Ethnicity/Heritage: Have You Gotten a DNA Test Before?

[KaydeeKrunk]

So for my boyfriend's birthday I bought him and I Ancestry DNA kits to do together.

I'd always been told I was predominately German, with some Irish and a hint of Native American. I look very Irish because I am very pale, with red hair and green eyes.

My boyfriend was more of a mystery, he was told he had a lot of Polish in him on his mom's side but she had no idea what his biological father was, except that he too had darker skin like my boyfriend. He has somewhat light skin but tans up a lot and can get very dark.

My results said, to my surprise that I am only 14% Irish and that I'm 45% British! Kind of took me by surprise.

My boyfriend's results said he was mostly European, I don't remember the exact amounts, but it was cool to find out.

I guess in the mail they're going to send us more detailed reports but it was cool to find out a bit more about where our families came from, they even include maps showing how your probable ancestors immigrated.

Anyways I just wanted to see if anybody else has taken something like this? Would you want to?

Spoiler: My Results

 

[Bowie]

I'm related to murderers, ridiculously enough.

 

[toadsworthy]

OH
MY
GOD
don't get me started on direct to consumer genetic testing................
does this test also give you results about like predispositions to certain conditions and stuff? I know 23 and me does?

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

I'm related to murderers, ridiculously enough.

That's pretty neat, I mean. I'm related to Zachary Taylor and Betsy Ross. Like woo, go America...

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OH
MY
GOD
don't get me started on direct to consumer genetic testing................
does this test also give you results about like predispositions to certain conditions and stuff? I know 23 and me does?

No, this one is just ancestry, that would be interesting to know though!

 

[Aniko]

I always wanted to do this, but don't have the extra money for that. According to genealogy thought, hundreds of my ancestors were French, one was German. At least in theory. We never know.

 

[toadsworthy]

That's pretty neat, I mean. I'm related to Zachary Taylor and Betsy Ross. Like woo, go America...

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No, this one is just ancestry, that would be interesting to know though!

NOOOOOOO, this is the stuff that gives me nightmares...
Direct to consumer may be convenient but you really need to see a Genetic counselor (my profession) to help go over results. Otherwise people get the wrong idea about what something means, and then go do major lifestyle changes or at the worst like preventative surgeries or other medical procedures. Or they just freak out because they are 10% more likely than typical population to have alzheimer's or something.... the ancestry part is cool, I could explain how they do it if you want, but genetic testing like 23 and Me should be carefully considered with a professional before doing

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

NOOOOOOO, this is the stuff that gives me nightmares...
Direct to consumer may be convenient but you really need to see a Genetic counselor (my profession) to help go over results. Otherwise people get the wrong idea about what something means, and then go do major lifestyle changes or at the worst like preventative surgeries or other medical procedures. Or they just freak out because they are 10% more likely than typical population to have alzheimer's or something.... the ancestry part is cool, I could explain how they do it if you want, but genetic testing like 23 and Me should be carefully considered with a professional before doing

I'll send you my spit.

Just kidding, but that's rad. I can see how those could easily be problematic. But this one is just ancestry, and it's neat, other people who have also done the testing get linked to you as like 4th cousins and stuff and it can help you start your ancestry tree and find distant relatives and find out like above, what interesting people you're related to. I only know of the ex president and flag maker because one of my cousins did the family tree thing on ancestry several years ago, but on the e-mail it had links to other people's profiles who are likely my distant cousins. I know that ancestry did that show a while ago where they were connecting normal people with famous people they never knew they were related to, and I think that'd be so cool to find out!

 

[toadsworthy]

I'll send you my spit.

Just kidding, but that's rad. I can see how those could easily be problematic. But this one is just ancestry, and it's neat, other people who have also done the testing get linked to you as like 4th cousins and stuff and it can help you start your ancestry tree and find distant relatives and find out like above, what interesting people you're related to. I only know of the ex president and flag maker because one of my cousins did the family tree thing on ancestry several years ago, but on the e-mail it had links to other people's profiles who are likely my distant cousins. I know that ancestry did that show a while ago where they were connecting normal people with famous people they never knew they were related to, and I think that'd be so cool to find out!

yes, while that stuff is very cool and I applaud bringing people together, I'm curious to know what they do with your DNA sequence afterwards though. I know you probably didn't read ALL the fine print, but it is scary to think your entire genetic code is now in someone else's database now. The other problem i have with these genetic testing sites...

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

yes, while that stuff is very cool and I applaud bringing people together, I'm curious to know what they do with your DNA sequence afterwards though. I know you probably didn't read ALL the fine print, but it is scary to think your entire genetic code is now in someone else's database now. The other problem i have with these genetic testing sites...

There was a release thing that was optional for them to use our DNA for further testing and "research" which I don't really mind. I mean if they want to bring an army of clones of me into the world so be it.

 

[toadsworthy]

their privacy statement does say can used for research lol, just sign the informed consent box....... which I'm sure no one knows what that means and just clicks yes

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yes i looked up their privacy statement... genetics is my life now

 

[UglyMonsterFace]

How does this work actually? I mean, what if there are no records of people? How far down the ancestry tree can it go? If people's DNA hadn't been collected, how can it be accurate? I'm so in the dark with this

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

How does this work actually? I mean, what if there are no records of people? How far down the ancestry tree can it go? If people's DNA hadn't been collected, how can it be accurate? I'm so in the dark with this

For the Ancestry part of the site it's basically just family trees and census reports, the linking is through other people's family trees, and close DNA matches, so the people who are alive on the site who have gotten their tests it links us through our genetics, and then further back to the people of the past it's just through family trees and stuff.

 

[Yaezakura]

No need for a genetic test in my case. I'm 100% Japanese.

Of course, no one can figure that out until they study my face structure, as I have platinum blonde hair, green eyes, and snow-white skin.

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

Added my results and map to the first page under a spoiler, under the European it had a thing saying "more details" and it does say it's mostly German in the European part, so that's cool.

 

[Primarina]

How does this work actually? I mean, what if there are no records of people? How far down the ancestry tree can it go? If people's DNA hadn't been collected, how can it be accurate? I'm so in the dark with this

Essentially they compare your DNA to people in various population groups who are representative of that population in as "pure" a form as possible, for lack of a better word, and then compare your DNA to see what groups it best matches. Some groups are so similar genetically, however, that it is difficult to distinguish between them, for example the Germans and the French.

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

Essentially they compare your DNA to people in various population groups who are representative of that population in as "pure" a form as possible, for lack of a better word, and then compare your DNA to see what groups it best matches. Some groups are so similar genetically, however, that it is difficult to distinguish between them, for example the Germans and the French.

Yeah, that's why they make it into a generalization instead of being more specific. Like how Europe is just a grouping.

 

[Yaezakura]

Yeah, that's why they make it into a generalization instead of being more specific. Like how Europe is just a grouping.

Always the problem with for-profit efforts. They cut corners. They could give way more information, but doing so would eat into their profits. By tracking individual gene mutations, you can trace ancestral history pretty damned reliably by comparing it to when each mutation first appeared in the genetic record.

 

[UglyMonsterFace]

Essentially they compare your DNA to people in various population groups who are representative of that population in as "pure" a form as possible, for lack of a better word, and then compare your DNA to see what groups it best matches. Some groups are so similar genetically, however, that it is difficult to distinguish between them, for example the Germans and the French.

Oh okay! That's interesting Thanks!

 

[Mu~]

I'd like to, but sadly no $$$

 

[Brookie]

I would really like to know this. I'm full African American by government definition, but everyone i meet is like: "no u have to be at least 15% something else, ur "so light and yaddda yadda"" " which I think is a little weird cause there are all types of black people but anyway. I know that there is Scottish/German in my ancestry, and there's Native American Cherokee but I don't think it's enough for me to label myself "mixed". I would like to know how much it is AND what else there is AND what part of Africa my African blood came from.