Have You Taken A DNA Ethnicity Test?

[Rudynate]

As I understand it, DNA analysis can only tell you how your DNA matches up with the majority of people who live in a certain geographical region of the world today. That may be helpful if you are trying to find out where your ancestors may have lived at one time, but it is not much to go on.

 

True . . . the gene sequences are associated with geographic areas but they are also associated with particular populations by their frequency within the population. Jews often assume, without asking, that I'm a Jew, but I'm not. My genetic analysis shows some gene sequences, originally from North Africa, now common in Eastern Europe among populations of Ashkenazi Jews.

[luv2rim]

My sister took the test and not only did it reveal our ethnicity but revealed skeletons in our families closet. An illegitimate first cousin.

[+ sniper]

How exactly does the test reveal a cousin? They send you names of other customers who appear similar to you? That's not keeping your information private.

[luv2rim]

When she took the test u could give permission to match your DNA with other customers who also gave permission. It reveals other customers and the probability you are related. One match revealed the probability of being a first cousin. We had no idea who this person might be. You also have the ability to contact this persons user name on the site if they give permission. As it turned out this person was adopted and knew her biological mothers name which we recognized as my dead uncles old girlfriend from the 1950s.

[Rudynate]

When she took the test u could give permission to match your DNA with other customers who also gave permission. It reveals other customers and the probability you are related. One match revealed the probability of being a first cousin. We had no idea who this person might be. You also have the ability to contact this persons user name on the site if they give permission. As it turned out this person was adopted and knew her biological mothers name which we recognized as my dead uncles old girlfriend from the 1950s.

 

 

The 23andme algorithm is pretty good. My niece had a profile done and it accurately identified our relationship. A first cousin who I have never met had a profile done and it identified us as first cousins.

[+ Avalon]

Both of my parents are dead. My aunt (father's sister) is still alive. I had the DNA test done on her. It revealed info on her that were not on mine.

[Rudynate]

Both of my parents are dead. My aunt (father's sister) is still alive. I had the DNA test done on her. It revealed info on her that were not on mine.

 

As would be expected. Her genetic information is different from yours.

[+ Avalon]

As would be expected. Her genetic information is different from yours.

 

I wonder if my father's would have been the same as his sister? They both had the same parents.

 

The test did not break down the paternal and maternal lines. I was hoping that doing my aunt's I'd be able find out both parents individually.

[Rudynate]

I wonder if my father's would have been the same as his sister? They both had the same parents.

 

The test did not break down the paternal and maternal lines. I was hoping that doing my aunt's I'd be able find out both parents individually.

 

 

Full sibs share 50%.

[+ Avalon]

Full sibs share 50%.

 

Thanks! I was unaware of that. I wish they had those DNA tests back when my parents were alive. As I have said mine said that I was 98% European and 2% South Asian. My aunt was 99% European and 1% West Asia.

[+ Charlie]

One of the reasons I haven't taken the test is because I already know, through regular genealogical sleuthing, my ancestry going back several generations, so I am unlikely to learn anything of real interest to me.

[marylander1940]

The British were in India for 250 years. It's entirely possible that if you have British antecedents there could have been an Indian link in there somewhere. Those liaisons happened and are not always remembered beyond a few generations. In less enlightened times I can remember older people (such as my grandmother, who was born in 1893) referring to others having 'a touch of the tar brush' meaning they allegedly had some indigenous ancestry. The timeframe in Australia is far shorter than the British history in India, and there are first Australians who know of, and identify with their ethnicity but do not 'appear' to be indigenous. As noted above, there is also the possibility that it's an error in the margins of the test.

 

[+ Avalon]

 

Thank-you! Very interesting! Here is info on Kirkpatrick that was mentioned in the video

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Achilles_Kirkpatrick

 

On the Australian soap opera there is an Anglo-Indian couple. He is white, she is Indian. They have two daughters. When they first arrived on the street there was mention of a son who was away studying. He's never been seen nor mentioned again.

[+ GregM]

I have a good idea of my back ground, Irish, English, German and Mexi. My Mexi grandma was great about keeping the family tree together and knowing our family background. So I have no need to these tests and like others have expressed I have concerns over the privacy issue.

 

Hugs,

Greg

[+ nycman]

I am unlikely to learn anything of real interest to me.

 

Except for that “1/2 brother” you never new existed from Dad’s time in Korea.....!

 

Those thing tend not to show up in routine ancestry sleuthing....grin

 

Also, the scary part about the police using the information is that, from the best

I can determine, they didn’t look for “information on X suspect”. They asked them

to scan their entire database and turn over anyone with a close match to anonymous

DNA they had collected.

 

Using that methodology...a specificity of 99.9%....basically sucks.

[+ Charlie]

More likely that uncle from Grandpa's adventures in the Wild West in his 20s, before he returned to the east to settle down and get married. In the 1890s he was living in the red light district in Salt Lake City.

Except for that “1/2 brother” you never new existed from Dad’s time in Korea.....!

 

Those thing tend not to show up in routine ancestry sleuthing....grin

 

[+ Avalon]

Is having your DNA tested any different that having your fingerprints taken? Years ago for a job I had to have my fingerprints taken.

 

On tv shows sometimes the deceased will be identified by dental work. That I don't understand. Afaik there is no national database of dental records.

[Bearofdistinction]

I took one of those DNA ethnicity tests recently and it stated that I was half Scotch and half bourbon.

 

To bad there was not some Alaskan --- Cause I Like my

Whiskey COLD and my Men Hot!

[coriolis888]

Privacy concerns. Be aware that you may lose control of your DNA sample.

 

The following link is a long read but fairly current. Near the end is a synopsis of various company privacy policies. Suggest at least going to:

 

P.12 and reading the “Areas of Concern” section.

P.19 and being comfortable with “Questions…to Ask…”

 

http://emerald.tufts.edu/~skrimsky/PDF/Ancestry DNA.PDF

 

 

I have not taken the test. Therefore, I do not know what is required as documents to identify the person furnishing the DNA.

 

Therefore, is there any reason that a fake name could not be submitted to the lab to test the DNA? Payment could be made by an unidentifiable negotiable instrument. The results, I assume, are sent via e-mail. A dummy VPN could be used to set up a dummy e-mail address.

 

Would this work and privacy would be maintained?

 

I don't think I like the idea of DNA being vulnerable to possible future abuse by law enforcement or any other agency or entity.

 

Does anyone who took the test think that it is possible to remain anonymous using the above described method?

Edited November 22, 2017 by coriolis888

[+ Avalon]

I had mine done with Ancestry.com

 

I'm thinking of have it done with another company to see how it compares.

[Epigonos]

I did 23 and me about a year ago and was terribly disappointed with the results. I'm like 98% Northern European (English/Scottish). I was really hoping for some exotic, Native American, Asian or African but no luck. Some of the medical information they include, if you sign up for the full package, is very interesting.

Frankly I could care less what they do with my DNA information.

[coriolis888]

 

Frankly I could care less what they do with my DNA information.

 

 

I agree. However, if you have a distant or close relative who did something illegal or was suspected of doing something illegal, the authorities could come back to you in order to help locate said person (since some of your DNA matches whoever they might be looking for). The subject person could be someone you only slightly know or not at all, but is related, nonetheless.

 

My DNA, is harmless as I have military and other occupations where my background was checked and is on record with State and Federal agencies. I am concerned about my DNA only to the extent that someone with related DNA may be a reason I might get involved in an investigation over what another person might have done or is suspected of having done.

Edited November 22, 2017 by coriolis888

[+ sniper]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/23andme-is-terrifying-but-not-for-the-reasons-the-fda-thinks/

[+ Tarte Gogo]

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/23andme-is-terrifying-but-not-for-the-reasons-the-fda-thinks/

That doesn’t sound so bad.

 

They can use my data to do research. I volunteer.

 

As long as my insurance premium is not based on my data, I am cool with private companies making money from the result of research that was only possible with my data.

 

You have to give them credit for the idea: they make you pay to give them your data! That is a really clever business model.

 

I wish I had thought about it.

[Rudynate]

That doesn’t sound so bad.

 

They can use my data to do research. I volunteer.

 

As long as my insurance premium is not based on my data, I am cool with private companies making money from the result of research that was only possible with my data.

 

You have to give them credit for the idea: they make you pay to give them your data! That is a really clever business model.

 

I wish I had thought about it.

 

Under the Affordable Care Act, it is unlawful to use a genetic predisposition to deny coverage or to charge a higher premium. Before the ACA, the practice was illegal in some states but not in others.