Is my friends decision to go ahead with DNA testing a good one? She seems adamant but I'm not sure...?

Question

Ok, the thing is basically one of my close friends has parentage from Southern Italy - yet her and her parents or most of her relatives do not display typical Mediterranean traits (in fact her mother, aunt, and great grandfather strangely are/were redheads!). She has noticed this and is becoming interested in doing DNA tests to find out if she has anything other than South Italian in her blood, and by the looks of her I'd say there has to be, she has medium/light brown har, green eyes and freckles. Wierdest thing for a person who's family come from southern italy, I noticed she goes BRIGHT pink in the sun and has freckles like her mother( I kid you not). Is DNA the answer as she is determined to try? Ever since she told me this recently, I've wondered, if she does actually take a DNA test, what would she find??? Answers please

Answer 1

Many celtic peoples lived in the alpine areas of italy long ago-perhaps she has descent from some of them. People got everywherein ancient times,man has always been curious-I had my mtdna done and my black Irish (that means dark haired,dark eyed) maternal ancestry was originally from (drumroll) Italy 17000 years ago!

Answer 2

Well yes why not? There is not reason why she should not follow her interest in her family via her DNA.

Is she bothered by what she finds? I think not.

If she takes the test she will find whatever is there. That's not for you to argue about. It's her choice. You can go for it too.

Answer 3

I would say it is a good idea, to go ahead. I used www.familytreedna.com, one of the oldest and best. They also do DNA testing for the National Geographics Genotype Program (just google that) which traces human migration patterns.

Answer 4

As far as I was aware, my ancestors were from the British Isles and always had been (back to the 1500's anyway).

DNA Testing gave me roots in the Middle East, but sharing them only with people from the Scottish Islands!

The ancestors must have had good walking boots!

The red gene, by the way, is believed to be Neanderthal

Answer 5

The northern barbarian hordes invading Italy towards the end of the Roman Empire are responsible for a lot of the redheads and blondes that now live in southern Italy. There are more in the mountains in Northern Italy and I'm sure that they have also migrated south over the years.  But yes it is possible for her to be Italian but still have nordic ancestors.

Answer 6

A DNA test can show, approximately, your ancestors trail through the world since the evolution of your first ancestor, because your friend is female a test of her Mtdna will not show any paternal line at all, only the possible origin of her mother, her mother's mother, etc., etc. She does not carry her father's Y-DNA and, either he, her brother, father's brother, or her father's father, or a male cousin on her father's side, would need to be tested to show 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 7

DNA testing is valid, and shows "haplogroups", or types of genetic grouping.  That does not mean it is going to show "your ancestor came from Edinboro, Scotland", or something like that.  If that is what she expects, it will not turn out like she wants. It CAN show that there is ancestry from other cultures/ heritages or geographic areas.  

Genealogy works with definitive and explicit documents to trace a person's more immediate heritage. It is much more recent information.  It is far more personal (to my mind), but can have flaws. For example.. it always is possible that a person shown to be the father of a person by paper documents, was actually NOT the parent.  In some cases (ie old court records of out of wedlock children), the name of a known father might be found, which otherwise was unknown.

For what your friend wants to learn, the testing is completely valid.  It's a good idea for her to compare companies and talk to persons who have used the testing, to get their feedback.  My approach is more genealogical, but that is simply a preference.. not that it is better or worse. It all depends on what someone wants to learn.  And.. obviously, one is not limited to one over the other.

Answer 8

the thing is it is her choice, all that you can do is be supportive to her whichever way things go...be there for her

Answer 9

The kind of DNA testing currently available will only tell her two branches of her tree. The y-chromosomal DNA test will tell her where her deep paternal line came from - her father's, father's, father's, father's... (who all ought to share her maiden surname barring adoption or illegitimacy). The mitochondrial DNA test will tell her where her deep maternal line came from - her mother's, mother's, mother's, mother's...

I believe these tests are well worth paying for, but I don't think they are going to be helpful to your friend's puzzle. They are only going to give her details on these two single lines, when she will have inherited genes from every single one of her ancestors.

Maybe in ten years or so the complete Human Genome will have been mapped. The kind of DNA testing available then will be much more comprehensive.

Edit: As your friend is female, she does not have any y-DNA to test. That would need to come from a male relative.