Living DNA

[Adrian Stevenson]

I've tested but waiting on results. It's been 4 months since I initially ordered and they say March it'll be ready.

EDIT - received results overnight.

Now you have your results and have had a chance to look at them may I ask

1. Were the results what you were expecting
2. Did they answer any questions re your ancestry
3. Did they throw up new questions re your ancestry
4. Do you consider the information you received worth the fee you paid
5. Would you recommend others took the test, or possibly waited until LivingDNA agree to take transfers from other testing sites

Thank you

Hi, I have just got mine and my Uncle's results in early and I thought I would add my impressions here.

First off, I will add a reply re myself. I should add I have tested with other companies prior to this:

1) Yes
2) No
3) No
4) Well worth it and very good value for money. Highly recommended.
5) Take the test yourself.

Now I will add my comments from my Uncle's point of view:

1) From an Autosomal point yes as expected. But a big surprise re his Y Haplogroup. Really interesting.
2) Raised a question more than answered one in his case.
3) Yes.
4) Well worth it and very good value for money. Highly recommended.
5) Take the test yourself.


Hope this is helpful?

Cheers, Ade.

[davidft]

Thank you for replying to the questions I asked.

Since I first posted those I have had a good look around the web and have decided for various reasons that this test is not for me at this time, however I will watch developments with interested and may reconsider in the future.

[XPhile2868]

For the purposes of showing where my known ancestors are from, here is my map from AncestryDNA along with the map I got from LivingDNA. My percentages from LDNA are as follows -

Global

Europe 97.6%
World (unassigned) 2.4%

Regional

Great Britain and Ireland 93.5%
Europe (unassigned) 4%

Sub-regions

NW England 26.1%
SE England 13.3%
Cumbria 9.7%
South Yorkshire 9%
South England 8.8%
East Anglia 8%
SW Scotland & Northern Ireland 5.5%
South Wales Border 2.1%
Northumbria 1.8%
Aberdeenshire 1.2%
SC England 1.2%
Orkney 1.2%
GB&I (unassigned) 5.7%

[Adrian Stevenson]

Your results match up pretty well.

[macphail]

I've just ordered a test from Living DNA. Previously tested with Ancestry and FTDNA. The regional breakdown from LDNA offers far more promise than Ancestry whose whole package has been a little disappointing considering the number of people they have tested. FTDNA have better tools with which to compare matches with the exception of their poor tree display and their paternal & maternal testing has been very good. I'm looking forward to the results from Living DNA which, btw, is far cheaper than FTDNA given that they include both y-dna(for male testers) and mtdna in their package and they will update and refine the results in future at no extra cost.

[familydar]

I was interested to read macphail's post as I'd not appreciated that LivingDNA included a mitochondrial test as part of the package.  The complete works from FTDNA is hideously expensive so how can a competitor do it for so little?

I've tried to find out from both companies' websites but they are vague.  If you pay more do you get more markers/chromosomes/whatever tested?  Does anybody know?

I and both of my parents have done an FTDNA autosomal test.  My father has also done Y37.  Would I be better spending two lots of $199 on getting an FTDNA mitochondrial test done for both parents, or would two lots of £120 (which at current exchange rates is quite a bit less) at LDNA theoretically provide the same info?

My interest is a traditional family history one, rather than "are we neanderthal" for instance, and pretty much all lines (other than the common surnames) are now back to the early 1700s.

Jane :-)

[hurworth]

I'd not appreciated that LivingDNA included a mitochondrial test as part of the package.  The complete works from FTDNA is hideously expensive so how can a competitor do it for so little?

You are getting a basic haplogroup with the mitochondrial test, as explained here
https://dna-explained.com/2017/05/04/livingdna-product-review/

[familydar]

Thanks Hurworth.  Not for me at the moment then.

Jane :-)

[macphail]

My results just in. Ordered 6th May & were expected 12 Aug so I'm pleased the results are in early but I know others haven't been so quick.

Brief outline & according to my paper trail, I am abt 55% Irish - mostly paternal, some maternal, and the rest mostly Lancashire, Derbyshire, & Salop. My Dad's line from Norfolk with several fingers crossed and Mum's family stories included potential links to Scandanavia and Scotland. Altogether, 29 of my 32 3rd GGP known, beyond that, large numbers of unknowns appear.

Living DNA regional breakdown
Northwest England 29%
Southwest Scotland and Northern Ireland 18.3%
Central England 16.3%
Ireland 8.2%
South Wales Border 4.9% (includes Salop)
East Anglia 4.8%
Cornwall 4.3%
North Wales 2.9%
Northwest Scotland 2.8%
Southeast England 1.8%
Aberdeenshire 1.7% (potential confirmation with an FTDNA match)
South Central England 1.3%
Europe (North and West) 3.6%
Scandinavia 3.6%

MtDNA haplogroup H51a (which is the same as my sisters full sequence result with FTDNA)
y-dna haplogroup R-U106 subclade R-S1734 which is only 3 markers upstream from my current place on the haplotree after extensive & expensive testing with FTDNA, This result alone would swing my vote to LDNA.

Other tests for quick comparison
First autosomal test with Ancestry - Irish (which includes Ireland, Wales & Scotland) 57% , Scandinavia 24% Western Europe 10%
Mum's autosomal with Ancestry - Great Britain 39% (which includes England, Scotland & Wales) Ireland 22% Scandinavia 21% Europe East 9%