# What were your DNA results? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 27, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405 "2017-12-27T19:24:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/41 "2017-12-28T17:33:14Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Is this clear? Certainly the offspring of a marriage between pure A and pure B can be distinguished from an individual in a population where A and B have been interbreeding for generations, even if the portion of A and B genes in that population is 50-50. More generally, couldn’t the _duration_ of that interbreeding be estimated with quantitative assessments of the [genetic linkage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_linkage) between one’s various A and B alleles? > > I know little about the Ftdna or Ancestry algorithms, but I assume it starts with _self-identification_: If your DNA is similar to those who identify themselves as “Mestizo” it would be natural for that description to apply to you. One would hope they wouldn’t let any “political correctness” influence their classifications. It would be a self applied label (such as the one I self applied when I said I’m considered a mestizo). No kit or test is going to give a result that says one is a mestizo, or any other sometimes derogatory racial label. What my test came back with was a percentage and approximate region for the presumed places some of my ancestors lived in. They were pretty broad…big circles in northern and central Mexico, smaller ones in southern Mexico and the central Americas, large circles on the Spanish peninsula, stuff like that. Taking that information, one can then self apply whatever label one likes without worry about ‘political correctness’…or even whether or not these kinds of tests are that accurate. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/42 "2017-12-28T17:36:28Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Serious question for those that have done this (in no way wish to Threadshit): > > What is the motivation for doing a test like this? What is it going to tell you that would make any possible difference in your day-to-day lives? > > I just don’t “get it”. There is very little else I could care less about than what my DNA could tell me. > > Please enlighten me. What is the point? What am I missing? 😕 Well, for my part I know next to nothing about my ancestry other than my parents and several relatives came to the US from Mexico when I was a baby and that a lot of the rest of my family lives in a small village in northern Mexico to this day. So, it’s interesting to know some of my family history, where my ancestors might have come from and the like…since there is no way I’ll know any other way. What does this do in my day-to-day life? Nada, really…just interesting to know. I am who I am, and it doesn’t really change knowing where my ancestors might have come from. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/43 "2017-12-28T17:39:54Z")
so, what time period defines the nationalities? Roman era Germanic tribes? Post Vandal invasion? Post glacial and pre-Roman? England before the Vikings, before the Normans, before Rome, before whoever invaded before then? Sub Saharan before Egypt? before slavery exploitation, before European colonization? Trying to get a handle on what the nationalities actually mean. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/44 "2017-12-28T17:41:24Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Serious question for those that have done this (in no way wish to Threadshit): > > What is the motivation for doing a test like this? What is it going to tell you that would make any possible difference in your day-to-day lives? > > I just don’t “get it”. There is very little else I could care less about than what my DNA could tell me. > > Please enlighten me. What is the point? What am I missing? 😕 I want to know what I’m made of. My grandmother told me she arrived in Puerto Rico as a very young child in around 1911 or 1912 from Spain. There is not one drop of Iberian Peninsula in me. Then I read up on it (because really, Sardania? What, do sardines live there?) and found out that Spain governed Sardinia for a great many centuries, lost it in the early 18th century and regained it in in the mid 1700s, only to immediately hand it over to an Italian King in some typically convoluted European treaty. Now I’m really, _really_ intrigued. How’d I end up 15% Sardinian and 8% Greek and Scandinavian? And black people? We have no heritage except slavery. That’s where are roots start. We were brought to this country in the bowels of ships and all our families, traditions, lore and everything other ethnicities take for granted were taken away from us. Well, now I know. My ancestors were taken from Nigeria where they apparently partied with a few North Africans. Maybe I’ll go buy myself a geles. I’d look regal in one. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/45 "2017-12-28T17:43:11Z")
> [@XT](#): > > It would be a self applied label (such as the one I self applied when I said I’m considered a mestizo). No kit or test is going to give a result that says one is a mestizo, or any other sometimes derogatory racial label. . Mine did. That’s why I’m pissed. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/46 "2017-12-28T17:49:48Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > A place they dumped Latin Americans who can be any kind of Native American, European and African in any proportion, this company doesn’t feel like sorting it out. It’s not merely a question of feeling like sorting it out, although that can probably be part of it, prioritizing to work on refining the results that applies to the broadest customer segments, but it’s primarily a question of having sufficient data to do further sorting. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/47 "2017-12-28T17:51:07Z")
> [@PoppaSan](#): > > so, what time period defines the nationalities? Roman era Germanic tribes? Post Vandal invasion? Post glacial and pre-Roman? England before the Vikings, before the Normans, before Rome, before whoever invaded before then? Sub Saharan before Egypt? before slavery exploitation, before European colonization? Trying to get a handle on what the nationalities actually mean. It’s “You have genetic markers that are predominant in people who self-report as having these recent ancestries.” ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/48 "2017-12-28T17:59:57Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Serious question for those that have done this (in no way wish to Threadshit): > > What is the motivation for doing a test like this? What is it going to tell you that would make any possible difference in your day-to-day lives? > > I just don’t “get it”. There is very little else I could care less about than what my DNA could tell me. > > Please enlighten me. What is the point? What am I missing? 😕 For many African Americans, it gives us a modicum of what many white Americans take for granted when they can recite all the nationalities in their woodpile. It’s one thing to guess that you have west/central African ancestry with a little European blood thrown in based on what you learned in history class. It’s quite another to know (as much as you can know such a thing) that you do, and moreover be able to zero-in on specific populations and proportions. It kind of makes history more personal and real. Most people like feeling a sense of connection to the past. At a bare minimum, it’s fun to talk about. My twin sister got her DNA tested a couple of years ago, and it seems like we talk about the results at every family get-together because some unexpected things cropped up. About two-hundred years ago we likely had an East Asian ancestor. Not the most surprising or earth-shattering discovery, but still interesting. And she didn’t have any Native American markers, which goes counter to family lore. My mother insists the test is wrong. We’ll see if her results (which we should get back soon) turn up the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/49 "2017-12-28T18:09:52Z")
I’m also interested in seeing how much Neanderthal DNA I have. When I see myself in the mirror, it looks like I got more than my 2% share. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/50 "2017-12-28T18:17:19Z")
> [@naita](#): > > It’s not merely a question of feeling like sorting it out, although that can probably be part of it, prioritizing to work on refining the results that applies to the broadest customer segments, but it’s primarily a question of having sufficient data to do further sorting. Wellll. . . [as has been shown even in this thread, this admixture _can_ be sorted.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogical_DNA_test#Native_American_ancestry) and most other companies do it. I’m claiming that MyHeritage is a garbage company that has dumped Latin Americans in a pile and applied a derogatory name to it because it’s cheaper than actually doing the work. But, as I said in the OP, I was cheap myself. You get what you pay for. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/51 "2017-12-28T18:31:01Z")
Thanks for the replies! Interesting. > [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m also interested in seeing how much Neanderthal DNA I have. I don’t need no test to tell me that! Grak! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/52 "2017-12-28T19:02:42Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I don’t need no test to tell me that! Grak! Are you that guy in the commercials? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/53 "2017-12-28T19:04:52Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I’m claiming that MyHeritage is a garbage company that has dumped Latin Americans in a pile and applied a derogatory name to it because it’s cheaper than actually doing the work. Did you tell them about it? They may be a bunch of dumb White guys like me who don’t know a term is derogatory. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/54 "2017-12-28T19:08:09Z")
Is “Mestizo” derogatory? I imagine that, like many words, it can be in certain contexts, but in a genealogical context, is it? **XT** : What’s your take on that? Also, regarding your family, wouldn’t you have to be from pretty far out in a very rural area in Mexico to have a chance of no Spanish heritage at all? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/55 "2017-12-28T19:38:58Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Is “Mestizo” derogatory? I imagine that, like many words, it can be in certain contexts, but in a genealogical context, is it? > > **XT** : What’s your take on that? Also, regarding your family, wouldn’t you have to be from pretty far out in a very rural area in Mexico to have a chance of no Spanish heritage at all? It’s derogatory in some parts of Mexico by some of the racial classes in Mexico…mainly by those who claim pure Spanish heritage, generally. I’d be surprised if a test came back with that as a result, even for a strictly Mexican audience. But it’s a big thing in some populations and areas in Mexico, at least it was 20 or so years ago when I was last in the country for more than a visit with relatives. I’d guess that most people in Mexico actually are mestizo or at least a mix of ancestry. There wasn’t much chance that my own didn’t have any at all, no…I pretty much assumed that was the case since we don’t look all that much like native Americans or Spanish for that matter (that’s why I thought maybe English or German ancestors (hell, even French would be better :p), since a lot in my family have green eyes, which I think is rare among native Americans). No joy though…I was over 20% Spanish in the end, so I presume that means there were quite a few Spanish in the wood pile at some point. One good thing though…with my obviously mixed up heritage I actually fit in pretty well here in the US. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/56 "2017-12-28T19:43:16Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > Wellll. . . [as has been shown even in this thread, this admixture _can_ be sorted.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogical_DNA_test#Native_American_ancestry) and most other companies do it. I’m claiming that MyHeritage is a garbage company that has dumped Latin Americans in a pile and applied a derogatory name to it because it’s cheaper than actually doing the work. But, as I said in the OP, I was cheap myself. You get what you pay for. I’m not saying myHeritage didn’t mess up with their choice of label, but I think you’re overestimating what “most other companies” do, unless they just make shit up, or the cost of improving the results. 23andMe for instance has the following break-down for the group you mention: > [@](#): > > East Asian and Native American: > Native American (Colombian, Karitiana, Maya, Pima, Surui), East Asian, Japanese, Korean (South Korean), Yakut, Mongolian (Daur, Hezhen, Mongolian, Oroqen, Tu, Xibo), Chinese (Chinese, Han, Hong Kongese, Taiwanese) Southeast Asian (Burmese, Cambodian, Indonesian, Lao, Malaysian, Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese) That’s based on only 2158 individuals, only 498 of which are from publicly available data, so it’s obviously going to miss a lot of accuracy and detail. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/57 "2017-12-28T19:49:46Z")
Can you opt out of the part where these companies match you up with people you are related to? I’m not really interested in having a bunch of “long lost relatives” trying to contact me. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/58 "2017-12-28T19:58:01Z")
> [@naita](#): > > I’m not saying myHeritage didn’t mess up with their choice of label, but I think you’re overestimating what “most other companies” do, unless they just make shit up, or the cost of improving the results. > > 23andMe for instance has the following break-down for the group you mention: > That’s based on only 2158 individuals, only 498 of which are from publicly available data, so it’s obviously going to miss a lot of accuracy and detail. I don’t think you are understanding what MyHeritage did. They said I was 60% African (and broke that down further), 30% European (and broke that down further) and 10% Central American Mix-- this includes European, African and Native American. XT above just stated he got his “mix” broken down-- because that is what you pay these companies to do! Latin Americans _KNOW_ they are a mix of these. Just like blacks know they are mixed with European. Imagine if American blacks got results back that said-- American Black Mix: African and European in whatever proportions. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/59 "2017-12-28T20:02:56Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I don’t think you are understanding what MyHeritage did. They said I was 60% African (and broke that down further), 30% European (and broke that down further) and 10% Central American Mix-- this includes European, African and Native American. XT above just stated he got his “mix” broken down-- because that is what you pay these companies to do! Latin Americans _KNOW_ they are a mix of these. Just like blacks know they are mixed with European. Imagine if American blacks got results back that said-- American Black Mix: African and European in whatever proportions. How on earth would the know whether your “Mestizo” parts that are not Native American would have come from Central America? If you have Spanish markers, they could have come from Spain or Central America or South America or… And if you have African markers in your Mestizo part, wouldn’t those have come… from Africa? As someone upthread suggested, it might be worthwhile giving them a call and asking them WTF? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2017, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405/60 "2017-12-28T20:03:19Z")
My guess, **Biggirl** , is that you have a number of markers that don’t tend to show up in self-identified Africans or Europeans, but they do appear in self-identified “Central American mestizos”. I totally agree that this is unsatisfying information. But as you say, you get what you pay for. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-your-dna-results/805405.md?page=4)