Thoughts on DNA testing
When I talk to non-genealogists about DNA tests, the reactions are mixed. A lot of people are most familiar with the ethnicity portion of the test. This is what drew them in and this is how Ancestry markets their tests. I'm really glad for all those not-so-interested-in-genealogy people who take the test. They don't always attach family trees and they often don't respond to messages, but their results help establish connections to cousins and sometimes it only takes a little bit of sleuthing to trace their lines back several generations.
As I talk to others about testing sometimes there is some distrust. I have a German half great uncle that will not take a DNA test because he is worried about what the U.S. government will do with his results. I was a little disappointed with his response, but I respect it because there are many cultural and historical issues at play that I will probably never understand. I emailed him back, not with the intention of persuading him, but just with an explanation of why I find such value in DNA test. I didn't want him to think I was crazy or a government spy. ;)
Another reaction is also related to distrust. Not in the government, but in science. When you look at the ethnicity results, they can be misleading. Doubts in the science arise when an expected ethnicity is missing from the results or the percentages are completely different than the paper trail shows. And then, you'll have two full siblings test with drastically different ethnicity percentages. I usually describe the science as "fuzzy" when it comes to ethnicity. I'm not sure "fuzzy" is the best adjective, but it helps me downplay the ethnicity portion of the test. Here's what else I have to say about those confusing percentages. You only get half of each of your parents' DNA and it is a mix. And, they get a mix of their parents' and so forth, back through the generations. You can't inherit DNA unless your parent has it and then the mix up can create results very different from your siblings. If your fourth-great-grandmother is suspected to be full Native American, it may or may not show up in your DNA results.
My other quick thoughts on the ethnicity results: 1: borders have changed over time and our ancestors moved across borders more than we think and 2: tests compare DNA results to current people residing in those countries. My Pennsylvanian German ancestors came to America in the 1700s. What is considered German DNA today may not represent the Germans of the 18th century.
So, I don't focus on ethnicity results (despite previous posts that might show otherwise). The percentages can be fun and at a times a clue may arise, but frequently they are a distraction from the true value of DNA testing. The true value lies in cousin matches. This is where "DNA doesn't lie." These matches can help confirm family lines and find close family that you didn't know you had. It can break down brick walls or even throw years of research out the window when you realize you've been heading down the wrong branch.
DNA testing is amazing, exciting, and a huge part of the future of genealogy research.
As I talk to others about testing sometimes there is some distrust. I have a German half great uncle that will not take a DNA test because he is worried about what the U.S. government will do with his results. I was a little disappointed with his response, but I respect it because there are many cultural and historical issues at play that I will probably never understand. I emailed him back, not with the intention of persuading him, but just with an explanation of why I find such value in DNA test. I didn't want him to think I was crazy or a government spy. ;)
Another reaction is also related to distrust. Not in the government, but in science. When you look at the ethnicity results, they can be misleading. Doubts in the science arise when an expected ethnicity is missing from the results or the percentages are completely different than the paper trail shows. And then, you'll have two full siblings test with drastically different ethnicity percentages. I usually describe the science as "fuzzy" when it comes to ethnicity. I'm not sure "fuzzy" is the best adjective, but it helps me downplay the ethnicity portion of the test. Here's what else I have to say about those confusing percentages. You only get half of each of your parents' DNA and it is a mix. And, they get a mix of their parents' and so forth, back through the generations. You can't inherit DNA unless your parent has it and then the mix up can create results very different from your siblings. If your fourth-great-grandmother is suspected to be full Native American, it may or may not show up in your DNA results.
My other quick thoughts on the ethnicity results: 1: borders have changed over time and our ancestors moved across borders more than we think and 2: tests compare DNA results to current people residing in those countries. My Pennsylvanian German ancestors came to America in the 1700s. What is considered German DNA today may not represent the Germans of the 18th century.
So, I don't focus on ethnicity results (despite previous posts that might show otherwise). The percentages can be fun and at a times a clue may arise, but frequently they are a distraction from the true value of DNA testing. The true value lies in cousin matches. This is where "DNA doesn't lie." These matches can help confirm family lines and find close family that you didn't know you had. It can break down brick walls or even throw years of research out the window when you realize you've been heading down the wrong branch.
DNA testing is amazing, exciting, and a huge part of the future of genealogy research.
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