Is DNA genealogy from Ancestry.com worth it?

Question

I was thinking of purchasing a DNA genealogy test from ancestry.com as one line on my maternal side is completely rubbish at the moment and I need some help with it. I was wondering what exactly the test can tell me about ancesters. Is it just about where they are from, or can it tell a bit about surnames, relatives, etc?

Answer 1

Don't waste your money on the MT-DNA, there is a free test at BYU. It will only show you close fits and wont give you your exact results, but you likely cant find exact results.

Answer 2

I purchased a DNA kit, it answered no questions for me, just made more questions!    I'm 15/16ths Scots, (I expected 16/16ths) and 1/16 Greek!   I've had so many Greeks get in touch with me, and I know absolutely nothing about how one of my grandmas in Clay county Kentucky got impregnated by a Greek?  (That came from the Y study through my Dad)  The Mitochondrial dna study is more general)

Answer 3

If you are looking for surnames out of dna, you are going the wrong direction.

If there are specific problems with that line and the research, why don't you post the name and problem here?  Maybe someone can help find the solution, or explain a way that will work.

Answer 4

A DNA test can show, approximately, your ancestors trail through the world since the evolution of your first ancestor, because you are female a test of your Mtdna will not show any paternal line at all, only the possible origin of your mother, her mother, your great grandmother etc., etc. You do not carry your father's Y-DNA and, either he, your brother, father's brother, or your father's father, or a male cousin on your father's side, would need to be tested to show your father's genetic origins.

Below is a reply I have given to a similar previous question, dna cannot tell you which country you originated in, only the probable area, or areas of the world your ancient ancestors passed through during their evolution.

Human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes: 22 pairs of autosomes, and one pair of s*x chromosomes. Females carry a pair of X chromosomes that can swap, or recombine, similar regions of DNA during meiosis. However, males harbor one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, and significant recombination between these dissimilar s*x chromosomes does not occur. Therefore, the non-recombining region of the Y chromosome (NRY) remains largely unchanged over many generations, directly passed from father to son, son to grandson, and so on, along with genetic variations in the NRY that may be present. Scientists can use genetic variations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), on the Y chromosome as markers of human ancestry and migration.

It is very effective and the best companies will retest until they get a conclusive result.

If you have, say, just the first 12 markers tested($149 with FTDNA), that will give an indication of where you originated, the more markers you test on, the more information is gained ( for mtdna, your suggested geographic origin and your maternal deep ancestral ethnic origin, $129 with FTDNA) if you test on the maximumum of, say 67 markers ($349 with FTDNA), it is possible then to find a match to someone else carrying your own, or a different surname, and to prove a link where perhaps no "paper trail" exists. It can therefore pinpoint a place in which your ancestors probably lived in recent history but DNA does not, obviously,

have a surname attached to it, surnames have only been used for around 700 years and of course your DNA originated 10s of thousands of years ago. You can also have a SNP test which will help show the migratory pattern of your ancient ancestors, having said that, you can join a Surname project (e.g. with FTDNA) and receive discounted prices on your tests.

I recommend that you make yourself aware of the various tests available, and the costs with each testing company.

Plus, check out what is available to you after you have tested.

I used Family Tree DNA ,they were the first in the field (founded in 1999), have the largest data base, and do the testing for the National Geographic's Genome project, their "after sales" is excellent and I consider they are the best, but you have to make your own decision on that.

http://www.familytreedna.org

Answer 5

Mitochondrial DNA is passed from mother to both sons and daughters but only the daughters pass it on to their children.

The tests are good to compare yourself with another family tree.  Now, what they will show is persons that do not have any differences with you and those with 1 and 2 differences with you.  You can email those without any differences with you through Ancestry.Com.   You might not get a hit right away.

Now, don't expect it to come up with all your ancestors on your maternal line. For instance it will not match your maternal grandfather.

Most of your DNA is autosomal which you get 50-50 from both parents coming down from all your ancestors.  It is the only DNA that relates a female to her father or anyone to the spouses and their families of their direct Y and their direct mitochondrial lines.   Right now, autosomal is not being used as it is more complicated.  Y & mitochondrial are used as they go back in a straight line virtually unchanged.

Example:  If you get back to your 6xgreat grandparents, you are directly descended from 510 individiuals.  You get your mitochondrial DNA from 8 of those people and if you were a male you would get your Y dna from only 8 but you get your autosomal DNA from all 510.  

Of course, discovering your mitochondrial connection to other lines will probably enable you to learn more about those lines not in the mitochondrial lines as you might find spouses and their parents of those connected to your direct female line.  If you send in a sample, you will probably have to be patient to get a connection with Ancestry.Com.

Answer 6

I don't know how good ancestry.com's DNA testing is. I recommend family tree DNA. You should get both the maternal DNA HRV 1 and HRV 2 tests done for more useful results. Unfortunately even with that, it can only give you clues as to what area your ancestors might be from, and it's not very specific. For example most of the European haplogroups are spread all over Europe, at different frequencies in different areas, and even into the middle east and so on. It probably can tell you if you actually have an ancestor of a different race from what you appear to be through the direct maternal (mother to daughter) line, but otherwise it will only give you clues about your ancestry and you will still have to do other kinds of research. I was able to use my results combined with questioning of older relatives who remembered some things about my great, great grandmother to find out I might have a distant Swedish Sammi ancestor, which was totally unexpected, and I thought the test was worth it.