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Test Results

Here is my review of AncestryDNA.

It was rather anti-climatic. While I feel this tool has great potential, it is only as good as those putting information into it. The closest familial match AncestryDNA made was ONE 2nd cousin. Yup… just ONE. I had THREE 3rd cousin matches. I recognize one name. 45 possible 4th cousins. 41 pages followed of distant cousins. I will have a LOT of research to do to weed through them and see how/if they fit in the family tree.

The catch is that this information comes at a price, and I’m not talking about time. Sure, I can contact each one via email and hope that they contact me back. Or I can look at their family trees on Ancestry.com if they have provided one. Quite a few doing the DNA test do not have any history. Basically, they did it out of personal curiousity or because someone else wanted them to.

Researching the family histories on Ancestry.com means I have to buy a membership. Its going to take a lot longer than the trial 2 weeks, so that means spending $$$. And of course, the prospects of new relatives adding DNA, keeps me tied to a membership until I decide that enough is enough. I kind of feel like that is Ancestry.com’s plan all along.

I will probably go for it and see where it leads. I’m just that curious and being the PollyAnna that I am, also optimistic that I will find
something useful for the family tree. I love solving a good mystery.

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My genetic profile was no surprise at all. I am 99% European. What IS interesting is the historical breakdown that AncestryDNA gives you. I know that my family came from Germany, Netherlands, and England. Yet very little Great Britain (England) showed up in my genetic profile. And what is with the Scandinavian part? Well, going WAAAAY back to look at history, the Scandinavians and Germanic tribes invaded Great Britain and settled there. Most of my ancestors were not indigenous to England.

Here are the results of my genetic profile.

Europe West 49%
Scandinavia 37%
Ireland 10%
Trace Regions 3%
Great Britain 2%
European Jewish < 1%
Iberian Peninsula < 1%

I have a smidgeon of Asian in me.

Asia < 1%
Trace Regions < 1%
Asia South < 1%

Europe West

europe west
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Primarily located in: Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein
Also found in: England, Denmark, Italy, Slovenia, Czech Republic

The Europe West region is a broad expanse stretching from Amsterdam’s sea-level metropolis to the majestic peaks of the Alps. Geographically dominated by France in the west and Germany in the east, it includes several nations with distinct cultural identities. From the boisterous beer gardens of Munich to the sun-soaked vineyards of Bordeaux and the alpine dairy farms of Switzerland, it is a region of charming cultural diversity.

Scandinavia

scandinavia
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Primarily located in: Sweden, Norway, Denmark
Also found in: Great Britain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, the Baltic States, Finland

Scandinavia is perched atop northern Europe, its natives referred to throughout history as “North Men.” Separated from the main European continent by the Baltic Sea, the Scandinavians have historically been renowned seafarers. Their adventures brought them into contact with much of the rest of Europe, sometimes as feared raiders and other times as well-traveled merchants and tradesmen.

Ireland

ireland
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Primarily located in: Ireland, Wales, Scotland
Also found in: France, England

Ireland is located in the eastern part of the North Atlantic Ocean, directly west of Great Britain. A variety of internal and external
influences have shaped Ireland as we know it today. Ireland’s modern cultural remains deeply rooted in the Celtic culture that spread across much of Central Europe and into the British Isles. Along with Wales, Scotland, and a handful of other isolated communities within the British Isles, Ireland remains one of the last holdouts of the ancient Celtic languages that were once spoken throughout much of Western Europe. And though closely tied to Great Britain, both geographically and historically, the Irish have fiercely maintained their unique character through
the centuries.

Great Britain

great britain
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Primarily located in: England, Scotland, Wales
Also found in: Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Italy

The history of Great Britain is often told in terms of the invasions with different groups of invaders displacing the native population. The Romans, Anglo-Saxon, Vikings and Normans have all left their mark on Great Britain both politically and culturally. However, the story of Great Britain is far more complex than the traditional view of invaders displacing existing populations. In fact modern studies of British people tend to suggest the earliest populations continued to exist and adapt and absorb the new arrivals.

European Jewish

european jewish
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Primarily located in: Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Israel
Also found in: Germany, France, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania, Bosnia, Serbia, Estonia

The European Jewish region is not geographically defined in the same way as most other ethnic regions. The historic dispersal of the Jewish population from its origin in the Levant on the east coast of the Mediterranean resulted in insular communities scattered throughout Europe, North Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. Although some Jewish communities enjoyed positions of relative peace and prosperity, many more were segregated from mainstream society by law, custom and prejudice, experiencing sustained persecution and discrimination. Jewish populations from northern and eastern Europe are often known as “Ashkenazi.” “Sephardic” refers to Jews who were expelled from Spain during the Inquisition
and mostly settled in North Africa and southeastern Europe.

Iberian Peninsula

iberian peninsula
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Primarily located in: Spain, Portugal
Also found in: France, Morocco, Algeria, Italy

Separated from the rest of continental Europe by the Pyrenees Mountains, the Iberian Peninsula lies between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Gibraltar, at the peninsula’s southern tip, is just a little over nine miles from the north coast of Africa. This proximity would play a major part in the history and identity of Spain and Portugal.

Asia South

asia south
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Primarily located in: India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Also found in: Myanmar (Burma)

The Asia South region includes the modern-day nations of Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan and is home to approximately 20% of the world’s population. The mighty mountain ranges of the Himalaya, Hindu Kush and Karakoram were formed here around 75 million years ago when the floating Indian tectonic plate smashed into southern Asia, giving birth to the world’s tallest mountains peaks. These include Mount Everest, known to the Nepalese as “Sagarmatha.”