For those who want to find out about their roots, an ancestry DNA test is an answer. However, not all DNA tests are 100% accurate. Despite this, the tests can give a fairly good idea about our history and heritage. However, taking these test results with a pinch of salt is the best way to go about it.
There are three methods for conducting a DNA test: Y chromosome testing, mitochondrial DNA testing, and single nucleotide polymorphism testing.
The Y chromosome passes from one male to another (father to son). Y chromosomal testing is to determine the male lineage. Women do not possess Y chromosomes. Hence, you cannot use it to find your ancestral history on your mother’s side of the family.
Mitochondrial DNA is part of every cell that we get from our mother. Hence, mitochondrial DNA determines the female ancestral line. The test is valid for both men and women since both sexes inherit mitochondria from their mothers.
In the single nucleotide polymorphism testing, the variations in the DNA are determined in the genome of a person. Scientists compare these variations with the results of other people. This test only provides approximations regarding the ancestry of an individual. This test determines the ancestral history because the other two tests do not give a complete picture regarding a person’s ancestral background.
Taking the same DNA ancestry test from different companies will yield different results. Most DNA tests compare your DNA with those of other people with known ancestries. DNA testing companies compare your DNA with people in the reference group or database. With more data, the reference group is updated regularly. Hence, the reference group is never static; it is changing. So, if you were to take a test now and then again in a few years, you may get different results.
In addition to this, the people in the reference group often provide their ancestral history based on word of mouth. There is no concrete way to prove if what they are saying is indeed accurate or not. So there is some room for error.
Computational biology has made leaps and bounds in DNA analysis. It can help you in determining your genetic makeup, including ancestral history. Each company uses a different algorithm or technique to analyze your genetics, which reveals different results.
An article by Vox.com explains why these tests are skewed, even if slightly. These have to do with limitations in genetic science. Moreover, the numbers revealed in a genetic test are, at best, suggestions about your ancestry history.
Myths and Truths
Here are a few important myths and truths about DNA testing.
- Myth: Tests can predict chances of diseases.
Truth: DNA tests cannot truly predict the chances of disease because environmental factors are at play as well.
- Myth: It maps out your family tree accurately.
Truth: The test does not provide an accurate picture of your ancestral history.
- Myth: Siblings get the same answers.
Truth: If siblings take a DNA test, they may not receive the same answer. Vox reports that in some cases, identical twins did not even get the same results.
- Myth: You will get the same test results from different companies.
Truth: Different companies use different techniques and databases to map out your ancestral history. Hence, you will not get the same results.
Conclusion
Whether you choose to get a DNA test or not is a personal decision. Getting one does no harm to an individual. However, taking the results at face value is not advised. You need to take the results with a little skepticism.
DNA testing kits can reveal much about our ancestry. However, these are not accurate. Despite what the tests reveal, there is one thing for sure: humans are one big family.
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