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ShelteredShadows · Apr 14, 2021 9:22 PM

No, I didn't learn that I'm actually not related to my parents; about 98% of the test results fit perfectly into what I'd been told or learned about my family history. I also learned the difference between ancestry and genetics, which is nice. (Basically, you can have a direct ancestor that you are not genetically related to.) The 2% surprise, or specifically the 1.7% surprise, is that I am Jewish.

...I'm still not sure what to do with this information.

I had no idea I was genetically Jewish. No one in my family talks about it, I found no records, nothing. My mom thinks some ancestor had an affair, which makes sense, but still...bit of a shock. Especially since I am also 41.3% German. So there's a genetic crisis I get to deal with. The Jewish was also listed in my 'Recent Ancestry' section, which means sometime in the last five generations, so one would think that I would have found something about this person.

Anyway, I'm just trying to wrap my head around this new information and wondered if anyone else got a shock from their results. Thought I'd ask.

EvieC · Apr 14, 2021 9:56 PM

Yes. I took a DNA test and found out that I’m 13.1% Greek & South Italian and I’m 4.2% Balkan. Definitely came from my dad’s side but I always thought he was British.

Haltanny · May 17, 2021 6:31 AM

I know this is an older post but i just saw it and wanted to comment. I was kind of surprised that i have no native American genetics, even though i have proven native American ancestry. But i know how genetics work, so i knew it was possible. What surprised me the most was the relatively huge amount of Norwegian DNA that was previously unknown. It's showing 15% but i have no known ancestors coming from Norway. I have a few ancestors that i don't know where they originated, so it's possible they or their ancestors were Norwegian. I don't know which side of the family that's from either. I haven't figured it out yet.

Ammit · May 17, 2021 4:08 PM

The test only tests for things commonly found in certain ethnic groups. It is not testing for actual heritage as there is no such thing as pure heritage. You will often get different results from different companies as they can be looking for different markers. Lots of Germans have Jewish blood, lots of everyone has Jewish blood, they have lived throughout all of Europe. It does not mean there is necessarily is some big family secret.

These sites are great for mapping family relations and giving you a rough idea of genetic history but they can't give you a truly accurate picture and false-positive and negatives happen constantly. It's good fun but only about as accurate as those Dog breed DNA tests.

Looper · May 29, 2021 2:33 PM

I took a mitochondrial DNA test in school and found out I'm about as related to Czarina Alexandra Romanov as anyone can be from German background. Also something about half a percent relation to a famous European neanderthal? ROFTL

We have Irish, German, Dutch and Indigenous Blackfeet in our family. I am the sum of those that went before me but that is not all I am. Any traits they passed on are another gift that I can only use to the best of my understanding. Any history is for me to learn from and if necessary take steps to not repeat.

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