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Question: Have you ever had a DNA test done to determine your ethnicity!?
I've been thinking about doing this although I have a pretty good idea what the percentages will be I'd still like to know!. And I would love to hear your experiences!? If you haven't had this done, then maybe give me some information as what you think about it in general!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
As with everything else nowadays, there are a host of such sites!. Some specialize, as for Jewish ancestry or African ancestry, or Native American ancestry (which is ironical, as they tell me that the tribes do NOT accept DNA tests to prove Native American heritage)!.
I went with www!.familytreedna!.com, the oldest, biggest, and best!. They also do DNA testing for the National Geographics Genotype Program, which traces human migration patterns worldwide!.
There are different levels of testing, for both the yDNA (male to male) and mtDNA (female to female) tests!.
Drawbacks are that the tests will not provide names or dates; they will, however, tell what modern-day countries your ancestors came from!.
Mine came from more than 20 countries in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, China, Japan, the Philippines, all over Europe and most of the Middle East (in short, just about every place on the globe)!.
Family Tree provides tutorials to help you understand the results; keep you updated on "new" cousins they find, and provide a world map depicting where your ancestors came from (as well as a report indicating this)!. And, you have your very own webpage with your personal (about your ancestors) information!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Ethnicity is about culture, language, food, religion, clothes, etc!. It has little, if anything, to do with your DNA!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

NoWww@QuestionHome@Com

wtf!?

I think you need to do some research on wikipediaWww@QuestionHome@Com

I had the test on my Autosomal DNA by

http://www!.dnatribes!.com

They will not tell you that you are 1/2 of something, 1/4 of something else and 1/4 even something else again!. What they do is match you with population groups throughout the world!.
They will give you the top 20 starting out with your highest Match Likelihood Index!. When you go into their website, there is a way you can email them and ask questions!.

Autosomal is your total genetic pattern and I have found out you don't get it 50-50 from both parents!. A sibling can have different results!.

http://www!.searchmytree!.com/Inheritance!.!.!.!.

I asked DNAtribes if my sister who I share both parents with had the same test and they replied:

"Two siblings will each obtain unique results!. Family member do typically share some regional or ethnic affiliations, but in some cases
matches can vary substantially among siblings!."


Now, companies that use only Y & Mitochondrial
will often advertise that they will help you to discover your "deep ancestral roots," but it is only your deep ancestral roots in 2 lines!. Y goes from father to son only!. Mitochondrial goes from mother to both sons and daughters but only the daughters pass it on to their children!.

As you go back, the number of people you descend from pyramids!. If you had both the Y & Mitochondrial done right off the bat it would leave out your maternal grandfather and your paternal grandmother!. If you get back to your 6xgreat grandparents, barring any duplicates, you are directly descended from 510 individuals!.
Of those 510 you get your Y dna from only 8 and your Mitochondrial DNA from only 8, leaving out 494 people!.

Now, FamilyTreeDNA does Autosomal testing but they don't do it for ethnicity or regional testing I think they once did!. I had my Autosomal tested by them and I had to get DNATribes to give me an analysis!.

Y & Mitochondrial are helpful to people researching their family tree!. They both go back in a straight line virtually unchanged and can help matching people to other family trees!. And it can better enable people with research to discover some of the left out people!.Www@QuestionHome@Com