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I got an e-mail that Ancestry.com is having a special for 20% off their DNA test, this would be $79, compared to the regular price of $99. I have wanted to do a DNA test for a while and I am very tempted to do it. I was just wondering who has done the DNA test? Were you satisfied with the results? Did the test break down any brick walls for you? Did you find any distant cousins? What, in your opinion, are the pros and cons of DNA testing? Any other comments appreciated!
I got an e-mail that Ancestry.com is having a special for 20% off their DNA test, this would be $79, compared to the regular price of $99. I have wanted to do a DNA test for a while and I am very tempted to do it. I was just wondering who has done the DNA test? Were you satisfied with the results? Did the test break down any brick walls for you? Did you find any distant cousins? What, in your opinion, are the pros and cons of DNA testing? Any other comments appreciated!
I'm not sure if you read my story below but if you are going to do a DNA test use a reputable company. It's worth the extra few bucks. I think the company you choose should be based on what you are looking to accomplish. I used AncestryByDNA just for fun and it was relatively cheap on groupon. Don't confuse this with AncestryDNA. My results were so out of the blue for me that I have decided to retest with another company.
I went between the Genographic project, which I felt would be a twofer in that I would get reliable results and contribute to a greater cause and 23andMe which would give me good results and contribute in a medical sense. I arrived at the conclusion that 23andMe was the better choice for my situation and even ordered my boyfriend a kit for 20% off.
I have no real need to do a DNA test. I just thought it would be fun, though I admit my results sparked an interest in me that I haven't had in quite some time. For the cost of taking a friend to a dinner and movie, I got a nice little suspense that will last me for awhile. You can't beat that.
I look forward to hearing what you choose and how the results turn out.
The major downside to ancestry.com dna test is that they have no chromosomal browser- but there is the option to upload for free to gedcom.com or to ftdna for a small fee.
I have done both Ancestry.com DNA and 23andme DNA testing and was surprised when I had discovered some cousins that I didn't even know I had plus the fact that it answered a whole lot of questions on my paternal side of the family.
I should also add that you will undoubtedly get a list of distant cousins - we are all distantly related to millions of people. But whether they are too distant to be helpful within a recent genealogical time frame is another question. You will not be able to figure out how you are related to the majority of your matches, because your most recent common ancestors are too far back. The closer a match is, the more chance you have in figuring out who your shared ancestors are. And the longer your ancestors have been in the US, the more matches you will generally have, especially when testing with Ancestry.com because they only make tests available in the US, and recently in the UK. Other companies ship internationally to many other countries - but the majority of testers are still American.
Common disappointments with DNA testing:
1. Realizing the ethnicity percentages are only estimates and subject to different population clusters so they will vary by company (even with the reliable companies).
2. The lack of responses from many DNA matches when you message them trying to collaborate.
3. The amount of DNA matches who either don't have a tree or have a private tree.
Also keep in mind that with Ancestry.com, unless you have a subscription, you can not view the full public trees of your DNA matches (you only get a 7 generation pedigree), and you can not message anyone unless they message you first. So the results regarding your matches are limiting unless you're already a subscriber.
The person running 23andme is married to one of the google founders. Like I want google to have my DNA profile. Unclear/Unconvincing security and disclosure concerns with the rest of them.
Many people have success stories from using DNA - the amount of matches you get and how useful they are to really helping with your research will really vary by individual.
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The person running 23andme is married to one of the google founders. Like I want google to have my DNA profile. Unclear/Unconvincing security and disclosure concerns with the rest of them.
The two companies are completely separate - testing with 23andMe does not, in any way, shape, or form, put your results in any of Google's platforms. Any personal relationships that happens to be between two employees of each company really have no bearing on this whatsoever. Regardless, the OP is asking about Ancestry.com's DNA test, not 23andMe.
Ancestry DNA testing confirmed a paper match with a third cousin twice removed in a very hard to trace and sparse line, sparking a lovely friendship and research partnership. I'd say it was a success for me!
I also did the AncestryDNA test when they were running a special.
The Pros (to me):
I liked the ethnic breakdown piece. It was mostly what I would have expected with a few little surprises. I know there are people who want a lot more detail about this stuff, but I was satisfied with the info I got. Some day I might do another test, like Family Tree DNA, and compare the results, to see if there are any significant differences.
Yes, I got a LOT of cousin matches. One was a cousin I'd already found on Ancestry through our trees, and the DNA test confirmed our connection. Another match provided wonderful confirmation about a set of parents I'd had listed as possible parents for an ancestor. The DNA match confirmed that my ancestor and this other person's ancestor were indeed siblings and my tentative set of parents for her were the real parents. I got in contact with several other cousin matches and we're still trying to figure out our connection.
The cons:
According to the people (many here) who want very finely detailed genetic info that they can connect to various ethnic groups, this test is not comprehensive enough. There are more detailed tests, and ones that can only be done on males or females, but like I said, I was fine with the test I did. If you want all the fancy genetic stuff, you might follow some of the advice on the other threads here about DNA tests.
I got a TON of cousin DNA matches who have no family trees on ancestry. It's pretty frustrating (but I'm getting over it). At first, I was wondering why all these people would do the test and not have a tree. Then I realized it's probably mostly people who are concerned about their ethnicity, and not about tracing family history. Then you get a few people who are matches who DID do a tree, but it's just their parents and grandparents, so you find no common ancestors. I call these the "why even bother?" people. I mean, they went through all the trouble of working up enough spit to fill a vile (not an easy feat) and sending it in, and setting up an identity on Ancestry.com, just to find out if their genetic ethnicity is something they like or not. I now only pay attention to the "very high confidence" matches who have visible trees. With the very high confidence people with private trees, I send them a message, but so far, none of them have responded.
Anyway, it's only $79 ($89 when I bought it), and I feel like I got $89 worth of information. My dog's Wisdom Panel DNA test was about the same price, and we got about the same amount of info about her ethnicity (breeds). Of course, I learned that I'm composed of a lot more "breeds" than my dog is, but the breakdown for her was more valid than for me in the human test (you need to read the fine print, as something like "12% British Isles" does not mean 12% of your DNA originated in the British Isles. It just means that 12% of your DNA is consistent with people who live in the British Isles today, and come from at least 3 generations of people also from the British Isles. When my dog got "45% American Eskimo Dog" than actually means she is 45% American Eskimo Dog.)
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, but the breakdown for her was more valid than for me in the human test (you need to read the fine print, as something like "12% British Isles" does not mean 12% of your DNA originated in the British Isles. It just means that 12% of your DNA is consistent with people who live in the British Isles today, and come from at least 3 generations of people also from the British Isles. When my dog got "45% American Eskimo Dog" than actually means she is 45% American Eskimo Dog.)
