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my Ancestry DNA results aren't true

8/3/2017

21 Comments

 
​The suspense of my results developed into a deep conspiracy as to my origins.

​It started with a very simple account
​

I started building my family tree in 2003 when the Ancestry service was only available in the U.S. Back then, George Bush Junior was president of the U.S., the Boxing Day 2004 Tsunami was at least a year away, and it was MSN Messenger that ruled social media. Facebook wasn’t even around.

Ten years later I decided I would become serious building the family tree. I meticulously pieced together information about both sides of my family, gathering records and building timelines of events. I signed up for a paid membership account so that I could add new records appearing as hints against names on my iPad.

​Then in 2017, I drooled into the plastic tube, swished it around with a blue solution and mailed back the AncestryDNA kit in a prepaid box.
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My AncestryDNA results mapped.
It would be shipped back to the labs in the U.S. This, I had reckoned would add a new dimension to my results beyond records, cross-referencing names from immigration papers, census details and electoral rolls. I would identify long-lost relatives and find family secrets. As a person of Filipino descent, I had wondered whether I really had Spanish or Chinese descent or European descent, or if the generations preceding myself had been told lies.

​The suspense of my results developed into a deep conspiracy as to my origins. Was there a possibility that I was a Sephardic Jew? After all, the Spanish Inquisition beginning in 1478 (and lasting until 1834, some 356 years) forced millions to convert to Christianity to prevent expulsion from Spain. Was I even of Spanish descent at all? Not all those with Filipino heritage who have Spanish-sounding surnames are truly European. Spain ruled over the Philippines for over 400 years and in 1849, issued a decree standardising names and surnames so that Spanish subjects in the Philippines could be readily identified.

There were other questions. Yes, we had Chinese ancestry but from where? And too, European descent, I had already found certificates noting birthplaces in Germany and France. I was expecting results showing French, German, Spanish, Filipino and Chinese, disregarding what that actually would manifest in a report.


It took about six weeks to get my results
​

AncestryDNA updated me at each stage: that the purchased kit was on its way, that the kit had been activated, the sample was received and in the queue for processing. At the six-week mark, after what seemed an eternity, I received an email at 3 am announcing that my results were ready.
Were there any surprises?
​

I found my results to be surprising at first. I found it unwelcome because it did not make immediate sense that I was 5% Finnish/Northwest Russian. Another surprise was my 25% Polynesian result. This isn’t uncommon if the YouTube videos about an individual’s results is an indication. 

In the search for more definitive results about my Asian ancestry, I downloaded my Ancestry DNA raw data and uploaded it to another website, DNA.Land. DNA.Land
are geneticists from Columbia University and the New York Genome Center who rely on genomes uploaded to their database to contribute to scientific research into genomes. DNA.Land are not-for-profit and as such are unlike consumer sites like 23andMe and AncestryDNA.
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My ancestry results by AncestryDNA.
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My ancestry results by DNA.Land.
AncestryDNA results

Unsurprisingly, the AncestryDNA results showed that I am mostly Asian (49-54%) but don't tell me where. There were surprising results: a "Finnish/Northwest Russian" component (5%) and a large "Polynesian" component (25%). There were trace regions "Great Britain" (0-7%), and "Italy/Greece" (0-11%). How did I feel? Confused. With results like these, I could make a YouTube video and announce I am 1% British!

​
For Filipinos, the "Polynesia" result is probably common. The simple explanation is that anyone with Filipino ancestry will show up in two categories in AncestryDNA, namely "East Asia" and "Polynesia". Some scientific research does indicate that Polynesia and Oceania were colonised from the Philippine islands over a period of about 3000 years. But my result is not a true indication of an unknown Fijian ancestor.
DNA.Land results shows more nuanced results

For a free admixture analysis, DNA.Land is pretty impressive. It confirms that I am Southeast Asian, but confirms distinct patterns from indigenous Taiwanese (35% Taiwanese ancestry i.e. the Ami and Atayal indigenous people from Taiwan) before mainland Chinese Han migration commenced in the 17th century and countries today that border the South China Sea. Only a strait separates Southern Taiwan from the Northern Philippines. According to geneticists, indigenous Taiwanese share linguistic and genetic ties to Austronesian ethnic groups including the Philippines and Oceania.) 
Why do people gush at their AncestryDNA results?

It's convenient. But AncestryDNA explains that their analysis is an estimate or a heat map of where your ancestors originated. (This is quite telling with AncestryDNA’s grand grouping of Asians.) The DNA.Land analysis shows results that appear more consistent with my own family research. Our family does indeed have Chinese ancestry, but the DNA.Land analysis suggests it is as clear as 11% Central Chinese and 29% Southeast Asian.
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The Northwest Russia, Finnish and British/Scottish results are detailed somewhat in the Ancestry DNA results. They explain that the decline of Roman empire led to Rome's withdrawal from Britannia in 410 A.D. Tribes from northern Germany and Denmark i.e. the Germanic Angles and Saxons eventually controlled much of the British Isles.

​But my Finnish/Northwest Russian result may also be explained by Europe's political history: from the formation of the German Confederation to the German Empire. These regions extended "Germany" further west and north than in Germany today. The Great Famine of 1866-68 in Finland and Sweden might also have forced the migration of many people south into Germany (though the most common migration from Europe to the United States occurred during the 1800s).
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Your ancestry results are worth investigating.

Comparing Ancestry DNA with DNA.Land is just the start

  1. Different companies use different algorithms and different reference panels. AncestryDNA explains that it algorithm targets recent history from a few hundred to a thousand years ago. This is why uploading your AncestryDNA raw data to DNA.Land will change how your ancestry profile looks like.
  2. DNA reference panel datasets are improving all the time. That you hail from "France" or "Morocco" is not the same as if you are from the Mediterranean or the Steppes. Some countries like Italy have changed over thousands of years, heck some just didn't exist.
  3. Analysing your DNA results will add to your knowledge of who you are. Algorithms and reference panels aside, the analyses might help you understand how your ancestors possibly migrated. Or possibly confuse you.
  4. Your DNA profile can be downloaded and compared with many datasets, even ones showing how much DNA you share with Neanderthal. This is true of free databases like Gedmatch, though these need a keen eye when looking over your results.
  5. You will get a better understanding of your ancestry if you test with more than one company. 23andMe is another testing company that will give you a breakdown if you are of Asian descent. It also has a health analysis. MyHeritage is also another option. I discuss its benefits here.
  6. Knowing your genetic identity can lead you to better understand countries that may have family records. There are numerous databases worldwide that house church, municipal and military records.
  7. The universe of genetic profile services is the tip of the iceberg. And it's here to stay. You can already find out whether you have the genes that help you metabolize coffee faster, your likelihood of going bald or your cancer risk.
  8. You can see your DNA matches. This is a feature specific to AncestryDNA, but DNA.Land offers this as well. Like something out of eHarmony not on your personality preferences but whether you're family. Useful if you're trying to build your family tree.

A genetic profile is an incredible tool. It is powerful in understanding your identity. Used strategically the possibilities are endless.

I discovered my ethnic origins with AncestryDNA. Now you can too! Save 10%, learn your ethnic mix, and maybe even find new relatives. Use the link below and save 10% on your own DNA kit: https://refer.dna.ancestry.com/s/i2t6k
​

21 Comments
Poster3
3/11/2017 08:15:11 am

Just so you know, Native American is also Polynesian on results.

Reply
Matt
26/11/2017 11:32:31 am

How is that? I am curios I am half Mexican half filipino wanting to take a t3st

Reply
J Lee
23/10/2018 01:21:48 pm

Why some people so surprised. Without DNA 20 years ago I thought already because the native Americans really look like Polynesians.

Reply
Ray
21/12/2017 02:11:56 am

AncestryDna is not the greatest for filipinos, it was just launched on 2016 base on my experience. I prefer 23andMe which has been around the block a lot longer, my admix results is more accurate from 23andme

Reply
Kylee Tijamo
22/1/2018 05:41:12 pm

I really want to try this DNA ancestry testing because even me I am so confused on what to tell people what are the pieces of my race. I could just simply tell them I'm a Filipino for god sake stop asking. My mom really is a mestiza specially my grandmother, but the bottom line is I just really want to know if I have white heritage lol.

Reply
Ray
24/1/2018 02:56:57 am

My results below Gedmatch(Puntdnal K15) best gedmatch calculator for south east asians. 23andMe V5 chip
Admix Results (sorted): parents are born in the Philippines and so is my grandparents.

Admix Results (sorted):

# Population Percent
1 E_Asian 81.06
2 S_Indian 5.12
3 Mediterranean 3.4
4 Oceanian 3.18
5 NE_European 2.02
6 Amerindian 1.33
7 Omo_River 1.1
8 Caucasian 0.94
9 Horn_Of_Africa 0.9
10 Beringian 0.77
11 Siberian 0.18


Mixed Mode Population Sharing:

# Primary Population (source) Secondary Population (source) Distance
1 94.7% Vietnamese + 5.3% NAN_Melanesian @ 3.68
2 96.1% Vietnamese + 3.9% Papuan @ 3.72
3 91.4% Dai + 8.6% Spanish_Andalucia @ 4.57
4 91.4% Dai + 8.6% Spanish_Extremadura @ 4.61
5 91.5% Dai + 8.5% Spanish_Valencia @ 4.62
6 91.4% Dai + 8.6% Portuguese @ 4.63
7 91.5% Dai + 8.5% Spanish_Castilla_La_Mancha @ 4.63
8 91.4% Dai + 8.6% Spanish_Murcia @ 4.63
9 91.6% Dai + 8.4% Spanish_Aragon @ 4.64
10 91.5% Dai + 8.5% Spanish_Cantabria @ 4.65
11 91.4% Dai + 8.6% North_Italian @ 4.65
12 91.5% Dai + 8.5% Spanish_Castilla_Y_Leon @ 4.66
13 91.4% Dai + 8.6% Tuscan @ 4.67
14 91.6% Dai + 8.4% Southwest_French @ 4.69
15 91.5% Dai + 8.5% Spanish_Galicia @ 4.69
16 91.5% Dai + 8.5% Spanish_Cataluna @ 4.7
17 91.4% Dai + 8.6% West_Sicilian @ 4.71
18 94.8% Vietnamese + 5.2% Spanish_Aragon @ 4.78
19 94.8% Vietnamese + 5.2% Spanish_Andalucia @

Reply
Andre
26/2/2018 03:37:50 am

Polynesians, Austronesians, and Micronesians are the ones that populated the islands in that area, and it wasn't until later that the Chinese and other southeast/east Asians moved in.
If you speak Tagalog(or other filipino languages), you'll notice that the language is in the same family as the Polynesian languages, not any of the East Asian languages.

The indigenous Taiwanes were mostly replaced by immigrants from the mainland, and their languages were within the same Polynesian family.

A lot of my Filipino friends are surprised to hear that and don't expect Polynesian ancestry, despite those being the original inhabitants.

Interesting post. AncestryDNA is still sorting their East Asia results, but it's a shame that they aren't done yet.

Reply
ray
18/6/2018 10:02:52 pm

The above comment in regards to Polynesians. Polynesians came from the Philippines and are called Austronesians and migrated east wards.Polynesians came from the Austronesian Family,so your logic is completely backwards.

Reply
CeeboyCavite
29/10/2019 12:48:32 am

that is true many have suggested also and they performed animal dna like the chickens and found out it roots originated from the Philippine Islands

Alyssa Burgin
18/6/2018 02:52:51 pm

I was doing some research on which DNA sites might be best for researching Jewish ancestry when I happened upon this. I couldn't let stand your incorrect statement that Ashkenazi Jews are "also known as Sephardic Jews." I'm sorry, but nothing could be further from the truth. Sephardic Jews come from the Iberian Peninsula. Ashkenazi Jews are from Central and Eastern Europe. Their language, traditions, customs and generally, appearance, differ greatly. I'd hate for someone to be given the wrong impression by reading your blog.

Reply
The Identity Strategist
18/6/2018 10:34:57 pm

Hi Alyssa,

My apologies, what was written was factually incorrect. I've edited to remove this confusion.

Regards

Tim

Reply
Joseph
7/7/2018 02:43:39 pm

Unfortunately there's no way to tell if you're Ashkenazi or Sephardi from the DNA tests alone because they don't exactly reveal if someone has Ashkenazi or Sephardi ancestry. The Jewish DNA indicators J, I are said to be more present among people from West Asia/Middle East and Eastern Europe so I think this is the closest that you can get if you want to know your Jewish ancestry. In my case, my DNA test reveals that I do have ancestry from West Asia (notably Israel, Turkey/Levant) that confirms that I do have Semitic DNA in me but I have no idea whether its Ashkenazi or Sephardi though I grew up Sephardi Orthodox Jew and my 2nd surname/mother's surname Sousa is included among the list of Sephardi surnames.

Reply
John
24/10/2018 04:09:13 pm

Are you proud to have Ashkenazi or Sephardi DNA? It means you belong to the pharisee? It is rather sad if you are a Christian.
https://biblicisminstitute.wordpress.com/2014/07/27/jesus-was-not-a-jew/
https://biblicisminstitute.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/the-hebrew-disease/#more-2689

Reply
Jackie
31/8/2019 02:30:39 am

Christianity is a cult religion invented by the pagan Romans in their attempt to eliminate Jewish culture. Guess who is the mastermind behing the killing of Jesus, his apostles and John the Baptist. Yes, ITS THE ROMANS, the very people who invented that fucked up pseudo-Abrahamic religion!

ray s
8/7/2018 10:50:30 pm

Base on my dna matches and dna results, I have relative matches who are ashkenazi/sephardi jews.. I was surprised to see those matches. We actually emailed each other and gave me a history of his family line

Reply
J Lee
23/10/2018 01:26:17 pm

Important then to trace to ashkenazi/sephardi jews is actually to trace to the root, the semite people, the Hebrew. The 12 sons from Jacob.
1. Is there any improvement since 2017?
2. Is is important to do the test at very special place? Any recommendation to do in Philippines since we are here at the moment.
3. My wife is Filipina, but she doesn't look like typical Filipina. Even in Philippines people often ask her, whether she is from middle east, palestine?
Thanks,

Reply
Jen
31/3/2019 07:45:29 am

My daughter-in-law was born in the Philippines & has Spanish ancestry. She wanted to get a breakdown of her dna so used Ancestry DNA. Her test results came back as “Filipino”. Nothing else. Just that. What a ripoff!
In addition, my husband can trace his lineage back for 5-6 generations in Italy (his paternal grandparents were both born there). Ancestry DNA results for our son first said that he was a percentage Italian, but then sent an admendment that changed it to Spanish. The only thing we can think is that, upon immigration, his Italian surname’s spelling was changed & most people think it’s Hispanic when they see it spelled out. Very disappointing!

Reply
Anonymous
31/8/2019 03:10:08 am

Your daughter in law's result isn't surprising. It can only mean 3 things: either she didn't inherit her family's Spanish genes but her family members do OR her Spanish genes is too diluted to even show up on results OR she really has zero Spanish ancestry. Its a norm in the Philippines to claim to have a Spanish ancestor without proof other than surnames which by itself isn't an indicator of ancestry (most Filipinos got their Spanish surnames thru a book as they were forced to adopt surnames intended for better recording of tax and census. Same with how African Americans have White surnames). Truth is only less than 4% of Filipinos have Euro DNA. There were only very few Spaniards who went to the Philippines so there were no waves of Spanish/European immigration.
As for your son, probably it is more on the genetic testing company's confusion since both Spaniards and Italians are of the same Mediterranean race and they share the same genetics.

Reply
Ray
31/8/2019 04:44:51 am

Ancestrydna is not the best company. I recommend 23andme and have a parent and daughter tested which does phasing. I have tried all the major dna testing companies and 23andme is the best with better results. When I got my results back from Ancestrydna it showed middleast but my 23andme results showed Spanish and Italian which is true base on my family lineage. I was born I. The Philippines

Reply
Ray
29/10/2019 01:53:22 am

Hello

Reply
Roy Elliott link
16/1/2021 06:50:42 pm

Great blog you have hhere

Reply



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