Genetic Ancestry Tests Mostly Hype, Scientists Say

An interesting story has appeared in Science magazine, followed by a synopsis in the LiveScience web site. While several companies now claim that for as little as $100 and a swab of the inner cheek, they can reveal a person's family tree and ancestral homeland. However, more than a dozen scientists from various backgrounds say such "recreational genetics" or "vanity tests" have significant scientific limitations and rely on misconceptions about race and genetics.

"If a test-taker is just interested in finding out where there are some people in the world that share the same DNA as them, then these tests can certainly tell them that," said Deborah Bolnick of the University of Texas in Austin. "But they're not going to tell you every place or every group in the world where people share your DNA. Nor will they necessarily be able to tell you exactly where your ancestors lived or [what race or social group] they identified with."

A common misconception about genetic ancestry testing, Bolnick said, is that it can reveal information about an individual's ancestry. It cannot.

The article does not dispute all DNA testing for genealogy purposes. Instead, it basically says, "be aware of what you are purchasing." You can read more at http://www.livescience.com/health/071018-vanity-tests.html.

Comments

[Carol]

Yawn. Many family researchers interested in what genetic genealogy can accomplish know that Y-DNA testing looks strictly at the patrilineal line & mt-DNA at the matrilineal line-- at most, 2 lines out of thousands. But if Mr. Snuffaluffagus in the U.S. wants to see if he's related to a Mr. Snuffaluffaguss in Romania, a comparison of their Y-DNA markers has some utility. Testing with pre-selected participants & a specific hypothesis is not "vanity testing"; it is over-generalizing to dismiss all genealogy DNA testing as such.

[Margaret]

Just having a link to a precise area of recent lineage in "the old country" would be a fantastic start for many of us who don't know, for instance, the townland of County Cork or town in Prussia of our ancestors' origins.

[Happy Dae]

I'll cast my lot with Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak: DNA Testing is yet in its infancy, but already can benefit genealogists. I've found it useful to show to whom I am NOT related, too.

Without documentation and the standard verification, DNA Testing is, indeed, a vanity exercise. There are still folks who ask me, "Which web site should I access to get my family's pedigree?" I simply smile and attempt to help them get up to speed.

Happy Dae.
http://www.ShoeStringGenealogy.com/ssg1.htm

[Richard Rich]

The Rich Y-chromosome DNA program has more than met expectations. Unexpected relationships have been found among Rich men with various spellings of the name. Apparently well established pedigrees have been found to be incorrect. Exact relationships and the source of research errors must still be found by traditional means. While most of the participants are of Western European ethnic origin, there are also some with Eastern and Southern European roots as well as Middle Eastern origins. DNA testing can provide some enlightenment, but it cannot do everything. The most useful result of our program is that we have numerous Rich cousins writing to each other and trying to resolve research issues and sources.

[Scott Norton]

I am the project coordinator for the Norton DNA Project. We are well on our way to being able to place most Nortons in the United States with a family group and making significant strides into England.

If you think DNA is iffy, you should look at the paper research. Some of the assumptions that have been accepted for centuries are problematic to say the least when tested with DNA evidence. If it was not for DNA several Norton lines would never have been sorted out.

The beauty of DNA for genealogy is that once you invest in a DNA test, it continues to deliver new info with each new test that is added and new matches are made (or not). Even a vanity test contributes to our near history now and moves us a step closer to revealing our far history.

[betty]

FTM DNA testing mis-lead me to believe that if I bought the most expensive tests I would be able to clear up my blocks in my family tree. So since I had been researching several brick walls for over ten years I took the plunge. What I got back was undecipherable for a lay person and in no way did it fix any of my brick walls.

I was sent 20 or 30 matches. None of them fit anywhere in the 1800 and up time period. Perhaps they would fit 52 generations ago but did not help me at all for now.

I complained to them about the scientific language (DNA specific response) and I was patronized by another science geek. They definitely need to get over themselves and stop talking down to us simple folk (I have a Masters in Education).

[Arvina Copeland]

DNA testing, has been very informative for our near ancestral line. As more people are tested, it will be more informative farther back! Researchers of our family surname had placed my line at a given point in time to another line. Our oral history had not made that connection, nor was there a paper trail making that connection. The testing has shown where not to look. It is like eliminating murder suspects from a crime. Very important, if you are one of the suspects! Our surname, Bowling, has shown 3 unrelated Bowling lines in Clay County, KY in the very early 1800's. I would like to have 20 or 30 matches, in fact, 1 would help.

[Christine Czarnecki]

The LiveScience article is superficial and not well researched. Anyone who saw the four hour "African American Lives" program on PBS knows that Henry Lewis Gates, Jr., showed Oprah that she was NOT Zulu, no matter how much she would have liked to have been. Further DNA analysis showed her maternal links are to a west African tribe.

The author of the LiveScience article did not do his homework.

[Adam]

This is all bul.
The DNA studies are very powerful.
Actually if you matched in DNA test with a person from anywhere in the world , you can go to him and say look you are my brother or at least my cousin FOR SURE.
If you did not match with your brother then he is not your real brother but from another man FOR SURE.
Actually there are three companies if you utilized them one by one you will get lots of info.
They are first 1-DNAheritage.com, then 2-DNAtribes,then 3-Family Tree DNA.com, then 4- DNA direct.com.
The first company for 120 dollars will tell you about your paternal ancestry(for men) or maternal ancestry for women.
For example if you are a woman and the test came as A or B or C or D then you are FOR SURE descendent of a woman who existed only in Americas before Columbos!! ie original Native American, for this same person woman using the second test it will tell her how much native american DNA percentage in her and how many European and how many african, and the same test will tell her (if she had 20% of Native american DNA what exactly is her TRIBE!!, from this info she can trace where her mother lived and her grand mother lived and where her grand grand mother lived in 1850 for example (through historical records of that tribe!).
then if a man used the third company FTDNA he can find in the databases if somebody matched him to see if he was a brother or a close relative or at least from the same area in europe!!!.
Last 4th company DNAdirect can check if he/she have predisposition for specific diseases like colon cancer or breast cancer and many many other diseaes and keep the info secret for himself away from insurance companies!!!!!
LONG LIVE DNA TESTS