Legacy Tree has handled hundreds of genealogical DNA-related cases, running a wide gamut in terms of objectives. While we do not sell DNA tests, we complete DNA analysis and genealogical research and can work with a client’s test results from any major DNA testing company. By analyzing DNA test results we are able to provide more in-depth answers beyond a geographic location, and interpret results in a genealogical context. Many of our clients wish to have us help them identify their biological parent(s) or grandparents. Some have a family mystery they haven’t had luck solving with the regular paper trail. Circumstances relating to adoption are very common.
Frequently, however, the question is asked, “What use is DNA testing for me? I’m not adopted, we don’t really have a family mystery, and I know where I came from.”
The first and most obvious answer to that question is that you can’t know what you don’t know. DNA can reveal all kinds of things, which is one major caveat we give to potential testers. People lie, records can be mistaken, but DNA can’t be argued with. It’s built into our makeup. You may learn to your great surprise that an ancestor who fits within the historical documents isn’t actually related to you after all as a result of an adoption, infidelity, or other circumstance. You may find a significant percentage of an ethnicity you didn’t know was there – or conversely, the DNA test may disprove long-propagated family stories about your racial or national origins.
I was one of those people who didn’t think I had much to learn from testing. I did so only out of personal curiosity and a thirst for a learning experience as a genealogist. It’s now been a few years since I did so, and I’m so glad I took the chance, as it has paid rich dividends. I was recently contacted by a distant (4th) cousin named Rebecca who had information I lacked on my German immigrant second-great-grandmother. Rebecca was able to share documentation leading to the identification of our mutual ancestors’ tiny hometown in what is today the Rhineland-Palatinate.
Second, DNA testing can be fun and informative! In addition to the useful feature of cousin match networks, DNA sites build in tools and resources that can be fascinating just for you. For example, most provide ethnicity estimates, and while these should be viewed as broad approximations rather than exact numbers, the breakdown of your genes into world regions is still interesting to have. Furthermore, they can confirm the work you’ve done through more traditional genealogical methods. My husband, for example, has deep roots in Cajun French Louisiana. We knew from both family stories and historical records that he possesses some Native American ancestry. So it was gratifying to see the Native American estimate listed on his Ancestry DNA results at approximately 10%. His French (West European) and British Isles ancestry accounted for most of the rest, as seen in the image below.
(On the other hand, my family legend of a recent native ancestor was proven false by the same autosomal test.)
DNA site 23andMe goes a step further and provides medical-related data as well, reporting on phenotypical traits you carry like eye color and hair curliness. It can suggest diseases you might be a carrier for and even whether you’re genetically disposed to be able to be sensitive to the unique odor of asparagus.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, even if DNA testing turns up nothing terribly surprising for you, consider that contributing your genes to the database may end up being a gift to someone else. In cases where we have assisted a client in identifying a biological parent, it has almost always been because we discovered a close relative – a half-sibling or second cousin, for example – within the client’s matches. If they have a public tree on their profile which we can reference, this can be invaluable. Or, with the client’s permission, we can reach out and contact the match personally and through conversation attempt to parse out where the connection may be. You could be that cousin that helps someone answer personal and important questions about their origins and identity.**
For more information on how DNA testing works and which tests to take, see our previous blog post here: https://www.legacytree.com/blog/the-who-what-where-and-why-of-genetic-genealogy-testing.
Discovering unexpected information can be an emotional experience. If you find yourself struggling to cope with new details brought to light in the course of DNA testing, check out the resources on Legacy Tree’s page about testing trauma: https://www.legacytree.com/blog/resources.
Consider adding genetic analysis to your genealogical toolbox. You never know when or how it will be useful! Legacy Tree would love to help. Contact us today for a free consultation!
**Disclaimer: be aware of how testing works if you’re concerned about privacy. Your results will show up under a username of your choosing in the network of your genetic relatives, and you can be contacted by a relative at any time through the DNA site’s internal messaging system. This is not typically optional. You are not, however, required to share your tree or even upload one, respond to messages, or share your full name or other personal data.
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I find the DNA testing for Genealogy research GREATLY confusing and sometimes it appears that the companies offering these services are only trying to separate customers from their hard earned money.
What I cannot find an answer for is this. If I do my testing through the Legacy Tree company for instance, and a relative does his through say Ancestry, can our results be matched or connected in some way? The tests are too expensive for most of my senior friends on fixed incomes, and we can’t do multiple tests. None of us ‘publish’ our family trees on places such as Ancestry, so how would our tests connect us to others? Some of us think the oversharing of family trees is risky for our security and are advised that identity theft is a valid reason not to do this. One relative commented that after seeing a TV commercial “what does it mean that I’m eastern european and who cares?” so my question is if it only tells me a location and nothing more, does that help me trace anything?
Guess you can see I am ‘old school’ and want to see documentation for family connections. Can DNA testing really do this? Or can it connect me with other individuals who are directly related, by using ONLY the DNA testing? I really need to understand more.
Legacy Tree doesn’t actually offer DNA testing. We provide DNA analysis on clients’ results from any major DNA testing company. Like you said, it can be very confusing! We use information from the results to actually push ancestry back based on the connections DNA information provides. For more information, see https://www.legacytree.com/blog/exploring-ethnicity-dna-part-ii-autosomal-testing.
Hi J – a message from one of our genetic experts as well, in answer to your questions!
We understand that genetic genealogy can seem quite confusing, but we have been witness to the amazing discoveries that can be made with genetic genealogy tests and we can assure you that they are well worth your money. Perhaps part of the confusion may come from the mystery and misunderstanding surrounding DNA evidence in general. We find that it is easiest to think of genetic genealogy tests as you would any other record. DNA tests, ethnicity estimates, and genetic cousin match lists are a genealogical record and they demonstrate shared inheritance. Just like a will or testament shows inheritance of real or personal property, genetic genealogy tests show the inheritance of genetic material. By connecting with other relatives who also inherited that same genetic material you can explore previously unknown family relationships.
While Legacy Tree is more than willing to interpret the test results of an individual and their family members from any of the major DNA testing companies (Family Tree DNA, 23andMe, Ancestry.com, and MyHeritage), we do not provide DNA testing services ourselves. If you and your relatives perform tests at the same company, you can easily connect with each other through that company. If, however, you test at different companies, there are still some ways you can connect to identify shared DNA and shared relatives. Family Tree DNA accepts autosomal DNA transfers from Ancestry.com (currently they only accept tests that were performed previous to about April 2016). They also accept test transfers from 23andMe (if the test was performed before about October 2013). Another website called Gedmatch.com does not provide testing services, but does act as a free repository where individuals who have tested at any of the major companies can transfer their results and compare with relatives who have also transferred their test results to Gedmatch.
The real value in genetic genealogy tests for family history is not necessarily in the ethnic admixture (though those are often the focus of marketing campaigns). Rather, the real value of genetic genealogy test results is in being able to connect with other relatives who share DNA with you. Each genetic genealogy test looks at hundreds of thousands of DNA markers and compares you to a database of already-tested individuals. If you and another test subject share a large number of adjacent markers, it indicates that you share a common ancestor. Based on the number of segments and the amount of shared DNA, the companies estimate how closely related you are to other individuals in the database. These estimations are based on the observed amounts of DNA shared between different levels of relationship. It is most effective when you do provide information about your family tree so you can determine the origin of your shared DNA, but even without public trees, it is still possible to make important connections with known and unknown relatives.
We hope that this may have helped clear up some of your questions. If you have more, feel free to review our other blog posts on DNA; also, consider visiting the website for the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (isogg.org). If you have research problems that might benefit from DNA analysis, we would love to assist you in your research as well
I have noticed that Finnish results on DNA tests(including mine ) are frequent and separate from Scandinavian. I have about 3% Finnish and ^% Scandi but can’t trace any relatives to these regions. All are Sots and Irish going back about 300 years. As I have”Viking Finger” (DuPutreynes contracture) and a Germanic surname “Jaffray” could this DNA be viking? How could I find Finnish ancestors?
I did the test to see if I was adopted, something I have suspected all my life. Found out my dad was not my dad. Ancestry DNA also listed a half sister and a slew of half nieces and nephews. These tests can give you very accurate info. It just depends what you want from them.
Getting confirmation of what you suspected is a good thing. Allows you to move forward with a better picture of your identity. Agreed that it depends what you are looking for when you take a test, but they are very accurate and can assist in finding answers to questions, even the ones you haven’t asked yet.