The cost of ethnicity(DNA) test? +what can be determined from it for a female about her fathers lineage?

Question

My family on my mothers side I have mostly Scottish blood from Prince edward Island but I would be considered arcadian with Micmac (native american) , french, and english- mixed with my fathers blood (which is very mixed from what I have gathered-with several native americans somewhere in there besides that I know nothing)

I am not sure how much you could tell from testing, would they be able to identify the native american tribe/type or any other markers with in so may generations and such a large mix? Does have so many clashing ethnicitys make testing useless?

I am not sure if its worth testing or what, I would like to know if I have enough scottish or native american or any particular blood-lineage to pay for collage and the bottom line I am curious as to what I am...

Answer 1

I don't think there's an affordable DNA test that can confirm Native American ancestry, unless your father has an unbroken male line to a male Native American (his father, his father's father, his father's father's father, etc.), or your father's mother can trace an unbroken female line to a Native American female ancestor (his mother, her mother, her mother's mother, etc.).  The genetic origins of all the other grandparents and ancestors can't be easily identified, if at all.

Males pass on the Y chromosome to male descendants (females don't receive it) and females pass on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to both male and female children.

There probably is a detailed genetic analysis of some kind available, but it might cost more than a college education!

I think you might have better luck trying to identify a Native American ancestor through genealogical research and petitioning that ancestor's tribe for membership, if they're large enough and organized enough.  (I think that's how they do it.)

Answer 2

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, it cannot show which tribe someone was a member of, only that Native American is, or is not, in your father's lineage.

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

http://www.familytreedna.com/ngene.html

Answer 3

If you take a DNA test it won't tell you anything about your fathers lineage because the markers are passed father to son, not father to daughter.

Here is a webpage that has alot of information about DNA testing, including some pricing,  I did quite a bit of research...

http://www.coolrogue.net/genealogy/dnate...

Answer 4

Here are the tests that Ancestry DNA offers:

Paternal Lineage Test (Y-Chromosome 33) — Recommended

Find genetic cousins and learn about ancient paternal ancestry. This is the recommended test for genealogy. For male participants only.

$149    

Advanced Paternal Lineage Test (Y-Chromosome 46)

Thirteen additional markers provide a more precise comparison with other participants who also have the advanced test. For male participants only.

$199    

Maternal Lineage Test (Mitochondrial DNA)

Learn about the ancient ancestry and early human migrations of your maternal line forbearers. For both female and male participants.

$179

Answer 5

Mostly what is used for genealogy in DNA are Y and Mitochondrial since they go back in a straight line virtually unchanged.  However Y & Mitochondrial are a very small part of your total DNA.  Most of your DNA is autosomal which you get 50-50 from both parents.  It is the DNA that determines your physical characteristics such as your pigmentation, your height, any bone anomalies etc.  

Y is passed from father to son only

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

Autosomal DNA is passed from both parents 50-50.

If you get back to your 6xgreat grandparents, barring any duplicates, you are directly descended from 510 individuals.

Of that 510 you get your mitochondrial from only 8 and if you are a male, you get your Y DNA from only 8, but you get your autosomal DNA from all 510.

There are tests done with autosomal to determine origins but they are not specific to national origin or ethnicities. They will give you something like Northern European, etc.

SMG states they plan to use autosomal in the future for genealogy.

http://www.smgf.org/pages/how_it_works.j...

Answer 6

I'm not an expert but I think that you CAN'T (yet, they are like a baby when it comes to untying everybody's dna) find out your tribe.

At best, I have the impression that you can only find out that a particular line (that could be an almost infinitesimal quantity of your ancestry if it was long ago) is Native American, or could be so; or perhaps find out which of a few subgroups of their whole DNA; but note that it is not very exciting to get that, since they're not in distinct areas, simply spread out with a certain section of the continents a bit more frequent... but I really stress each one is significantly existing far from that area.

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EDIT:  Your mixture could make it useless if your family's y-dna or mtdna neither are native american.  If you're such a mix, those two will only tell you those two lines, whether European or Native American.  You may get the luck of the draw and find out what you want to hear.

However I have my doubts that they care about DNA tests such as these.  You should look into this.  Neither mtDNA or y-DNA have a specific minimum quantity of your ancesors.  It could be from 10 generations ago for all we know.  (1/1024)

Your autosomal testing however suggests a possible percentage.  However note that there is variation in chromosome quantity each person obtains, and if they don't test them all, in what they pick to test.  Thus it doesn't prove what percentage of your ancestry is such and such, just your DNA, but in the case of picking DNA it also doesn't prove your full DNA percentage.

I don't know how they test autosomes but I think they're fairly conjectural about it all.  I was quite dismayed by what they test.  A;though it is allegedly better than nothing.