Sunday 26 June 2022

DNA


Some time ago my sister in NZ sent me details of her DNA analysis, which, logically, I presume would be the exactly same as mine.

How accurate these things are I don't know, but I have no reason to doubt their findings, other than one particular bit which I shall try to ignore.


According to their findings I do seem to be more Welsh than I am English; but this really doesn't surprise me. They estimate that I am 44% Welsh and only 27% English. I'm almost thinking of joining a Welsh Male Voice Choir.

More surprising is the Scandinavian connection. I'm really quite pleased with this as Lady M is half Swedish, and we have other Nordic relations. My youngest son's wife is also Swedish. I was amused to inform her that we both have mutual Scandinavian blood flowing alongside our otherwise exclusively blue tinted stuff. 

So, that's it. When next I'm asked about my 'nationality' I shall reply that I'm Welsh-boyo-English with a smidgen of Viking. Sounds good to me! 

34 comments:

  1. The Scandinavian is no surprise, it goes back to the Viking days when peoples from Denmark, Norway and Sweden set off in their longboats and as well as raiding, they settled in some areas and farmed, thus becoming part of the population. I am 40% Swedish myself.

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    1. My wife's mother was Swedish, my daughter in law was originally Russian, but they moved to Sweden when she was very young. And we still have relations in Norway. I could almost apply for a Scandinavian Passport!

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  2. What a terrible shock. You may need counselling.

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    1. One bit was, which was why I didn't mention it.

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  3. Lucky you with only three connections to different countries. I have so many, like as we say here about dogs, I'm such a mongrel.

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    1. A bit of a mixture in dogs is always a good thing!

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  4. I wonder why it is not possible to do a DNA test here. What are they afraid to find out? (Many people do the test with the help of overseas connections.).

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    1. Maybe no-one has invested in a facility to do the testing?

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    2. Ancestry DNA testing is also illegal in France.

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    3. Probably for the reason that your sister gives below. It can cause much friction in the domestic domain.

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  5. I gather siblings fo not have the same DNA

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    1. My own daughters do not have the same DNA, one son is waiting on results, the other doesn't care to find out. My brother has DNA different to mine. Ancestry DNA declares him to be a cousin because he has a different father.

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  6. I have often been tempted to try a DNA analysis but have been put off by reports about inaccuracies. Still not sure whether to go ahead and spend the money just out of curiosity.

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    1. It would be interesting to see if mine came back the same as my sister's.

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  7. One branch of my wife's family had been told for three generations they were of Welsh origin. They even had a common Welsh surname. A complete fabrication: it had been changed from a similar Jewish name. Forceful denials and disbelief from some of the older family relatives.

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    1. Foreign sounding names were often changed to more 'acceptable' English sounding names. Spellings also changed.

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  8. Personally I regard it as a con and would not touch it with a barge pole. Assumptions are made and general European percentages are given to cover grey areas and everybody gets the same. Sometimes they throw in a 0.1% of something to make it more juicy and now they team up with holiday companies offering DNA destination holidays. I believe it is a swindle but whatever floats you boat I suppose. As for the DNA spit I have no idea what happens to it. I am white British and come from East Anglia and that is enough for me.

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    1. I think most people would treat it simply as a bit of fun. You wouldn't change your life as a result of anything it claimed.

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    2. Also, I shall continue to consider myself 100% English.

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    3. I always seem to come across people who take it deadly seriously. You have made me feel better in that you think most treat it simply as a bit of fun.

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  9. Looks like one of your ancestors had a steamy night in Stoke-on-Trent - arguably England's least attractive city. My apologies to any readers from Stoke for your hardworking city must have some redeeming features. It's just that I have never seen them.

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    1. I think there was a fly caught in their machine, and it caused a blip. My ancestors never ventured north of Croydon.

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  10. I thought DNA testing was done for health. Now I see there are two options, one for ancestors and another for health. Your report is well rounded and if you are 95% happy that is all that matters. .

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    1. I'm treating it as a bit of fun. As my sister and I have the same parents I presume it would be the same for us both. Nothing would have changed in location of ancestors.

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  11. Siblings do not have identical DNA unless they are identical twins. Since each sibling gets half of their DNA from each parent, the results can be quite different depending on the way the soup is stirred.

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    1. And yet the parents' ancestors (providing that they have the same parents) remain the same; which proves, I suppose, that the whole business is flawed.

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  12. It was only recently that I read about siblings having different DNA. I did it for genealogical reasons and it obviously works as your youngest appeared as a close relative.

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    1. If you have the same parents, how could you suddenly have different nationality origins? It doesn't make sense.

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    2. It depends on the origins of the parents, grandparents, great grands etc, all may be from one area, or may have a drop of something far away that suddenly shows up in a future generation. Which explains why siblings with the same parents may be blonde with blue eyes apart from one brunette with brown eyes, an ancestral throwback.

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  13. I'll never do a DNA ancestry test. Your results are sold on for research purposes.

    The findings can be not what you expected because the company uses a limited data/screening pool

    There are also police departments using these companies to run DNA and track people down.. First saw it on an episode of Law and Order:SVU and have heard of American police on the west coast using it.

    I've never committed a crime nor do I have any rare diseases. But I just don't want some random company to own samples of me and then profit from them

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    1. I've never really worried about my details being passed around (other than for tele-sales). Like you I've never committed a crime, I don't owe money, and in fact I'm probably of little interest to anyone.

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