The Times wants your views: DNA ethnicity results

[KarenM]

I just recently received my results from Ancestry DNA.  As I am Canadian, I was pleased with my ethnicity results.  It confirmed that I was always right in saying I had more Irish in me then anything. 

I am a little disappointed by not getting any good matches to other DNA results with people on ancestry, but have been thinking about the idea of uploading my raw DNA to GEDmatch or Family tree DNA.  I would like to find more connections.

Karen

[newbe_nz]

All I know is I have ancestors from the UK, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Australia and New Zealand. I am not sure if there are other countries and am not able to afford a DNA test of any kind.

[Nova67]

My mother, father and myself have all participated in Ancestry DNA.  I have had cousin matches to people in the USA (links to Somerset & Northumberland, England) and Australia (links to VDL and Surrey, England) that make sense to me. I follow my ancestors through and their siblings etc as much as can with evidence-based records or transcriptions.
We all inherit differing amounts of DNA from our ancestors, so that you may not get the same results as your parent.
Apparently my German father has strong links to several people in Louisiana, part of the Acadian diaspora of French people who emigrated to Nova Scotia and were exiled by the British in 1755, many who resettled in Louisiana.

[Lisajj]

It's not something I've really given much thought too but I'm sure it has its place like everything else. I'm sure it wasn't that long ago when people said "I won't use the Internet to do any of my research".

[a-l]

Mark, what are you planning to do with all the information after your article ? Will the article be the start and lead onto other things , what are your intentions ?

[robbo43]

I have tested with FTDNA really because I wanted to see if there wa any link between the groups with my surname in Devon and those in Norfolk over a 4-500 year timescale. I am not interested in the so-called ethnicity results because basically I think that they are a load of nonsense.

[jettejjane]

Trystran a very interesting thread. You have heard our opinions. I would like to a ask what are your and Sarah`s views on this subject?

Jane

[Rosinish]

Is this about genetic DNA testing or Forensic DNA Testing? I wonder if people mix the 2

Hi David,

Can you explain the difference please as the comparison didn't cross my mind until I read your post?

Annie

[smudwhisk]

In theory it sounds like a great idea, but, with such relatively small and US-centric databases to compare with, I don't really see any benefit in testing, other than to help extend the database and, being somewhat cynical when it comes to privacy and security (and not in relation to the US), its not something I would give priority too.  I also don't think it would tell me a great deal, if anything, about the brickwalls I have in my research.  And from personal experience with some distant relatives, I'm not that bothered about making contact with any others.   It's also unlikely to tell me more than I already know about where some of my ancestors originated outside of the UK because of the limitations of the samples to compare with.  I already know I have French and Germanic ancestors from the paper trail, I just would like to know where my Germanic ancestor came from and testing isn't going to be able to tell me that.

Similarly, after a distant relative's experiences with the Family Finder test a few years back, I'm even more sceptical how accurate the tests may actually be.  Even if the results she received in relation to a known "relative" were accurate, it caused a consdierably amount of consternation between the two of them because in spite of the paper trail saying they were fourth cousins twice removed, the testing company were adamant that they couldn't be related as some evidence would show in the results.  That said, I've seen posted on RC since that these tests relating to finding relatives aren't much use after 4th or 5th cousins, which probably explains the results.  However, they were never told by the company at the time about this.   They offered to re-test my relative's sample, but she had to pay again for this and chose not to waste any more money on it.