atDNA

While I was OK with my test results (above), I was a little bothered by Dave's (below).  I knew my French, English, Scottish ancestors lived along the coast and were probably Viking, but the Vikings did not settled much of Wales where Dave's ancestors were from (on two sides of his family).  Even his "Uncertain" didn't bother me because he has American Indian rumored on both sides of his family.  "Uncertain" just means there isn't a big enough sampling, but over time we may have a better idea.

Although I can't totally explain my Eastern European, I do have an idea.  It could have hopped along with the Viking or it could be that crazy J2 on the Williams side of the family (Click here for more explanation of the J2).  It could even be part of my Reiter heritage---Northern Germany and Switzerland should have registered Central Europe, but tribes wandered and paid little attention to boundaries.


Ancestry.com has a series of videos which helped me understand this new dna testing---a lot. My friend Chris had told me that her DNA test might not have the same results as her siblings, but I didn't understand that until I watched these videos. Click here.  I watched "You've Received Your DNA Results.  Now What?"  It explained very well why siblings may not get the same results and why Dave has no Welsh.  If you don't want to watch the full video, fast forward until you get to the graphic with fruits and vegetables.

What we are genetically may not be what our heritage or lineage may be.  Because we inherit half our genes from each parent, half of our parents genes are NOT inherited by us.  As the video says, we aren't fruit salad with the DNA cut up into halves, but if Mom is A,B,C,D, I may inherit A and B but one of my siblings may inherit C and D.  So, one of Dave's siblings could show Welsh although he doesn't. And our children will not be able to take their dad's and my DNA, add them together and divide by 2.  One child may be 90% Scandinavian and a sibling just 50%.  Our children will not show Welsh---if Dave doesn't have it and I don't have it, then they won't have it although their cousins may.

This is very different from the earlier DNA tests which tested the X (mtDNA) and Y chromosomes  (Y-DNA) although those also pointed to a large Viking influence (See the DNA label on the left and click on it).  One of the things the video kind of laughs about is their surprise at  how many of us are Scandinavian.

 I don't know if that speaks to the Viking expansion and inter-breeding or the sheer strength of the Viking genes.  Since many of us are originally from Britain, we expected to see "British" in our DNA, but Britain was settled by Anglo-Saxons (Viking and Central European), Danes (Viking), Normans (Viking) and then, there were the Vikings!  So, only those who are truly British (Celtic Irish, Cornish, Welsh, Scottish) will register.  My guess is a great deal of modern day Britain is Scandinavian in descent.