What's in the Pie? My Enhanced Ancestry DNA Results

I got my "enhanced" AncestryDNA results yesterday. They vary greatly from my original results. 

Before we get to the new stuff, here is the pie chart from my old results:

At the time, I questioned the high Scandinavian percentage, since I have zero indication of such heritage. I didn't knock that I had a Scandinavian history, just that it would be this high without me knowing about it. I also thought the 10% uncertain result was very high for a DNA test. I did not see any other person's Ancestry DNA set of results that had 10% uncertainty anywhere. However, I had done the test purely for my own amusement so I left it at that.

Here are the enhanced results. Big difference!

First, I was very happy to see that Native American sliver of the pie. My family proved Chickasaw heritage in order to become Chickasaw Citizens, but it was comforting to see it in the DNA results. We're legit!

Second, look how the Scandinavian percentage went from 33% to 6%. That's a number I can believe. I still don't know where it comes from. I just know it's there.

Western Europe is only 7%. My paper research indicates that should be higher with all the French, German and Belgian history. Just shows how far back a DNA test can go, and how recent my research actually is.

What is going on with Great Britain? 53%? I know my paternal grandmother is responsible for part of this. What bothers me is that my dad's Y-DNA test indicates several matches in Great Britain, but my research is showing Luxembourger (German). Did the Lenertz line originate in Great Britain or do we have a non-paternal event somewhere? I'm going to have to DNA test another Lenertz male. Any takers? I'll pay for the test. I simply have to know what the heck is going on with all this British-ness in my blood.

Italy/Greece? What is going on there? Who are you people and what are you doing in my DNA? You know, I'm suspicious about my French ancestors. They look olive-complexioned in old photos. I just dismissed it as farm tans from vineyard work, but maybe it's something in their genes and they came from another place.

Europe East is my maternal grandmother's mother. I'm sure of it. Austria/Hungary border and points east according to my research. No surprise there.

West Asia? Ancestry defines this as the countries on the Arabian Peninsula like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, etc. No idea where that came from, but I'm guessing my mom's side.

For fun, here's my old results from FamilyTree DNA:

I view these enhanced DNA results just like the old ones: mostly for my own entertainment. I've had zero-percent success contacting matches. Zero. It's very sad. I don't know why nobody will respond to my messages. Oh well. Back to figuring out who I am.

Did you get some enhanced AncestryDNA results lately? What did they say about you?

AncestryDNA Ethnicity Updates Live for Everyone

[Howdy, readers. Below is a press release from AncestryDNA regarding their new updates. Have you or a relative taken an AncestryDNA test? Did you uncover anything surprising with this update? I did. I'll share it in a later blog post. --A]

AncestryDNA™ Now a More Comprehensive DNA Test

for Exploring Ethnic Origins

Update to AncestryDNA gives a deeper level of insight with expanded information for twenty-six regions

(PROVO, Utah) – October 17, 2013 – Ancestry.com DNA, LLC announced today an update to its popular DNA test. Armed with one of the most comprehensive collections of location based DNA samples from around the world and the latest DNA testing technology, AncestryDNA now maps a test taker’s ethnic origins to 26 global regions, including expanded regions for people of European and West African descent.

“We are rapidly advancing DNA testing for family history,” said Dr. Ken Chahine, Senior Vice President and General Manager of AncestryDNA. “The greatest benefit of this test is that it provides an easy way to help explore one’s ancestral background and discover your family’s past in amazing detail never before available.”

Whether you’re just getting started researching your family history or you are an advanced genealogist tracking down a specific portion of a family tree where records are going cold, the new update to AncestryDNA can help people explore their ancestry beyond historical records.

The new update to AncestryDNA includes:

·        Increased number of ethnic regions to 26 from across the globe.

·        More detailed African ethnicity – a total of 10 African regions, including 6 different countries/regions within Western Africaincluding Benin/Togo, Cameroon/Congo, Ivory/Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal.

·        More detailed European ethnicity, including Ireland, Great Britain, the Iberian Peninsula and Italy/Greece.

·        A complete user interface redesign with improved visualization tools, regional educational materials and a detailed description of the science behind the results.

·        Improved science, including extensive testing, validation and an increase in the number of reference populations.

·        A database of more than 200,000 customers.

“Five years ago, a genealogical DNA test would predict the rough proportions of a person’s ancestry from Europe, Asia, or Africa – but most people could determine that without the aid of a DNA test,” said Dr. Catherine Ball, Vice President of Genomics and Bioinformatics for AncestryDNA. “Today, the AncestryDNA science team has examined more than 700,000 DNA markers to create a genetic portrait for groups of people around the world. By comparing someone’s DNA to this core reference set, we can calculate an ethnicity estimate based on 26 global populations.”

Updates to AncestryDNA Further Advances Family History Exploration

Last year, with the initial launch of AncestryDNA, a test taker was able to receive results that mapped back to 22 different ethnic regions. Today’s announcement marks an expanded range of genetic ethnicity and geographic origins that is currently not available in other consumer DNA tests on the market.

·        The journey of many African American’s ancestors can be difficult to research using historical records alone, as most lose the paper trail around the 1870s or before. But now thanks to expanded capabilities that detail African ethnicity into 10 regions, including 6 different countries/regions within Western Africa, AncestryDNA will help people of African descent better understand where their ancestors came from and the cultures of those places, in a way never before possible.

·        Previously identified as one ethnicity group, the British Isles is now broken down to expanded regions, divided into Great Britain and Ireland. This development provides additional insight to the approximately 21% of Americans who claim Irish or English heritage.

·        Southern Europe is also now separated into two groups including, the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and Italy/Greece, providing more detail for those with Mediterranean heritage where historical records are less likely to be available.

In May 2012, Ancestry.com launched AncestryDNA, a service that analyzes a person’s genome at more than 700,000 marker locations. It is available at www.ancestrydna.com for $99, plus shipping and handling. The price includes a DNA testing kit, genetic lab processing, online results delivered in a private and secure account, as well as continual ethnicity and cousin matching updates. Additional information on AncestryDNA can be found at www.ancestryDNA.com.

See Full Results in the Ancestry.com DNA Test

Yesterday I posted about my Ancestry.com DNA test results. I included the following screen capture of my DNA pie chart:

There were some questions in the comments about the "See Full Results" button in the image and what types of information you get when you click on it. Instead of answering in the comments, I decided just to make a blog post about it. Here's what I see when I expand to full results:

I get a pretty map.
I have a private family tree at Ancestry.com. That means that I can see it, but others cannot. In my DNA results, there is a world map and my ancestors' birthplaces are tagged on that map. That way I can see where my ancestors are in terms of the color-coded pie slice regions. It's a pretty map, but it doesn't tell me anything new since I'm the one who put all the information in the tree anyway.

I get a brief lesson on ethnicity.
There are a few paragraphs on how ethnicity is determined and its accuracy.

I get information on my ethnic pie slices.
I have four different colored pie slices, so there are options to read about each one. There is information on history, migrations and current countries. There is no commentary for my big "uncertain" pie slice.

I get potential matches. Lots and lots of them.
Ancestry.com DNA provides potential cousin matches based on the test results of others. They are loosely grouped by relationship range, but you can filter and edit the set any way you want. If a potential match has a public family tree on Ancestry.com, you are able to view that. There is an option to contact a potential match.

Ancestry.com also provides an estimated relationship level, so I can see who might be my 3rd cousin, 4th cousin, etc. This is not a perfect tool, just an estimation. One person listed as a potential 4th cousin to me is actually a 2nd cousin once-removed.

Parting thoughts
I took the Ancestry.com DNA test for my own curiosity, so I'm not compelled or motivated to review it here. Hopefully I've provided enough details to answer some questions. The best parts of the test are the pretty pie chart and the potential cousin matches. It's just nice to know you're connected to others out there on the big blue planet.

My Ancestry DNA Results

Recently I took the Ancestry.com DNA test, mostly because it was on sale and I was curious about the differences from my FamilyTree DNA test. Here's the easy pie chart breakdown of my results:

I have several comments, so I'll just go down the list.

The Scandinavian Thing
My family tree research is relatively recent given the amount of time people have walked on the planet. So far I have not encountered a single Scandinavian hint of anything in my genealogy research. However, I know how far back history goes in that area, so I'm not surprised I have it. I am surprised at the 33% though. I just don't know where it comes from.

I suspect the big blue slice in my results comes from my dad's side of the family. I looked at another person's close DNA match (second cousins once removed) on my mom's side. That guy's results show no Scandinavian anything whatsoever. So barring a non-paternal event, the Scandinavian thing probably doesn't come from my maternal grandfather. My maternal grandmother is also not likely. I'll explain that later.

My paternal grandfather is all German and Luxembourger so far. That leaves my paternal grandmother as the prime suspect. More on that below.

The British Isles thing
I have my Williamsons, Cloyds, Scotts and Joneses in America in the 1700's. I haven't crossed the pond with most of them yet, but the literature out there says they came from the British Isles. This is my paternal grandmother's side of the tree.

More reading is necessary, but I'm guessing my British Isles ancestors have Scandinavian history and the two are tied together on the same lines.

I'll have to look at my French ancestors, too, since they lived on the Atlantic coast and could have easily come from the British Isles at some point.

I am 59% Scandinavian and British Isles
This is surprising only because all of my European research so far has focused elsewhere. Though they all came from somewhere, so maybe this is it.

The Eastern European thing
I also have these results in my FamilyTree DNA test, just not as high as 17%. This is all my maternal grandmother's side...I think. Her mom was born in Austria and I've traced the family to Hungary. I think the line goes further east and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a little Jewish history in there.

The Central European thing
I am surprised it is so low. Based on the research I'm doing and the places it's taking me, it feels like many of my ancestors were from this area. Instead, it's the lowest identified group.

Is 10% "uncertain" high?
I did a quick look over my closest matches, and I didn't see anyone over 10%. Most were 1-6% uncertain. What's in my blood?

How I will proceed.
At the very moment, I won't do much. There is one definite match at the second cousin level, but it looks like he has the same information as I do. I'm currently working on fortifying my database, pulling info off of my private Ancestry tree and putting it in RootsMagic. All neat and tidy with sources, citations and such. I want to get that done before I do more digging.

Final thought on this DNA test
I might be Scandinavian, but you'll never get me to try lutefisk.


[Update: someone asked about the "See Full Results" button in the photo and what exactly that entails. I've answered the question here. --A]

DNA Day at the Clayton Genealogy Library

Yesterday I attended DNA Day at the Clayton Library, which was hosted by the Lone Star Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists.

There were three sessions that discussed genetic genealogy and the use of DNA testing for family history purposes. Two sessions were taught by Debbie Wayne, CG, and another was led by a representative of Family Tree DNA. The whole shebang was presented at no cost to the attendees.

This event could not have come at a better time, as I have some pending and new DNA results of which I am struggling to make sense.

Here is my pie chart again for reference:

Based on what I learned yesterday, this pie chart is part of the Family Finder test, which deals with autosomal DNA. If I understood what was said, this chart is "me" and factors in both parents.

I didn't quite get the Family Finder test before yesterday, but now I know a little more. I knew mtDNA was all about the ladies, but was confused that my complete results were showing matches on my dad's side. Turns out it's the Family Finder that shows my dad's side, and this pie chart is part of that test.

I still stand by my theory that the Middle East slice is Jewish and that it comes from my mom's mom's side. Though I have a mtDNA test pending for my grandmother, I did not purchase Family Finder so she won't have a pie chart. Maybe I should do that. The two-generation difference between us would be a big deal if I am understanding this Family Finder autosomal DNA testing right.

This whole DNA post is giving me a headache. Ay yi yi. So much to learn.
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My Genetic Genealogy Pie Chart

In my last post, I confirmed that all of my family's outstanding DNA tests were received at the Family Tree DNA lab and are now being processed.

I also mentioned that my own test's results are starting to come out.

When I took this test, I knew a lot of the information would go over my head. I was correct. I'm still trying to interpret everything and understand what it means.

I expected to see a pie chart that said I had a lot of French and German in me. I expected that my Native American-ness would be likely non-existent. My ticket into the Chickasaw Nation was a white guy and my sixth-great grandmother is known only as "Halfblood Chickasaw" in published histories.

So when I sent off my DNA swabs, I had this pie-charted European vision in my head. That is what I expected to see.

Here is what I got:

It says Europe (Western European) 91.86%, Middle East 8.14%, each with +/-7.08% margin of error.

Any way you do the math, there's still a piece of Middle East pie on the plate.

Family Tree DNA defines "Middle East" as Palestinian, Iranian, Jewish, Adygei, Bedouin, Bedouin South, and/or Druze.

I suspect I fall in the Jewish category, and I suspect it's the Austrian/Hungarian line I'm currently researching. Even though they are all Catholic so far, that's the best scenario for me getting this result.

Of course, this is all speculation. That Middle East pie slice comes from somewhere. Is it my mom's side or my dad's? The five other family members' pending DNA tests should answer that question. When all is said and done, one side of my family is in for a surprise.

Until then, I will continue to attempt to understand all that is possible with genealogical DNA testing. Luckily there's a "DNA Day" event at the Clayton Genealogy Library tomorrow and I have reserved a seat. My friend Debbie Wayne, CG, is teaching two classes and Family Tree DNA is teaching another. Good thing, too. When it comes to DNA, Genetic Genealogy, and interpreting test results, I need all the help I can get!
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Family Tree DNA Testing Update

I've received arrival confirmations for all of the Family Tree DNA tests that were ordered for my family during their last sale. That means that all my selected relatives tested, all sent them back and they all were received at the lab. Yay!

Now the waiting begins...

I understand a little bit about the use of DNA information in genealogy. I don't expect a whole lot of striking revelations from this experience. I know that it's important to test your relatives while you can, so that's what I did. I don't have any mysteries to solve just yet.

To my family, I'll say I don't know what lies ahead. It may be that we don't find anything, but that someone else finds us. I just appreciate that you trusted my judgement and took these tests.

I also took a mtDNA test. Some of my results are already in. (It helps to live in the same city as the lab.) I don't know exactly what I am looking at, but I did find a surprise. It's worthy of it's own post. Stay tuned....
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My Foray into Family Tree DNA

Family Tree DNA had a sale last week, so I bit the bullet and recruited my family for some cheek scrapin' fun times. Drafted on my team were my dad, my aunt, and my maternal grandparents. Not wanting to be left out of the fun, I went and ordered myself a mtDNA test and Family Finder just to see what happens.

My test kit came this week:

Inside were three cheek scrapers. When you're done, the stick is used to plunge little swab into the little jar. It's an easy process.

Then you send everything back.

Yes, they're right down the road from me. That's one of the reasons I chose this company. Shop local, they say.

What do I expect from this process? I have no idea. I'm still trying to grasp the possibilities and scenarios that arise from having this DNA information. I do know that I couldn't wait until I learned everything before getting my family samples done. Test now, figure it out later.

Special thanks to my parents for funding this adventure and for my family members for being the guinea pigs. I honestly can't tell you what we're going to learn about ourselves from this exercise, but the possibilities make it necessary to take the step.

I sent my own test back today. I'll let you know how it goes....
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Lenertz DNA & Thibodeaux DNA Results

I received my Y-DNA test results. It sounds like something out of the Maury Povich Show (YOU ARE NOT THE FATHER!!), but it's not that dramatic.

I'm not male, so these really aren't my results. They are those of two male members of my family. They pertain to the direct Thibodeaux male line and the direct Lenertz male line. The DNA females pass down is/are different.

Both the Thibodeaux (mom's side) and Lenertz (dad's side) results put my ancestors in the "R1b Haplogroup." You can Google that in quotations and get a general answer to what it means. Loosely, they came from Europe a very long time ago, which I expected.

I was able to search for others based on my family's DNA results. For the Lenertz line, the nearest living relation was in Great Britian. We shared a common ancestor 250 years ago. All this really means (I think) is that not many people have taken DNA tests and are in the database. We should find closer connections as more people buy into this process.

The same is the case with my Thibodeaux test. The nearest relative and I had a common ancestor 700 years ago. I really thought the Thibodeaux line would have more action. Guess not.

So now my family readers are asking "what does this mean?" Short answer: nothing. I just wanted to get the DNA testing done while we were all alive and kicking. I didn't expect any shocking conclusions.

In time, I expect more people will test their ancestral DNA and we will find more in common with others. Now I have to figure out how to get our info on the Internet so others can compare their DNA to ours.

DNA Testing in Progress

I know enough about DNA testing in genealogical circles to realize that it's pretty important. I've spent the last few months trying to understand enough to pick the *right* test from the *right* place. However, all this time later and I still don't quite get it.

I'm the kind of person that lives for today. I assume I and everyone else will be hit by a bus tomorrow. This assumption does not sit well with the fact that I still haven't picked a DNA test for my family yet.

So when Ancestry dropped the price of it's Paternal Lineage Test to $79, I decided just to bite the bullet and get that one. I don't know if it's the best or the worst, but it will tell me something about branches of my family for which I know little.

My dad agreed to take one test. That will help with those lovable-yet-pesky Lenertz men that worked hard, moved often, and left little recordable information on this Earth.

The second test is destined for someone who doesn't know about it and might read this blog, so we'll just leave it at that until I can perfect my DNA-testing elevator speech.

So where are we at right now? The tests should be on their way to us shortly. I'll let you know how it goes. Let hope nobody gets hit by a bus before the tests get here.