DNA ethnicity doesn't match parents!

[ReesyJ]

Hi all,
I am hoping someone can try to explain how I have 2 ethnicity regions within my DNA results that neither of my parents have in theirs. Is this possible?

Thank you
Lisa

[Ruskie]

From Ancestry:
https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Unexpected-Ethnicity-Results?language=en_US
(Though it doesn’t really answer your question.)

Don’t take much notice of ethnicity results. They are nothing more than a rough guide and will probably change over time. There are many threads on the subject.

Out of curiosity, what are the ethnicities you have that your parents don’t have, and what are the percentages?

I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this answer:
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-possible-to-have-DNA-from-an-ethnicity-your-parents-do-not-have

[ReesyJ]

Out of curiosity, what are the ethnicities you have that your parents don’t have, and what are the percentages?

Hi thank you for your reply.
I have:
Germanic Europe - 10%
Scottish - 13%
and neither of my parents have these in their results.

I have spoken to Ancestry about this and they couldn't give me an answer.

[Gadget]

It could well be how you are reading the ethniity fgures. These usually come with a large  range  so 11% could be really anything between 1% - 19%  for example.   

If you click on the figure in your indivdual ethnicity results, you will see this range. An example from my results for Scotland is

7%
Your ethnicity estimate is 7%, but it can range from 0-14%  and

 Your range of 0—14% comes from making multiple comparisons of your DNA to our reference panel. It includes other possible, but less likely, percentages.
Learn how to understand this data.

See:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/dna-help/ethnicity/bootstrapping


PS ethnicity estimates should be taken with a large pinch of salt at the moment. It depends on the reference group they are using.

[ReesyJ]

It could well be how you are reading the ethniity fgures. These usually come with a large  range  so 11% could be really anything between 1% - 19%  for example.   

If you click on the figure in your indivdual ethnicity results, you will see this range. An example from my results for Scotland is

7%
Your ethnicity estimate is 7%, but it can range from 0-14%  and

 Your range of 0—14% comes from making multiple comparisons of your DNA to our reference panel. It includes other possible, but less likely, percentages.
Learn how to understand this data.

See:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/cs/dna-help/ethnicity/bootstrapping


PS ethnicity estimates should be taken with a large pinch of salt at the moment. It depends on the reference group they are using.

Thank you. I just thought it was weird.
my results say that my parents are my parents, so at least I know I don't have anything to really worry about.

[Glen in Tinsel Kni]

My ethnicity results don't really tally up either, combined total is 55%, the split is 38% paternal and 17% maternal.  I know DNA has revealed my paternal grandfather is not the man I thought he was (my father's birth cert is not really worth the paper it's written on).
The big surprise though is that most of my paternal matches trees show their ancestors in Lincs and Leics whereas my maternal relatives seem to be in Ireland. My maternal side has a paper trail back to the mid 1700's and every birth, marriage and death is within a 10 mile radius of Lincoln, there's nothing at all that has any connection or even a suggestion of an Irish link. My DNA  results are effectively the complete opposite of the paper trail.

[Biggles50]

Ethnicity is an estimate based on the database of the samples used and algorithms based on DNA science, so take them with a bottle of Saxa not a pinch.

Its the DNA cM values of matches that do not lie.

My own paternal line has zero DNA matches past my Grandfather on his Father’s side but there is on his Mother’s.

Hence despite a paper trail going back to the 1500’s it may not be correct as there is no DNA proof that my Great Grandfather was in fact who the paper trail says he is.

Without a DNA trail one cannot be certain of the validity of ones Family Tree.