• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

DNA test

Glowpun

Glowpun

DP Veteran
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
2,236
Reaction score
537
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Other
My mother told me that my great-grandfather on her mother's side was called "white man with hairy chest." If that is the case I would be 1/8 white or 12.5%. Am not sure but I think he was Dutch.

I had my DNA test done by that company that advertises that a test taker found X% of one tribe, Y% of another tribe, and Z% of a third tribe. I am not sure how that is determined.

But the test showed I am only 2% "caucasian." Are these DNA tests correct? I question the percentage.
 
Depends on the test, the company, and how well it's done. There is a wide degree of variation in accuracy of the commercially available and popular ones. Do some google research. Plenty has been written on it.

Take it with a grain or ten of salt, basically.
 
Glowpun said:
My mother told me that my great-grandfather on her mother's side was called "white man with hairy chest." If that is the case I would be 1/8 white or 12.5%. Am not sure but I think he was Dutch.

I had my DNA test done by that company that advertises that a test taker found X% of one tribe, Y% of another tribe, and Z% of a third tribe. I am not sure how that is determined.

But the test showed I am only 2% "caucasian." Are these DNA tests correct? I question the percentage.
Click to expand...

On tests, all I know is some corps have a larger data base to draw from and differing/specific tests, health and such.

Talking with family members, are any of your mothers siblings alive, if not their children, then if possible talk with them

All depends upon what you want to know.

As I know full well, all families have so called skeletons that would never show in records

It can at times be eye opening.

So back to what you may be looking for
 
Glowpun said:
My mother told me that my great-grandfather on her mother's side was called "white man with hairy chest." If that is the case I would be 1/8 white or 12.5%. Am not sure but I think he was Dutch.

I had my DNA test done by that company that advertises that a test taker found X% of one tribe, Y% of another tribe, and Z% of a third tribe. I am not sure how that is determined.

But the test showed I am only 2% "caucasian." Are these DNA tests correct? I question the percentage.
Click to expand...

Basically, when it comes to things like that, the only thing that can point to with a degree of any great accuracy is which continent .. but when trying to narrow it down to specifics, the chances of inaccuracies in judgement become much higher.
 
A friend did 23 and Me and also then Ancestry.com one at the same time. Was far more impressed with 23 and Me. More in depth detail.
 
Superfly said:
A friend did 23 and Me and also then Ancestry.com one at the same time. Was far more impressed with 23 and Me. More in depth detail.
Click to expand...

Great, thanks for the tip. But here is my concern: Do these companies like 23 and Me and Ancestry.com sell your health propensities to the insurance companies? I would be concerned if an insurance carrier in the future will turn down my health insurance coverage because the DNA could indicate there is a possibility I could develop some alien or incurable disease.
 
Glowpun said:
Great, thanks for the tip. But here is my concern: Do these companies like 23 and Me and Ancestry.com sell your health propensities to the insurance companies? I would be concerned if an insurance carrier in the future will turn down my health insurance coverage because the DNA could indicate there is a possibility I could develop some alien or incurable disease.
Click to expand...

I would do it anonymously. Today’s data environment is a whorehouse. What is secure today is stolen tomorrow, or the company is sold and the rules change.

Insurance companies don’t make money by paying claims. If most men in your family have strokes in their fifties, they will drop you like a hot potato regardless of your age.
 
I also took a DNA test on Ancestry to learn more of my Australian background. (born there) Also have a question: What does "3 Percent ..Thief and Vagabond" mean?
 
HIP56948 said:
I also took a DNA test on Ancestry to learn more of my Australian background. (born there) Also have a question: What does "3 Percent ..Thief and Vagabond" mean?
Click to expand...

Surely thoust jest. This would mean that an ancestor (male likely) was a white convict-a discard of English society.
 
chuckiechan said:
I would do it anonymously. Today’s data environment is a whorehouse. What is secure today is stolen tomorrow, or the company is sold and the rules change.

Insurance companies don’t make money by paying claims. If most men in your family have strokes in their fifties, they will drop you like a hot potato regardless of your age.
Click to expand...

In this day and age how can you order something anonymously when you have to pay by credit card? But I did give false info.
 
Glowpun said:
My mother told me that my great-grandfather on her mother's side was called "white man with hairy chest." If that is the case I would be 1/8 white or 12.5%. Am not sure but I think he was Dutch.

I had my DNA test done by that company that advertises that a test taker found X% of one tribe, Y% of another tribe, and Z% of a third tribe. I am not sure how that is determined.

But the test showed I am only 2% "caucasian." Are these DNA tests correct? I question the percentage.
Click to expand...

Which test did you use ( if you dont mind me asking)….did the results provide information on haplogroup? Was the test a strict Autosomal?

I dont know if the generic Ancestry testing provides that data.....its a bit more expensive.
 
Last edited:
HIP56948 said:
I also took a DNA test on Ancestry to learn more of my Australian background. (born there) Also have a question: What does "3 Percent ..Thief and Vagabond" mean?
Click to expand...

Just be relieved no % of marsupial showed up. :shock:
 
I did the Family Tree DNA search a few years back. Gave me some potential part matches across the UK. Have emailed some of them and the reply was they didn't know of a relative who came to the southern USA.

Not really certain if it helped or not. The only thing I receive from Family Tree is new upgrades for a "new low price".
 
Crosscheck said:
I did the Family Tree DNA search a few years back. Gave me some potential part matches across the UK. Have emailed some of them and the reply was they didn't know of a relative who came to the southern USA.

Not really certain if it helped or not. The only thing I receive from Family Tree is new upgrades for a "new low price".
Click to expand...

I think you can upload the data to other companies too.
 
Glowpun said:
But the test showed I am only 2% "Caucasian." Are these DNA tests correct? I question the percentage.
Click to expand...

Mr Person had the best response to your original post. However to add onto that - which genes parents pass down to their kids is entirely random and not evenly distributed. Meaning, you would assume that the law of average probably dictates that your mother gave you an even split. Ex, mom gave you 50% of the genes from your grandfather and 50% of the genes from your grandmother. (Therefore 1 / 4 = 25% share, and a step up 1 / 8 = 12.5% share)

However law of averages often doesn't apply in inheritance. You mother could have very easily given you 70% of your grandmothers' genes and only 30% of your grandfathers'. Or, 10% of your grandmother and 90% of your grandfather.Either way, it's entirely random.

That's why sometimes kids look like one side of the family way more than the other.
 
I am my fathers son.



That's all I've ever known. That's all I need to know.
 
Mr Person said:
Depends on the test, the company, and how well it's done. There is a wide degree of variation in accuracy of the commercially available and popular ones. Do some google research. Plenty has been written on it.

Take it with a grain or ten of salt, basically.
Click to expand...

Lots of grains of salt. DNA tests are only as good as the database you use to compare them against.
 
Here's something interesting that happened within the sphere of my extended family. My sister-in-law had a sister that was diagnosed with leukemia, her name is Kathy. She went through the approved cancer treatments, chemotherapy and radiation, without success. Kathy progressively got sicker. She lives in Pennsylvania, born to immigrants from Poland. She was asked to participate in a study for an experimental treatment of stem cell transplant and referred to Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Stem cell transplantation has been used in the past as a treatment option for leukemia and multiple myeloma with limited success.

Before Kathy began the process, she had to go through scores of test and her DNA was analyzed for family history, health risks, etc. They discovered that she had Mongolian genes in addition to those that indicated her genes were of Eastern European descent. That was a total shock to her. To make this story shorter, her stem cell transplantation was 100% successful and from what she was told by Johns Hopkins doctors, she was the only successful patient in the study, the others didn't survive.

The donor for her stem cells was a young woman from S. Carolina. Their identities were withheld for one full year. I suppose it's to ensure that the recipient survived one full year after transplantation. After a year, she was allowed to learn the identity of her donor. They met and instantly formed a bond with each other. This young woman had a small child and has since had 2 more. This all happened about 10 years ago. She and this woman have a genuine mother-daughter relationship and visit with each other frequently. The woman's children are now like grandchildren to Kathy. It's a story that would actually make a good movie with a happy ending.

The most stunning thing to understand is that they both share the same, identical DNA now. They are as closely relation biologically as any two people could be. This young woman saved her life. She has since donated her stem cells at least twice more since 'Kathy'.

More information about DNA testing here: Free Review of Ancestry Dna Tests | Genetics Digest
 
HumblePi said:
Here's something interesting that happened within the sphere of my extended family. My sister-in-law had a sister that was diagnosed with leukemia, her name is Kathy. She went through the approved cancer treatments, chemotherapy and radiation, without success. Kathy progressively got sicker. She lives in Pennsylvania, born to immigrants from Poland. She was asked to participate in a study for an experimental treatment of stem cell transplant and referred to Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Stem cell transplantation has been used in the past as a treatment option for leukemia and multiple myeloma with limited success.

Before Kathy began the process, she had to go through scores of test and her DNA was analyzed for family history, health risks, etc. They discovered that she had Mongolian genes in addition to those that indicated her genes were of Eastern European descent. That was a total shock to her. To make this story shorter, her stem cell transplantation was 100% successful and from what she was told by Johns Hopkins doctors, she was the only successful patient in the study, the others didn't survive.

The donor for her stem cells was a young woman from S. Carolina. Their identities were withheld for one full year. I suppose it's to ensure that the recipient survived one full year after transplantation. After a year, she was allowed to learn the identity of her donor. They met and instantly formed a bond with each other. This young woman had a small child and has since had 2 more. This all happened about 10 years ago. She and this woman have a genuine mother-daughter relationship and visit with each other frequently. The woman's children are now like grandchildren to Kathy. It's a story that would actually make a good movie with a happy ending.

The most stunning thing to understand is that they both share the same, identical DNA now. They are as closely relation biologically as any two people could be. This young woman saved her life. She has since donated her stem cells at least twice more since 'Kathy'.

More information about DNA testing here: Free Review of Ancestry Dna Tests | Genetics Digest
Click to expand...

The Mongolian genes is not a surprise to me. There a person known as 'Attila the hun' that invaded Europe, oh many hundreds of years ago. They left descendants, and a number of those descendants are Polish.
 
Note

They sell data so doing it anon is recommended.

Also note the Police in California were able to catch a serial killer by tracking family members through one of the DNA test companies, narrowing the search done to the relatives of the person who took the DNA test
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom