Ancestry DNA Trace Regions?

[forthefamily]

I'm just wondering if my results from Ancestry are skewed and if anyone has had the same result.

I have noticed that I have no trace regions showing. I've looked at most of my matches and they all have something.

I have 1st, 2nd and third cousins that have their DNA on Ancestry. These are people who I definitely know are related to me and are known family members.

I have attached 3 of their results plus mine so you could see what I mean.

Has anyone seen this in their results ?

[Eric Hatfield]

Hi, I just came across your question. I don't know either, but I was wondering where you expected to see your own "Trace regions"? Wouldn't the equivalent be your ethnicity estimate?

[Pheno]

Don't you need to look at the % attributed to each of the regions.

For example my basic regions total 62% with trace regions bringing the total to about 98%.

If your basic region(s) add up to almost 100% between them then the indication is that there are no identifiable other regions.  You cannot have more than 100% total from regions.

Pheno

[Eric Hatfield]

OK, I think I understand the question now. I found these two pages, on Low Confidence regions and Trace regions.

When ethnicity is determined, they calculate the percentage of DNA in common with typical people from that region, as an estimated value and a range. If it is above a certain level, it is a main region and if it is below that level but not zero it is a trace region or a low confidence region. It seems that the two are virtually the same thing, I don't know why they use two different terms.

Everyone has their main regions, and most people have their trace/low confidence regions, but some people's DNA must only show regions that are the main regions, and none that are in the lower range. That makes sense I think.

[forthefamily]

Everyone has their main regions, and most people have their trace/low confidence regions, but some people's DNA must only show regions that are the main regions, and none that are in the lower range. That makes sense I think.

Exactly. I have no trace regions. Just main regions which at the time I thought was odd. I have since seen two other DNA profiles like mine that match me so I guess I'm okay with my issue now.

I asked Ancestry and they said that........"That's actually not uncommon. It just means your DNA was a little more easy to place than some."

mab

[Eric Hatfield]

That makes sense. Glad you feel OK about it now. It was interesting for me to read up on it.

[forthefamily]

 

[hdw]

You would probably have a trace element if you had tested with FTDNA as I did. My trace element is West Middle East, and the explanation given is "A trace percentage indicates a very small amount of shared DNA in common with the corresponding population. In some cases this minor percentage could be attributed to background noise."

I put this faint trace of Middle East DNA down to the fact that my mtDNA haplogroup is J, what Bryan Sykes calls "Jasmine", which originated thousands of years ago in the Middle East, and is commonest today among the Bedouin. A nice thought for an east-coast, formerly red-haired and freckled, Scot!

Harry

[forthefamily]

I also put my DNA on Gedmatch. They have a few models that show different ways to look at your DNA   

It's a very interesting subject but complicated  I'm not sure whether I want to delve that deep into it or not.

mab