I just ordered my AncestryDNA! - Page 5

bonnielu · ‎03-11-2010

My daughter and son in law did not want me to do it. He especially was afraid because of privacy and information that would be shared and then used... just one more chance for hackers or the like to get at me. Not sure I agree. I might just do it anyway. (PS. Son in law is in the medical research field)

Adamlambert · ‎05-28-2015

I know mine from grandparents. What exactly does this information do for you? I don't get it.

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

I thought about it, I might even do it some time out of curiosity I just don't see the point. I just don't see how knowing that I'm 30% this and 13% that would have any meaning or significance in my life. Especially since in my case, my roots go back to colonial America. I think of myself as American. I'm also a realist. It's a for profit company, so I wonder about the accuracy and methodology.

HiLo · ‎03-10-2010

@MaggieMack wrote:
I did 23andMe and the results were in line with what I expected. Mostly. I expected more "Native Amercan," but understand that NA is hard to determine due to the roots of the tribes who migrated from Asia. There are tests out there to determine actual NA ancestry, but I didn't follow through. The percentages I received were enough to confirm the family stories about the actual parentage of one of my grandparents.

We can't understand why ours showed no Native American. It's not as much as some but then a woman I know who is actually 1/4 Native American, didn't have any of hers show.

HiLo · ‎03-10-2010

@Kalli wrote:
I've never considered doing a DNA search. Maybe I should but I already know through family searches, that almost all of my ancestors come from Ireland. Three of my grandparents were Irish and only 1 was not. Her parents came here from Austria. Probably many of her ancestors, the ones who didn't come to the US, were victims of the holocaust. It might be worth searching her family roots but the rest has been searched back well over 100 years and it's all Irish.

I come from poor Irish potato farmers. I'm fine with that.

The testing we did from Ancestry.com went back to the 12th century. We were only able to trace where our American ancestors originally came from.

HiLo · ‎03-10-2010

@Adamlambert wrote:
I know mine from grandparents. What exactly does this information do for you? I don't get it.

Our testing went back to the 12th century from Ancestry.com. We also did more current history but the two aren't the same.since there had been a lot of moving around since the 12th century.

Moonchilde · ‎05-23-2010

@HiLo wrote:
@MaggieMack wrote:
I did 23andMe and the results were in line with what I expected. Mostly. I expected more "Native Amercan," but understand that NA is hard to determine due to the roots of the tribes who migrated from Asia. There are tests out there to determine actual NA ancestry, but I didn't follow through. The percentages I received were enough to confirm the family stories about the actual parentage of one of my grandparents.

We can't understand why ours showed no Native American. It's not as much as some but then a woman I know who is actually 1/4 Native American, didn't have any of hers show.

From the 23andme forums, I learned that the only way there is to define Native American DNA is by compiling data and making comparisons with living Native Americans. All DNA testing companies are only as good as their data base. The three top companies have data bases in the millions of people.

When you test with 23and me, for example, they ask if you are Native American, among other questions. The companies then compare the DNA of everyone who identifies as NA, and they start to see similarities. Carry the process on with enough people and you have your data base. Person 37,327 comes along, and they can see that his or her DNA matches closely with certain markers present in the majority of NA DNA, ergo there is a varying percent likelihood (depending on how many markers correlate) of that person being NA.

It's not precise to amount, tribe, etc. also - each of us carries half the DNA of each parent, meaning if we are tested, ALL of mom's or dad's DNA did not make it to us; half didn't. Divide that by grandparents and great-grandparents, and the NA DNA might not have "made it" to you. Mine did not. I have a NA maternal great-grandmother, but her DNA didn't make it to me; not surprising, since she was my only NA relative, and three generations back.

Also - depends on which side of the family the NA is in and what sex you are. Females can only have certain DNA testing, males have additional testing available. If you don't have a brother, father, grandfather or uncle to test, you aren't getting the *entire* picture.

DNA testing has limitations, and people have misconceptions of what it can tell you. I would suggest people go to the 23andme site and read all their FAQ about testing, how it works and what you can/can't find out, male and female. For ethnicity, as opposed to medicine, there are limits; the two areas of science are looking for different things. One can be tested for precisely and the other can't.

Life without Mexican food is no life at all

HiLo · ‎03-10-2010

@Moonchilde wrote:
@HiLo wrote:
@MaggieMack wrote:
I did 23andMe and the results were in line with what I expected. Mostly. I expected more "Native Amercan," but understand that NA is hard to determine due to the roots of the tribes who migrated from Asia. There are tests out there to determine actual NA ancestry, but I didn't follow through. The percentages I received were enough to confirm the family stories about the actual parentage of one of my grandparents.

We can't understand why ours showed no Native American. It's not as much as some but then a woman I know who is actually 1/4 Native American, didn't have any of hers show.

From the 23andme forums, I learned that the only way there is to define Native American DNA is by compiling data and making comparisons with living Native Americans. All DNA testing companies are only as good as their data base. The three top companies have data bases in the millions of people.

When you test with 23and me, for example, they ask if you are Native American, among other questions. The companies then compare the DNA of everyone who identifies as NA, and they start to see similarities. Carry the process on with enough people and you have your data base. Person 37,327 comes along, and they can see that his or her DNA matches closely with certain markers present in the majority of NA DNA, ergo there is a varying percent likelihood (depending on how many markers correlate) of that person being NA.

It's not precise to amount, tribe, etc. also - each of us carries half the DNA of each parent, meaning if we are tested, ALL of mom's or dad's DNA did not make it to us; half didn't. Divide that by grandparents and great-grandparents, and the NA DNA might not have "made it" to you. Mine did not. I have a NA maternal great-grandmother, but her DNA didn't make it to me; not surprising, since she was my only NA relative, and three generations back.

Also - depends on which side of the family the NA is in and what sex you are. Females can only have certain DNA testing, males have additional testing available. If you don't have a brother, father, grandfather or uncle to test, you aren't getting the *entire* picture.

DNA testing has limitations, and people have misconceptions of what it can tell you. I would suggest people go to the 23andme site and read all their FAQ about testing, how it works and what you can/can't find out, male and female. For ethnicity, as opposed to medicine, there are limits; the two areas of science are looking for different things. One can be tested for precisely and the other can't.

Thank you Moonchild. I will pass this information along to my daughter; we have been so confused.

Barbara in Virginia · ‎05-22-2010

In addition to the Vikings, the Normans who invaded England in 1066 with William the Conqueror also had Scandinavian roots, the "Norsemen". Virtually all my gateway ancestors were English, but they were the same gene pool of those who descended from the Normans or later came down to Northern England from Scandinavia. This same stratum of society continued to marry each other until they emigrated to the Virginia Colony. And they continued once in Virginia until my grandmother's generation! When in England they often took French wives, and that part of France is my second highest DNA group, Scandinavian being the largest at 44%.

Third is Irish/Scottish/Celtic, which is more of a mystery and is likely on my father's side as I have his line traced only to when they arrived in the US just before the Revolutionary War and earlier for the Quaker women they married, also from England.

We are supposed to inherit half or our DNA from each parent, but that half can vary from sibling.

I find it all fascinating, but don't know if I will ever know much of what I inherited from my father after researching for years. But I can celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

HiLo · ‎03-10-2010

@barbara in Virginia wrote:
In addition to the Vikings, the Normans who invaded England in 1066 with William the Conqueror also had Scandinavian roots, the "Norsemen". Virtually all my gateway ancestors were English, but they were the same gene pool of those who descended from the Normans or later came down to Northern England from Scandinavia. This same stratum of society continued to marry each other until they emigrated to the Virginia Colony. And they continued once in Virginia until my grandmother's generation! When in England they often took French wives, and that part of France is my second highest DNA group, Scandinavian being the largest at 44%.

Third is Irish/Scottish/Celtic, which is more of a mystery and is likely on my father's side as I have his line traced only to when they arrived in the US just before the Revolutionary War and earlier for the Quaker women they married, also from England.

We are supposed to inherit half or our DNA from each parent, but that half can vary from sibling.

I find it all fascinating, but don't know if I will ever know much of what I inherited from my father after researching for years. But I can celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

Thanks for sharing Barbara. I will forward this information to my daughter as well.