Thread: Ancestry DNA Test and Family Trees

Well, Ancestry.com is having a dna test sale and I have been contemplating it for a while. I figure my woodpile is all over the place, but it would be cool to really know. May end up building a family tree. Any of you guys do this?

No, too concerned who they share/sell the DNA info they collect to. Be interesting though.

Bob

Had mine done some time ago, very interesting, I had a good idea before, it just showed the exact mix, I always thought and believed I was 100% Celtic a mix of Welsh & Irish but didn't see the Scottish until I took the test, it turned out I'm Irish Scottish 74% Welsh 26%, my ancestors moved through western Europe with their Celtic tribes a few thousand years ago then finally settled in the UK Ireland Scotland and Wales.

I too was concerned about the security stuff, curiosity got the cat.

That's cool Jamie!

Originally Posted by ScottGoodman

I too was concerned about the security stuff, curiosity got the cat.

That's cool Jamie!

Scott, that's just a snippet, you will get much more detail when you have the results, you will also get your first and second cousins, plus you can also include your family tree, I can go back to the 1780s, you will also get future updates.

Sounds really cool! Their kits are on sale, so that was the kicker for me. I am more excited now!

You guys keep it up and I may have to change my mind.

Bob

Originally Posted by BobH

No, too concerned who they share/sell the DNA info they collect to. Be interesting though.

Bob

^^^ Yup, hand them my DNA for compiling into their massive, for-profit genomic database?

Hard pass here. Besides, a better reason:

DNA ancestry tests are meaningless

A warning about the accuracy of the tests was made by the Sense About Science campaign group, which said "such histories are either so general as to be personally meaningless or they are just speculation from thin evidence."

The warning was backed by a number of leading genetics experts. Steve Jones, Emeritus Professor of Human Genetics at UCL said: “On a long trudge through history – two parents, four great-grandparents, and so on – very soon everyone runs out of ancestors and has to share them.

"As a result, almost every Briton is a descendant of Viking hordes, Roman legions, African migrants, Indian Brahmins, or anyone else they fancy.”

His colleague Prof Mark Thomas said: "These claims are usually planted by the companies that provide these so-called tests and are not backed up by published scientific research. This is business, and the business is genetic astrology.”

Originally Posted by Speedster

^^^ Yup, hand them my DNA for compiling into their massive, for-profit genomic database?

Hard pass here. Besides, a better reason:

DNA ancestry tests are meaningless

A warning about the accuracy of the tests was made by the Sense About Science campaign group, which said "such histories are either so general as to be personally meaningless or they are just speculation from thin evidence."

The warning was backed by a number of leading genetics experts. Steve Jones, Emeritus Professor of Human Genetics at UCL said: “On a long trudge through history – two parents, four great-grandparents, and so on – very soon everyone runs out of ancestors and has to share them.

"As a result, almost every Briton is a descendant of Viking hordes, Roman legions, African migrants, Indian Brahmins, or anyone else they fancy.”

His colleague Prof Mark Thomas said: "These claims are usually planted by the companies that provide these so-called tests and are not backed up by published scientific research. This is business, and the business is genetic astrology.”

"As a result, almost every Briton is a descendant of Viking hordes, Roman legions, African migrants, Indian Brahmins, or anyone else they fancy.”

The scientist who wrote that needs to be shot, the Vikings didn't come to Britain until 793 AD the Celts would have been already living in the UK Ireland since 500 BC the Anglo Saxons the modern-day English turned up 500 AD years before the Vikings, so that scientist needs a basic lesson in history, there is a small amount of Viking DNA but very little in the UK, in fact, the Celts still remain a pretty pure race genetically, when you consider the Anglo Saxons and the Romans usually tended to marry their own people because the language and cultural differences.

Originally Posted by celticcrusader

"As a result, almost every Briton is a descendant of Viking hordes, Roman legions, African migrants, Indian Brahmins, or anyone else they fancy.”

The scientist who wrote that needs to be shot, the Vikings didn't come to Britain until 793 AD the Celts would have been already living in the UK Ireland since 500 BC the Anglo Saxons the modern-day English turned up 500 AD years before the Vikings, so that scientist needs a basic lesson in history, there is a small amount of Viking DNA but very little in the UK, in fact, the Celts still remain a pretty pure race genetically, when you consider the Anglo Saxons and the Romans usually tended to marry their own people because the language and cultural differences.

Not sure I'd be shooting anyone for tossing out low-level hyperbole in these interesting times, especially a professor emeritus in human genetics. He's attempting to call attention to the more slimier outfits and claims made by such DNA testing services, not necessarily the one named by the OP its major competitor using the chromosome pairs number.

The data privacy concerns me most. Who knows, not something I care to spend my money on, just figure folks ought to think twice at least before jumping into line.

( Oh, and apologies for all of the ad-blitzing on previously linked site. Several privacy extensions in the web browser solved that for me. )