Help Choosing DNA Test

[guest189040]

Margaret

It is the results from Ancestry’s own test that I do not think provides anything like accurate results, the vast change we experienced seem to suggest that the data Ancestry use are from within their own members only and are not part of a worldwide database, also they do not seem to test for mtDNA which as it is passed down from mother to all her children and hence this alone will give a reasonable indication of originality and migration paths.

So yes its fun to have a cheap DNA test just do not expect it to say you are the long lost King or Queen of a country.

As you are probably aware a full DNA test will cost many hundreds of pounds.

[Jill Eaton]

Living DNA tests give a very detailed regional breakdown. Unfortunately, it takes months to get a result (or it did for me). You do however get motherline and, in your father's case, a Fatherline breakdown too.

It's up to your dad to decide how much faith he wants to put in a genealogical Ancestry DNA test.

I've done both Ancestry which I could upload to other sites and a LivingDNA. My Ancestry ethnicity breakdown has recently changed from the largest proportion of my DNA being Irish (which always seemed far too much against my paper trail) to the largest portion now being from Southern Britain - which makes far more sense.

Providing you accept that the ethnicity estimates are simply that - estimates, then I think it's a reasonable starting point. Don't however, waste months and money trying to prove an obscure and previously unknown link to a geographical location which is likely to either change or disappear entirely in a years time.

[sugarfizzle]

Margaret

It is the results from Ancestry’s own test that I do not think provides anything like accurate results, the vast change we experienced seem to suggest that the data Ancestry use are from within their own members only and are not part of a worldwide database, also they do not seem to test for mtDNA which as it is passed down from mother to all her children and hence this alone will give a reasonable indication of originality and migration paths.

So yes its fun to have a cheap DNA test just do not expect it to say you are the long lost King or Queen of a country.

As you are probably aware a full DNA test will cost many hundreds of pounds.

'It is the results from Ancestry’s own test that I do not think provides anything like accurate results'

I think most of us are in agreement with that. And also agree that no other test is going to do so either.

'Suggest that the data Ancestry use are from within their own members only and are not part of a worldwide database'.

Since Ancestry have at last count over 10 million testers from worldwide countries, I would think they do use a worldwide database, but if you mean a collaborative database, I'm not sure that any company does.

'A full DNA test will cost many hundreds of pounds'.

The only DNA test I am interested in is autosomal. It has proved very helpful to me, I have broken down 2 brick walls and confirmed other lines. Your lack of success may be due to amount of effort exerted by yourself, rather than lack of actual matches. DNA testing is not an easy fix, it requires time and effort. 1 positive match in 2 years seems very low, but it really does depend upon who has tested and who has not. I hope you get more matches in the future.

'So yes its fun to have a cheap DNA test just do not expect it to say you are the long lost King or Queen of a country.'

I never expected it to say I was King of a country (for rather obvious reasons!) or Queen. My stock is more ag lab than royalty, especially on my paternal side.

For ethnicity results, which is what Eadeker was asking about, the only suitable test would be autosomal, as both of the other tests follow one line only, paternal or maternal, and are of limited use to get a wider picture of one's ethnicity.

Whether any of the companies are any good at estimating ethnicity is open to question, ancestry is as good  or as bad as any of them, I would think. I have uploaded to Gedmatch, myheritageDNA and familytreeDNA, my ethnicity results are different at all of them, though most agree I am mainly from southern Britain.

Regards Margaret

[davidft]

I would just like to mention it is worth looking at the privacy policies of the companies before buying as some take more care of your privacy and dna data than others. However, if privacy isn't a concern to you then you can skip this step.