Community Chat

[golding76]

As Ancestry.com receives more and more DNA specimens to analyze, they are able to refine their results.  Wow, but I have had dramatic changes since my first analysis that was sent to me about five years ago.

In the last few years, the updates have been more frequent.  Sometimes it is just a matter of tweaking a percentage while the major contributing DNA groups remain the same.  For instance, I am of Greek descent on both sides of my family, and all any of us has ever known is that we are Greek.

However, at the outset, we were "Italian/Greek"; then we became "Greek"; and lately "Greek and Albanian."   At one point, we were analyzed as "Jewish," but that was altered later to "Eastern Europe & Russia" (I think that is what the Jewish element became but I'm not certain).

The most recent change is that I am 11% "Aegean Islands," up from the previous 6%.  Yes, the Aegean Islands are part of Greece, but they are not the mainland and are regarded as having their own distinctive DNA.

Has anyone else been experiencing these periodic updates?  Are your changes of DNA identification and distribution dramatic?  

[D Kay]

I have, but not dramatic changes.  Mostly like an increase in percent Scottish and a decrease in percent Irish, etc.  My first one had a small percent Portuguese but hasn't shown up since.

[Kachina624]

What is their explanation for the constant changes?  Seems as though if you were 100% Greek 10 years ago, there's no way that would change.

[Laura14]

My DNA is with 23andMe. I initially came back as 70some percent Italian which I thought was low since every great-grandparent who stepped through Ellis Island came from the boot. 

I am now up to 88% Italian after a few years which I think is about right. I have also switched the collection of minor ethinicities to become essentially a three race person with 88%, 9% and 3% of my makeup.

My ancestors apparently went sailing occasionally across the Sicilian sea but for the most part they kept to themselves and stayed home. 

[Laura14]

@Kachina624  As more people join their database, they get more refined in pinpointing where you probably came from in the world. 

[D Kay]

My understanding is as their technology improves/fine tunes, there will be some changes.

[spumoni99]

I have a lot of connections on 23 and me and don't know anyone that is 100 percent anything.   It seems like we are all a mixture because of long ago immigrations I guess.

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@Kachina624 wrote:

What is their explanation for the constant changes?  Seems as though if you were 100% Greek 10 years ago, there's no way that would change.

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[Puppy Lips]

My sister has had it done, so I don't need to.  Frankly, I don't care that much.  I am me, no matter where I came from.

I find it interesting that Jewish people share some DNA traits.

[JFD12]

My DNA results do not change drastically during the updates. I'm always in the 90-something percentile for Irish, and the rest is distributed here and there.

I just checked for my update... 91% Irish, 7% Scotland, and 2% Norway. Don't know what happened to my British! But none of my brothers and sisters who have submitted their DNA has any Norway in them! 🤷‍♀️ 🤔

[drizzellla]

My Husband and his sister sent their DNA in to be tested. They sent it in to a company that was affiliated with the Smithsonian.

Since my husband's sister has a different name (by marriage) and lives 1,000 miles away, he thought it would be interesting what the DNA test showed.

Boy oh boy. It said my husband''s ancestors were from Africa and his sister descended from Northern European. Nothing in the reports were remotely similar.

My husband and his sister were born 15 months apart. And there is no doubt they have the same parents. In fact if you looked at their baby pictures, you would think they were twins.

My husband took his report to his family reunion. No one could believe it. They all thought my husband was playing a joke. He has no interest in paying for another test.