Ancestry DNA testing - Page 5

MaggieMack · ‎10-01-2014

@Noel7, that is an interesting point about all of us having ancestors from Africa. That was partly the reason I went with 23&Me, to see what would show up. Nope, nothing from Africa. However, even more interesting, was the number of Neanderthal variants that show up. Mine showed 260, which is in the 56th percentile. I think the 100th percentile showed something in the high 300s for variants.

I was interested mainly in finding if any Native American was expressed, and it was. I am not going to worry about my DNA info being misused until it is. I would be thrilled if they could use my DNA in research for melanoma and other skin cancers, the only bane of my medical existence.

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. - Aesop

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@MaggieMack wrote:
@Noel7, that is an interesting point about all of us having ancestors from Africa. That was partly the reason I went with 23&Me, to see what would show up. Nope, nothing from Africa. However, even more interesting, was the number of Neanderthal variants that show up. Mine showed 260, which is in the 56th percentile. I think the 100th percentile showed something in the high 300s for variants.

I was interested mainly in finding if any Native American was expressed, and it was. I am not going to worry about my DNA info being misused until it is. I would be thrilled if they could use my DNA in research for melanoma and other skin cancers, the only bane of my medical existence.

**********************************

@MaggieMack

Hi Maggie!

It's nice to find out you're interested in DNA, also

We all came out of Africa, the cradle of humanity. However DNA testing only goes back so far and it wouldn't show African unless there was a more recent input.

Anthropologists and other scientists know that from dating the bones found in Africa and comparing them to others dated much later.

From what is known now, all of us with European descent have some Neanderthal DNA. They were able to mate with original humans and are said to be "distant cousins." The amount of DNA in Europeans is usually 2% to 4%.

So far, it is thought that we (Europeans) have inherited skin and hair DNA from Neanderthals, also other DNA that can affect health.

Burnsite · ‎03-10-2010

I will always be drawn to a sale, and Ancestry had a sale last year on . . . I think it was DNA day. Late Spring. $20 off. You place some spit into a vial and mail it to them. A month later, you receive an email.

The outcome disappointed me. I wanted multicultural evidence, as part of the family lived (sort of) between Europe and Africa in the Azores. But all I got was Irish, Irish, Irish, Iberian Peninsula (Portugal in my case), and Scandinavian. I am 100% western European. BOR-ing. Even my own unknown distant cousins who were collected as close DNA matches had much more exciting gene pools: some Asian or African or SOMEthing.

Two surprises made this worth it. I would have said I was 0% Scandinavian, but the percentage is 12%. This may date to the Viking raids on ancient Ireland in the Dark Ages. Also, there are traces of ancient Rome and Greece. These are searches back 10000 years. I did this before a family reunion and people seemed to enjoy the results.

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

@Burnsite wrote:
I will always be drawn to a sale, and Ancestry had a sale last year on . . . I think it was DNA day. Late Spring. $20 off. You place some spit into a vial and mail it to them. A month later, you receive an email.

The outcome disappointed me. I wanted multicultural evidence, as part of the family lived near Africa in the Azores. But all I got was Irish, Irish, Irish, Iberian Peninsula (Portugal in my case), and Scandinavian. I am 100% western European. BOR-ing. Even my own unknown distant cousins who were collected as close DNA matches had much more exciting gene pools: some Asian or African or SOMEthing.

Two surprises made this worth it. I would have said I was 0% Scandinavian, but the percentage is 12%. This may date to the Viking raids on ancient Ireland in the Dark Ages. Also, there are traces of ancient Rome and Greece. These are searches back 10000 years. I did this before a family reunion and people seemed to enjoy the results.

I had the opposite reaction with mine. Years ago I had paid $150 or $200 to have my DNA tested by I think it was FamilyDNA, but it might have been another company, I can't remember. The result came back about 30-40% Middle Eastern/Iberian, which was ZERO match for what I knew of my ancestry (and I have traced 500+ years back).

Years later when I did the Ancestry testing, it matched my genealogy for that 500+ years exactly.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@Moonchilde wrote:
@Burnsite wrote:
I will always be drawn to a sale, and Ancestry had a sale last year on . . . I think it was DNA day. Late Spring. $20 off. You place some spit into a vial and mail it to them. A month later, you receive an email.

The outcome disappointed me. I wanted multicultural evidence, as part of the family lived near Africa in the Azores. But all I got was Irish, Irish, Irish, Iberian Peninsula (Portugal in my case), and Scandinavian. I am 100% western European. BOR-ing. Even my own unknown distant cousins who were collected as close DNA matches had much more exciting gene pools: some Asian or African or SOMEthing.

Two surprises made this worth it. I would have said I was 0% Scandinavian, but the percentage is 12%. This may date to the Viking raids on ancient Ireland in the Dark Ages. Also, there are traces of ancient Rome and Greece. These are searches back 10000 years. I did this before a family reunion and people seemed to enjoy the results.

I had the opposite reaction with mine. Years ago I had paid $150 or $200 to have my DNA tested by I think it was FamilyDNA, but it might have been another company, I can't remember. The result came back about 30-40% Middle Eastern/Iberian, which was ZERO match for what I knew of my ancestry (and I have traced 500+ years back).

Years later when I did the Ancestry testing, it matched my genealogy for that 500+ years exactly.

*************************

@Moonchilde

moonchilde, had you traced just one line back 500 years?

Going back just 7 generations we have 128 ancestors to trace.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

What's the best choice of a way to do ancestry DNA tracking? I have a specific reason for which I kind of need to do this but haven't known where to start. I don't have a doctor, so that's not been one of my choices. I think you have to have a doctor send you to a lab.

I've thought about trying one where you can order a kit that is shipped to you and you return it with your sample, or something online, but worry about things like accuracy and, to a lesser degree, security.

Or is it even possible to do a DNA lab that tells your ancestry? I don't need to go back a whole lot of generations - probably just 2 or 3. I need to prove a specific piece of my ancestry for a specific purpose.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

There's a good chart here showing the number of ancestors we all have:

http://familyforest.com/resources/51/ancestors-at-a-glance

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

@Noel7 wrote:
@Moonchilde wrote:
@Burnsite wrote:
I will always be drawn to a sale, and Ancestry had a sale last year on . . . I think it was DNA day. Late Spring. $20 off. You place some spit into a vial and mail it to them. A month later, you receive an email.

The outcome disappointed me. I wanted multicultural evidence, as part of the family lived near Africa in the Azores. But all I got was Irish, Irish, Irish, Iberian Peninsula (Portugal in my case), and Scandinavian. I am 100% western European. BOR-ing. Even my own unknown distant cousins who were collected as close DNA matches had much more exciting gene pools: some Asian or African or SOMEthing.

Two surprises made this worth it. I would have said I was 0% Scandinavian, but the percentage is 12%. This may date to the Viking raids on ancient Ireland in the Dark Ages. Also, there are traces of ancient Rome and Greece. These are searches back 10000 years. I did this before a family reunion and people seemed to enjoy the results.

I had the opposite reaction with mine. Years ago I had paid $150 or $200 to have my DNA tested by I think it was FamilyDNA, but it might have been another company, I can't remember. The result came back about 30-40% Middle Eastern/Iberian, which was ZERO match for what I knew of my ancestry (and I have traced 500+ years back).

Years later when I did the Ancestry testing, it matched my genealogy for that 500+ years exactly.
*************************

@Moonchilde

moonchilde, had you traced just one line back 500 years?

Going back just 7 generations we have 128 ancestors to trace.

If I remember rightly the trace is back to Henry VIIIs time on at least one side if not both, and Elizabeth on the other side. I have a paternal Mayflower ancestor so that trace goes way back. I am eligible to join the Mayflower Society using a cousin's research, but I'm too lazy and it's too socially stuffy for me.

I did hours and hours of research for years, but when it got to a certain point and I'd found out enough to content me, I stopped the time put in, the detailed research on every ancestor, and the Ancestry dot com fee. Who knows, I might pick it up again some day, but I can think of better uses now for $25-30/mo. ;-(

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@Moonchilde wrote:
@Noel7 wrote:
@Moonchilde wrote:
@Burnsite wrote:
I will always be drawn to a sale, and Ancestry had a sale last year on . . . I think it was DNA day. Late Spring. $20 off. You place some spit into a vial and mail it to them. A month later, you receive an email.

The outcome disappointed me. I wanted multicultural evidence, as part of the family lived near Africa in the Azores. But all I got was Irish, Irish, Irish, Iberian Peninsula (Portugal in my case), and Scandinavian. I am 100% western European. BOR-ing. Even my own unknown distant cousins who were collected as close DNA matches had much more exciting gene pools: some Asian or African or SOMEthing.

Two surprises made this worth it. I would have said I was 0% Scandinavian, but the percentage is 12%. This may date to the Viking raids on ancient Ireland in the Dark Ages. Also, there are traces of ancient Rome and Greece. These are searches back 10000 years. I did this before a family reunion and people seemed to enjoy the results.

I had the opposite reaction with mine. Years ago I had paid $150 or $200 to have my DNA tested by I think it was FamilyDNA, but it might have been another company, I can't remember. The result came back about 30-40% Middle Eastern/Iberian, which was ZERO match for what I knew of my ancestry (and I have traced 500+ years back).

Years later when I did the Ancestry testing, it matched my genealogy for that 500+ years exactly.
*************************

@Moonchilde

moonchilde, had you traced just one line back 500 years?

Going back just 7 generations we have 128 ancestors to trace.

If I remember rightly the trace is back to Henry VIIIs time on at least one side if not both, and Elizabeth on the other side. I have a paternal Mayflower ancestor so that trace goes way back. I am eligible to join the Mayflower Society using a cousin's research, but I'm too lazy and it's too socially stuffy for me.

I did hours and hours of research for years, but when it got to a certain point and I'd found out enough to content me, I stopped the time put in, the detailed research on every ancestor, and the Ancestry dot com fee. Who knows, I might pick it up again some day, but I can think of better uses now for $25-30/mo. ;-(

**********************************

@Moonchilde

You have done a lot of research

We have to consider the fact that we actually have DNA input from thousands of people by just going back to the 1600s. Maybe you did have Middle Eastern input but it wouldn't have necessarily shown up unless you had traced a lot more lines. I don't think we have the tools yet to measure every heritage.

I am DAR eligible but haven't applied. Tracing that line, I discovered I have Dutch heritage from two wives at that time. Some of the problem is that many only trace the men in their lines.

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

@Noel7 wrote:
@Moonchilde wrote:
@Noel7 wrote:
@Moonchilde wrote:
@Burnsite wrote:
I will always be drawn to a sale, and Ancestry had a sale last year on . . . I think it was DNA day. Late Spring. $20 off. You place some spit into a vial and mail it to them. A month later, you receive an email.

The outcome disappointed me. I wanted multicultural evidence, as part of the family lived near Africa in the Azores. But all I got was Irish, Irish, Irish, Iberian Peninsula (Portugal in my case), and Scandinavian. I am 100% western European. BOR-ing. Even my own unknown distant cousins who were collected as close DNA matches had much more exciting gene pools: some Asian or African or SOMEthing.

Two surprises made this worth it. I would have said I was 0% Scandinavian, but the percentage is 12%. This may date to the Viking raids on ancient Ireland in the Dark Ages. Also, there are traces of ancient Rome and Greece. These are searches back 10000 years. I did this before a family reunion and people seemed to enjoy the results.

I had the opposite reaction with mine. Years ago I had paid $150 or $200 to have my DNA tested by I think it was FamilyDNA, but it might have been another company, I can't remember. The result came back about 30-40% Middle Eastern/Iberian, which was ZERO match for what I knew of my ancestry (and I have traced 500+ years back).

Years later when I did the Ancestry testing, it matched my genealogy for that 500+ years exactly.
*************************

@Moonchilde

moonchilde, had you traced just one line back 500 years?

Going back just 7 generations we have 128 ancestors to trace.

If I remember rightly the trace is back to Henry VIIIs time on at least one side if not both, and Elizabeth on the other side. I have a paternal Mayflower ancestor so that trace goes way back. I am eligible to join the Mayflower Society using a cousin's research, but I'm too lazy and it's too socially stuffy for me.

I did hours and hours of research for years, but when it got to a certain point and I'd found out enough to content me, I stopped the time put in, the detailed research on every ancestor, and the Ancestry dot com fee. Who knows, I might pick it up again some day, but I can think of better uses now for $25-30/mo. ;-(
**********************************

@Moonchilde

You have done a lot of research

We have to consider the fact that we actually have DNA input from thousands of people by just going back to the 1600s. Maybe you did have Middle Eastern input but it wouldn't have necessarily shown up unless you had traced a lot more lines. I don't think we have the tools yet to measure every heritage.

I am DAR eligible but haven't applied. Tracing that line, I discovered I have Dutch heritage from two wives at that time. Some of the problem is that many only trace the men in their lines.

I can never trace my paternal DNA until they come up with new testing methods, as I have no firm living male relatives to provide DNA. Those of us in that boat will only ever know half the story.

LOL actually, I have an older half-brother, whereabouts completely unknown (or if dead or alive), who is reputedly a priest! A second cousin is trying to track him down. That would be interesting. Hey bro/Father, now that I've found you, can I borrow some DNA?

I did read, or hear, I forget which, that if unexpected Mediterranean ancestry appears it could be Jewish blood. I can buy that, but I had a lot, so that wouldn't make sense. "Some" random ancestry might be 10-12%, but 20-40% should be showing up in genealogy.

They need more global info, more precise testing, and for a lot less $$. Yes, I am fantasizing.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all