Ancestry DNA: Would you or wouldn't you?

[bogey21]

I'm all for genetic testing for medical purposes but haven't come around to pursuing DNA testing for ancestry purposes without a lot more thought...

George

 

[Glynda]

My husband, his mother, and grandmother all had it.

Whoa! That would be scary!

I should have reworded that. The friend has two grandsons, not me. Will see if I can fix it.

Sorry, I misread it!

 

[joestein]

I bought the Ancestry Kit back on Prime Day. I submitted my DNA sample and a couple of months later I got my result. I am 100%-100% Western European Jew. I didn't need a DNA test to tell me that.

I was really hoping to get a definitive answer about which countries my ancestors came from. Overall, very disappointed. Wouldn't recommend.

 

[VegasBella]

I have done it and would do it again. I think it's fascinating.

 

[wackymother]

I bought the Ancestry Kit back on Prime Day. I submitted my DNA sample and a couple of months later I got my result. I am 100%-100% Western European Jew. I didn't need a DNA test to tell me that.

I was really hoping to get a definitive answer about which countries my ancestors came from. Overall, very disappointed. Wouldn't recommend.

I did it and found out much the same, but I did find a couple of new second cousins! The geographic part is not that interesting to me--the matches are really interesting!

(And you and I are probably cousins, JoeStein! )

 

[klpca]

I bought the Ancestry Kit back on Prime Day. I submitted my DNA sample and a couple of months later I got my result. I am 100%-100% Western European Jew. I didn't need a DNA test to tell me that.

I was really hoping to get a definitive answer about which countries my ancestors came from. Overall, very disappointed. Wouldn't recommend.

I imagine if you are 100% anything, they will have a tougher time narrowing the specific country down because of the genetically similarities in your sample.

My sister did the Ancestry kit. On our mother's side we have an extensively documented family tree and can trace our ancestors back to Germany - down to the baptism records from the 1500's (I think). So all that we truly expected to see was confirmation of the German side of the family. Her result came back with NO German, but a high percentage of Danish ancestry, lol. So they can only be *so* accurate. We noticed that there is a common border which must explain it, but boy, was my mother mad about this result. We were kidding about some hanky-panky going on back in the day, but she was not amused. Otherwise, there were no surprises. My sister's DNA came back Danish (lol), Irish, Eastern European (Polish), Polynesian (Hawaiian), Portugese. My kids will be adding English and Ukranian. We are human mutts.

 

[wackymother]

I did the ancestry DNA a while ago. What really disturbs me is that they keep updating the results. I mean exactly how are they coming up with this DNA....The latest update removed the portion that was from Scandanavia....this is absolutely incorrect....I know my great-grandfather immigrated from Switzerland. So last week Ancestry said I was 6% Scandinavian and this week 0 %.

I just find it disturbing.....I am thinking it is more comparative ....Any ideas?

I have family from Switzerland, too, and from the area in Germany that is close to Switzerland. (As others have pointed out, Switzerland is not part of Scandinavia.) At first Ancestry said I was 12 percent British, which is not right, but then after a couple of years they revised and moved that to Germany, which is absolutely correct. Yes, it is indeed comparative, and the comparisons improve over time as the database used for comparisons gets bigger and bigger.

 

[wackymother]

An interesting detective story triggered by a DNA test

She Thought She Was Irish until a DNA Test Opened a 100-Year-Old Mystery

I love this story! It's so fascinating. Sad for the families, though.

 

[am1]

I think DNA tests at birth for everyone would be good. Keeps things straightforward.

 

[Glynda]

I love this story! It's so fascinating. Sad for the families, though.

I read that a couple days ago. It was really interesting and as a result, I have joined the DNA Dectectives Facebook group. I want to confirm that the named birth father was indeed my birth father! This article gave me some instruction. Now, if I just had the time!

 

[joestein]

I did it and found out much the same, but I did find a couple of new second cousins! The geographic part is not that interesting to me--the matches are really interesting!

(And you and I are probably cousins, JoeStein! )

Actually it says it found a first cousin and a few second cousins. I have not tried to contact anybody. Have you?

 

[joestein]

I imagine if you are 100% anything, they will have a tougher time narrowing the specific country down because of the genetically similarities in your sample.

My sister did the Ancestry kit. On our mother's side we have an extensively documented family tree and can trace our ancestors back to Germany - down to the baptism records from the 1500's (I think). So all that we truly expected to see was confirmation of the German side of the family. Her result came back with NO German, but a high percentage of Danish ancestry, lol. So they can only be *so* accurate. We noticed that there is a common border which must explain it, but boy, was my mother mad about this result. We were kidding about some hanky-panky going on back in the day, but she was not amused. Otherwise, there were no surprises. My sister's DNA came back Danish (lol), Irish, Eastern European (Polish), Polynesian (Hawaiian), Portugese. My kids will be adding English and Ukranian. We are human mutts.

Most of us are, regardless of what we like to think.

 

[Passepartout]

I'm all for genetic testing for medical purposes but haven't come around to pursuing DNA testing for ancestry purposes without a lot more thought...

George

Before you get too hyped up on DNA testing for health purposes, read this: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/23andme-warnings-at-home-genetic-test_n_5c01b108e4b0606a15b54dae It can have unplanned-for consequences. And sometimes we might not want to know what health genetic testing can uncover.

Jim

 

[bogey21]

Article makes very good points but I went about testing a different way. I didn't use 23andme or the like. Rather I went to UT Southwestern, a major hospital who has a well thought of genetic testing team. Why did I do this? Simply because I was over 80 and my Primary Care Physician was insisting I needed another Colonoscopy because my Father had died with (not because of) colon cancer...

At my age I was leery of another Colonoscopy so I decided to see if I was carrying the Colon Cancer Gene. After exhaustive research into the ages and causes of death of 3 generations of my family we (UT Southwestern and me) decided which genes to test for. It turned out that I am not carrying the Colon Cancer Gene or for that matter any other dangerous genes. I gave my test results to my Primary Care Physician who agreed not to bug me anymore about another Colonoscopy...

George

 

[Passepartout]

Article makes very good points but I went about testing a different way. I didn't use 23andme or the like. Rather I went to UT Southwestern, a major hospital who has a well thought of genetic testing team. Why did I do this? Simply because I was over 80 and my Primary Care Physician was insisting I needed another Colonoscopy because my Father had died with (not because of) colon cancer...

At my age I was leery of another Colonoscopy so I decided to see if I was carrying the Colon Cancer Gene. After exhaustive research into the ages and causes of death of 3 generations of my family we (UT Southwestern and me) decided which genes to test for. It turned out that I am not carrying the Colon Cancer Gene or for that matter any other dangerous genes. I gave my test results to my Primary Care Physician who agreed not to bug me anymore about another Colonoscopy...

In your circumstances, and considering your age, you took a pro-active route, did your own research and due diligence, and made the right decision FOR YOU. My particular caution was for those using an off-the-shelf DNA kit like 23 and Me- without considering the consequences. Like 'what if it tells me something I don't want to know (like having a breast cancer gene)? Or what if either now or some time in the future a law requires DNA test results aimed at health issues to be shared with insurance carriers- or even insurance carriers of relatives who didn't take the test, but might be subject to the same DNA?

Lots of people (and I suspect even some TUGgers) think that all DNA tests are alike. They're NOT. Some, like Ancestry, focus on the connections between people, while others, like 23 And Me, are aimed at the health and disease related genes.

George, I'd like to think that North of age 80, any genetic defect we are likely to uncover is something we are more likely to die WITH, than die OF.

Best.

Jim

 

[wackymother]

Actually it says it found a first cousin and a few second cousins. I have not tried to contact anybody. Have you?

It found you a first cousin that you didn't know about? And a few second cousins? That's pretty amazing! Aren't you interested in meeting them or at least talking to them?

Yes, I did write to quite a few connections. I wrote to one of my second cousins--he had a family tree posted and I could see that we had great-grandparents in common. He turned out to have an extensive family tree going back to about 1730, which is really amazing if you are Jewish; many of the records in Europe were destroyed during the war.

I also wrote to my aunt's second cousin. They are both in their eighties. The "new" second cousin wrote back and we know where the relationship is, but sadly his grandparents were murdered in the Holocaust, and he does not even know their names.

I've also written to a few people who have last names that I know from my family, who I also have a DNA connection to. Met some nice people that way. In fact, I'm now in an email group of cousins from one branch, which is interesting even when they're not talking about my own direct relatives.

 

[wackymother]

I read that a couple days ago. It was really interesting and as a result, I have joined the DNA Dectectives Facebook group. I want to confirm that the named birth father was indeed my birth father! This article gave me some instruction. Now, if I just had the time!

Yes, that's such an interesting group! Amazing stories. I hope you find what you're looking for.

 

[geekette]

I have no compelling interest. I know my ancestors and they claim me so that's good enough.

 

[rapmarks]

Actually it says it found a first cousin and a few second cousins. I have not tried to contact anybody. Have you?

A first cousin is pretty close, do any of your aunts or uncles have children they haven’t mentioned or if it is a different generation,could be a half sibling.

 

[DaveNV]

I bought the Ancestry Kit back on Prime Day. I submitted my DNA sample and a couple of months later I got my result. I am 100%-100% Western European Jew. I didn't need a DNA test to tell me that.

I was really hoping to get a definitive answer about which countries my ancestors came from. Overall, very disappointed. Wouldn't recommend.

Have you checked lately? They keep adjusting countries and locations as they get more data. You may find they have new things to tell you.

Dave

 

[Phydeaux]

A relative wrote a book on our family tree history. I know my earliest ancestor on my fathers side sailed aboard the flagship Arbella, and landed in Salem in June of 1630. Good enough for me. No DNA testing desired, thanks. I also learned much more about my ancestors than ever expected.

When I learned this relative was a genealogist, I did get a laugh when I asked her, "what's it like to look at women's vaginas every day"?

You had to be there....

 

[isisdave]

Ancestry DNA just emailed DW to announce that due to their improved and refined database, they have removed her 18% Iberian Peninsula allocation completely, and redistributed it to the Scandinavian sectors.

Only problem is, we've already documented her ancestors in Spain in the early 18th century, before they got sent (as soldiers) to Mexico.

 

[joestein]

Have you checked lately? They keep adjusting countries and locations as they get more data. You may find they have new things to tell you.

Dave

Yes, this discussion enticed me to go back and check. No change.

However, I tried to check out some of my cousins it found and I realize that I need to purchase a membership(or start a trial) to get any real information about the matches or to contact them. I guess the DNA kit doesn't include that.

 

[Panina]

For all the negative, the good outweighs it , at least that’s my opinion.

Florida mom, 88, reunited with daughter she thought had died in childbirth

https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-mom-88-reunited-with-daughter-she-thought-had-died-in-childbirth