Help with DNA results

[JanLewis83]

Good morning, my name is Jan and I live in Jersey uk. I recently received back my DNA estimates on my heritage, and currently trying to ensure I am reading them right. My parents are from a rural village in the middle of Madeira. I know that it was colonized in the 1500's and used as a base for slavery. so it wasn't a surprise to me that I had some north African ethnicity in my results. However my parents broke up when I was 5 months old and I haven't seen my father since. I expected nearly 100% Iberian as all of my grandparents/greatgrand parents were in the same small village. They always married within this village or the next one a few miles away. My mother came to Jersey with my father when she was 18 and has stayed ever since. Thing is my results came back and told me I had 47% Iberian, 25% Irish, Scottish welsh, 16%Sardinian, and few low results for east Europe. Now with what I do know about my family tree I am surprised that I have these results. I know that Sardinians are closely related to Basque, and my heritage does not test for Basque, so this could be a slight incorrect result. I have read everything I can about dna testing and ethnicity results over the past 3 weeks and the only conclusion I can come to is that someone else maybe be my father. It would explain the lack of contact after my Iberian father left. I guess I just needed to reach out to see if anyone else would agree with my findings? Or could it be that Madeiran people can carry high amounts of Scottish, Irish, Welsh? I am thinking not, but could do with some help!? Thank you so much
Jan   

[Biggles50]

Welcome.

The main thing to consider on any DNA website is that the Ethnicity results presented are Estimates and whatever you see is just that, an estimate.  The Estimate you have will vary over time as the My Heritage database increases in size.

I have had my DNA tested by both My Heritage and Ancestry and comparing the Ethnicity Estimates gives me the result that look like they represent two different people.

By far the best way to use DNA results effectively is to build a wide tree and look at DNA matches and try to build them into your tree.

I suggest that you also take an Ancestry DNA test, and use their site to work with the DNA matches that are presented there.  Ancestry have by far the biggest DNA database which will help.

[Ruskie]

Don’t take too much notice of those percentages - they are just a rough guide and are subject to change over time.

How extensive is your paper trail family tree? You mention great grandparents from Madeira, but you will need to go back further than that.

I’m not as impressed with Ancestry as Biggles is, though I am new to it and still learning, but I haven’t been blown away by my results. It might depend on your origins and which test is more popular in certain regions - also consider the reference samples used by the various companies, and how they categorise the regions. I’m not sure how big the sample population is for “Iberia” on MH.

There are many variables which determine your matches, not the least is luck (ie how many of your “cousins” have taken a DNA test). Have you looked at your closest matches whose families originate in the UK? Maybe you can find a common ancestor by looking at their trees.

https://education.myheritage.com/article/the-founder-populations-project-how-myheritage-estimates-your-ethnicities/

I would look to your matches to determine if you may have had a different father rather than those percentages.

[JanLewis83]

Thank you, I will bear all of this in mind. I have ordered a new kit from Ancestry just to see, and I also uploaded my raw dna to LivingDna. It came back slightly different but did pin point lots of regions in the UK, like Cornwall and East Anglia, and Ireland. I have difficulty with my family tree on my fathers side as although I was told they all live in Madeira I was never told their names! I will hold tight and see if any cousins come back from Ancestry. Thanks for all your help

[jc26red]

I tend to agree with Biggles.

DNA is a bit of a learning curve, we read a lot then wonder how to apply it to our own specific results and we all have different reasons for researching our DNA. I can understand your dilemma, not only do you not know a great deal about your paternal line but being realistic the heritage for people born on a shipping route can throw up some interesting surprises!

When checking passenger lists, Madeira shows up as a stopping point to South Africa and beyond and it’s been a tourist/cruise destination for more than a hundred years. You will need an open mind on where and when the Irish/Scottish/Welsh trickled in but 25% initially suggests grandparent level

On Ancestry DNA, they provide a nice coloured wheels like a pie chart showing the percentages for maternal and partial lines. While not getting too bogged down with exact percentages, it will show whether it’s your mum or dads side the Irish/Scottish/Welsh/Sardinian appears… could even be both which would mean the heritage mix might be further back in time than you thought.

You appear to be questioning if your father is really your father, looking at that time period, were you born on Jersey? Could your mother have had a relationship there before your birth? If your mother is still alive, have you mentioned your interest in your heritage and DNA? She may not want to talk about it though.

On Ancestry you can upload a tree and see if you have any close matches, they have the biggest database. I don’t know how many people with Iberian heritage have taken tests though but the database is growing and patience is needed. Many Ancestry matches will also be on my Heritage and GEDmatch. I haven’t uploaded to MyHeritage yet so I cannot give an opinion on My Heritage.

[Ruskie]

Good points jc26red.  I agree that it would be advisable to test oldest living relatives on both sides of the family if possible.

Quote from Jan:

 My mother came to Jersey with my father when she was 18 and has stayed ever since.

Hopefully the results from the Ancestry test will clarify.

[phil57]

In addition to the other excellent answers, ethnicity estimates are derived from segments of DNA which are believed to be common to particular population groups and not evidence of recent family connections. They are the same segments that Ancestry strip out of the weighted match lengths for family matching. As such, they are supposed to be indicative of ethnic origins from more than 500 to several thousand years ago - much older than it is possible to connect with relatives through autosomal matching. So using ethnicity to support the location or origin of family members within the last few hundred years is not what it is intended for, and may lead to false hopes or disappointment, or even bias where you believe it confirms what you think you already know.

[JanLewis83]

Thank you so much for all your responses. Yes I was born in Jersey in 1983..5 years after my mother came to Jersey.
Whilst it's hard to sit around and wait for more results I guess I need to be patient, and after so much research over the past weeks I guess I wanted someone to say "I think you could be right!" which of course unless I have solid evidence no one will say that me. I need to trust my own judgment and I really appreciate all your answers to my question. Once I have the results back from Ancestry DNA I will update you all. Again thank you!