DNA tests. Recommendations, thoughts, experiences

Forums › Health and fitness › DNA tests. Recommendations, thoughts, experiences

dafman

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#285731 13-May-2021 20:02

I’ve decided to complete a DNA test.

I’m very keen to find out where in Europe my family originated from (Scotland & Germany I think).

Plus anything else. I don’t expect any ghosts in our family closet, but I am open to all information that may come from a test.

Ancestry is the company name I recognise, but there seems to be a lot of companies offering tests.

Do they all access a central global database? Anyone know?

I’d love to hear experiences and recommendations on which company to use, plus also learn about what information is provided? I’m keen to get the most detailed history available, so happy to pay more if need be.

Appreciate all comments, thoughts, experiences.

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#2707164 13-May-2021 20:10

Ancestry hands down largest db and I use it all the time to help adoptees connect with biological family

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#2707166 13-May-2021 20:11

FYI you can upload your DNA profile onto My Heritage and Family tree DNA

dafman

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#2707168 13-May-2021 20:15

Linux: FYI you can upload your DNA profile onto My Heritage and Family tree DNA

So, for eg, use Ancestry, then upload to My Heritage and Family tree DNA?

Gurezaemon

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#2707170 13-May-2021 20:18

I did ancestry.com.au a couple of years ago, and found out heaps about where my genetic background was from, as well as some first cousins less than an hour away. They occasionally send updates as their database is updated.
I don't know what sort of interlinkage between global databases is involved, but it has proved quite interesting.

I ended up with a chart showing something like 39% Scottish, 29% English, with smaller percentages of Wales, Ireland, Norway, and similar. It also gave a good indication of exactly what part of the UK and Ireland my parents' DNA was the most common.
Is it accurate? Who knows. But as a conversation piece and starter to further research, it's a pretty low barrier to entry.

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#2707171 13-May-2021 20:20

dafman:
Linux: FYI you can upload your DNA profile onto My Heritage and Family tree DNA

So, for eg, use Ancestry, then upload to My Heritage and Family tree DNA?

Yes you download your Ancestry DNA profile and can upload it to other sites

Gurezaemon

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#2707173 13-May-2021 20:23

Linux: Ancestry hands down largest db and I use it all the time to help adoptees connect with biological family

^This. As an adoptee, Ancestry confirmed a connection with biological family, who have since become excellent friends.

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#2707175 13-May-2021 20:28

Gurezaemon:
Linux: Ancestry hands down largest db and I use it all the time to help adoptees connect with biological family

^This. As an adoptee, Ancestry confirmed a connection with biological family, who have since become excellent friends.

I have now connected about 6 people with bio family and recently an old school mate and this was quite a story as his biological father was adopted as well and he had zero idea who his biological father was and I could tell him who (had passed in 2012) but I connected him with half siblings (One DNA tested and boom hit the nail right on the head first go)

lurker

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#2707203 13-May-2021 21:28

Interesting, do you know if myHeritage DNA profile can be uploaded to Ancestry? I will check this out. There's some other thing called Gedcom that I uploaded to and found other relatives

Eva888

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#2707205 13-May-2021 21:34

This is quite an interesting comparison. https://www.cnet.com/health/best-dna-test/

I wanted more information of my fathers side but it’s more difficult as a female unless you have a close male family member willing to be tested, otherwise your results are mainly from the maternal side. I have been looking at 23 and Me, but still procrastinating and a tad cynical after reading about people getting totally different results after testing with two different companies.

I wonder if you can do these tests anonymously without giving information such as surnames and maiden names so they don’t have any clue into your possible ethnicity from these. Some surnames so obviously show ethnicity.

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#2707206 13-May-2021 21:34

lurker:

Interesting, do you know if myHeritage DNA profile can be uploaded to Ancestry? I will check this out. There's some other thing called Gedcom that I uploaded to and found other relatives

@lurker My Heritage DNA profile can not be uploaded to Ancestry and I think you are speaking of Gedmatch

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#2707207 13-May-2021 21:36

Eva888: This is quite an interesting comparison. https://www.cnet.com/health/best-dna-test/

I wanted more information of my fathers side but it’s more difficult as a female unless you have a close male family member willing to be tested, otherwise your results are mainly from the maternal side.

@Eva888 Zero idea where you got this idea from and 100% incorrect, People are made of 50% mothers side and 50% fathers end of story

I have helped Females connect with bio family it is 100% the same

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lurker

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#2707208 13-May-2021 21:39

Linux:

lurker:

Interesting, do you know if myHeritage DNA profile can be uploaded to Ancestry? I will check this out. There's some other thing called Gedcom that I uploaded to and found other relatives

@lurker My Heritage DNA profile can not be uploaded to Ancestry and I think you are speaking of Gedmatch

Shame. Yes Gedmatch is what I meant. I wish everyone would use that too

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#2707219 13-May-2021 22:14

I have done a MyHeritage (affiliate link) a couple of years ago. Uploaded the file to other services to create reports for health, traits, etc.

I will post a list of links of services that can use your DNA results fole when back on my computer.

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#2707221 13-May-2021 22:15

Linux:

Eva888: This is quite an interesting comparison. https://www.cnet.com/health/best-dna-test/

I wanted more information of my fathers side but it’s more difficult as a female unless you have a close male family member willing to be tested, otherwise your results are mainly from the maternal side.

@Eva888 Zero idea where you got this idea from and 100% incorrect, People are made of 50% mothers side and 50% fathers end of story

I have helped Females connect with bio family it is 100% the same

No it's not that simple, father's Y chromosome isn't passed on to female children, so it's as Eva888 says "more difficult".

It's also not quite 50:50 anyway, as mitochondrial DNA is passed on maternally.

Eva888

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#2707229 13-May-2021 22:41

Yes this is why as a female tracking your fathers side accurately to find his haplogroup is difficult unless you can get DNA material from a close male relative to be able to obtain a Y-DNA test. Y-chromosomes are passed from father to son almost unchanged, so males can trace their patrilineal ancestry by testing their Y-chromosome. Women don't have Y-chromosomes so they can't take Y-DNA tests except through their father, brother, paternal uncle etc of their paternal line. Ancestry does Autosomal tests that won't include information about haplogroups.

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