Ancestary DNA

I had one thing on my wish list for Christmas. That was to receive the AncestryDNA Kit! And thanks to my amazing mother and the fact that the kit was on sale for $79 (and still is) that was one of the gifts I received. Now if you’ve never seen the commercial or heard of Ancestry, it is a genealogy website where you can build and explore your family tree. The Ancestry DNA Kit is a separate service provided by Ancestry that gives you the resources to discover your true ethnicity down to each percentage.

The Process

You don’t need an Ancestry DNA kit done to start the Ancestry family tree. So if you are interested in starting a tree, I suggest trying the free trial first. It cost $99 for the full family tree service. I’ve started my own but haven’t completed it yet. Although it is on my list of to-do’s one day. To order the kit you must do so via the website. Once you have received your kit the next step is to create an ancestry DNA profile. This will be the same profile you use if you wish to do the geological hunt. With only a few general questions to answer your profile is set up in no time. The kit includes a beaker tube with a cap that holds a blue solution that helps protect your DNA until its tested.

According to Ancestry they test 23 pairs of chromosome, specifically the autosomal chromosomes that carry your genetic DNA. Once you receive the kit make sure you haven’t eaten, drank or smoked anything for up to 30 minutes before doing the test. Next all you have to do is spit into the tube up to the wiggly line, pour in the solution and shake for 5 seconds. When you send your Ancestry kit back, be prepared to wait 6-8 weeks for the results. Ancestry also gives you the option to make your results public, making it easier to match to potential family members or help in scientific research.

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What I Was Expecting

Over the years I have listened to family members tell stories of loved ones I had never met and their possible origin. I have always heard of Puerto Rico and parts of Europe mentioned, specifically Spain and Italy. My own research and knowing the Ancestry DNA results of my great-aunt also gave me clues into where I come from. I expected certain results that I received and was surprised by others!

My Results

As I mentioned previously mentioned Ancestry DNA takes 6-8 to complete. With the lack of patience I have its safe to say I was more than ready to see my results. Your results are uploaded to your online profile which you create when you first receive the kit. Not only does the kit tell you which countries you are from, but the regions within those countries. The kit gives you results for your strongest DNA findings and your weakest DNA findings. Here are mine!

Strongest DNA Findings:

Great Britain:22%- England, Scotland, Wales

Native American:19%- North America, Central America (AKA Taino Indian- the native people of Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands)

Iberian Peninsula :19%- Spain and Portugal (AKA, Spain)

Southern Europe:10%- Italy and Greece (AKA Italy)

North Africa:7%- Morocco, Western Sahara, Algeria, Libya

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Weakest DNA Strength findings

Senegal-5%- Senegal, the Gambia

Ivory Coast/ Ghana- 5%

Middle East 5% – Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Yemen, UAE, Lebanon, Israel

European Jewish 3%-  Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Israel

Ireland/Scotland/Wales- 1%

Countries I Am Not From:

Scandinavia

Caucasus

Benin/Togo

My Reaction

Overall I would take the test again, and I suggest everyone take it. I wasn’t surprised to learn about Spain, Italy and Native American, although I would have thought my Italian roots would have been stronger. And although there is a saying that we are all African, I was surprised to see the different African countries listed! The fact that England, Scotland and Whales even made it on my chart was very surprising as well. As my mother said when she saw my results “I’m a mutt”, the result of different people traveling to and from different countries including Puerto Rico. And its safe to say that I will always answer I’m Puerto Rican when someone asks “What are you?” or “Where are you from?”.  Although to know how exactly I became Puerto Rican is fascinating. And when they say “Hey you look like you’re from this country” I may just answer well this percentage is from Italy, Spain, etc!

Have you ever taken a DNA Kit test before? What were your results? Were you as surprised as I was to see the different countries in your results?

T.S.