  Read:  Seven Daughters of Eve (2001) by Bryan Sykes, and The Journey of Man (2002) by Spencer Wells.

 

My mother started doing our genealogy about 50 years ago, and I inherited the project about 25 years ago.  With the Internet - it's been easier to contact people.  I've been in contact with distant relatives in Austria, Belgium, France and Germany, and all over the US.

 

Last year my brother and I did the Ancestry testing - totally different type of DNA tests.   Our ancestors came to the US more than 150 years ago - and as they spread out around the US - we lost contact over the years.  The Ancestry results are getting us in touch with some of those lost cousins.  

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These days - there are Facebook genealogy groups that let us have even more opportunity to interact with others researching in the same areas and to share information.  

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One interesting bit of trivia.  Today ... I live about 10 blocks from where one branch of my ancestors lived in the 1850s when they first arrived in New York.