How DNA Results Confirmed My Genealogy Research

23andMe: The Difference Is In The Details.

The way 23andMe categorized my DNA led to some fascinating genealogy research insights. While Ancestry.ca is where my public family tree resides, to which I have linked my AncestryDNA test results (see Links blog page, The Inside (DNA)), I have also done a DNA test with the company 23andMe, and their breakdown of my results was compellingly different.

Figure 1 below shows my DNA composition according to 23andMe. 

Figure 1: My 23andMe DNA Test Results

The results also showed that I have a 0.2% trace of Cypriot DNA, and 0.1% "Unassigned" DNA, for a total of 100%.

23andMe: Genetic Groups.

Focusing on my 80.2% "British & Irish" results, I discovered that the way 23andMe broke down these results was surprisingly well-aligned with what I knew from genealogy research about my family's British origins. (For a summary of my known British origins see Links blog page, The British Side.)

Since I know the most about my family's movements in the UK, and on the hunt for more insight, I started plotting my British & Irish DNA data in a spreadsheet. I listed each "Genetic Group" that 23andMe attributed to my British & Irish DNA, and then listed the geographic breakdown they provided for each Genetic Group (see Figure 2 below). 

Figure 2: My "British & Irish" DNA By "Genetic Groups" and Mapped to Family Names

For example, for Genetic Group "North East England" 23andMe identified the regions of Durham, Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear as geographically linked to that Genetic Group. So, I listed those geographic areas next to that Genetic Group in the spreadsheet.

Observing how my British & Irish DNA results mapped onto the UK pretty much at the county level, I was then able to add ancestors' family names who were known to have lived in those counties for at least a generation (an arbitrarily chosen time period), listing them by side of the family (maternal vs. paternal). 

Some magic happened: For the first time, I could truly see the clear and precise connection between my Genetic Group DNA results, what I already knew about my ancestors' locations through genealogy research, and how that linked to specific family names. I was also able to get a real sense of which specific ancestors (i.e., my mother's vs. my father's) contributed to each of my Genetic Groups.

This validation of my genealogy research felt very gratifying. And it was a fun exercise to then take the next step of plotting the surnames of as many of my British ancestors as possible into my Genetic Groups' regional breakdowns.

23andMe: Geographic Regions.

Note: In Figure 2 above, the footnotes in superscript (1, 2, and 7) correspond to Figure 3 below, columns (1), (2), and (7). 

23andMe further categorizes DNA results into something called "Geographic Regions." 23andMe allocated my British & Irish DNA results to their "UK" and "the Republic of Ireland" Geographic Regions (see Figure 3 below). 

Figure 3: My "British & Irish" DNA Mapped to "Geographic Regions," With Known Family Locations Highlighted

I then listed in each column the sub-regions 23andMe identified for their UK and Republic of Ireland Geographic Regions. For additional insight, I created my own geographic region "Scottish Borders," since I noticed that this was a "county" mentioned in my Genetic Group "Northern England and Southern Scotland." In all three columns I highlighted any sub-regions where I currently know, from genealogy research, that family names came from.  

I observed that I have DNA attributed to the Republic of Ireland, but I have no highlighted counties. From what I currently understand of my Irish heritage (family names of Cole and Churchill), these ancestors from Limerick and Tipperary (counties not in the above list) actually originated in Germany and England. But it's clear from this spreadsheet that I must have some other Irish heritage that I knew nothing about.

I had no idea until now that there was such a big gap in my knowledge of my Irish heritage, something that has never shown up as a gap in my genealogy research. Going through this process has demonstrated that I have a lot more work to do researching my Irish ancestors so I can understand why these unfamiliar counties are showing up in my DNA heritage.

23andMe: Confirmed My Research And Provided Insight.

While AncestryDNA breaks down my DNA results in a different manner (one that I also find to be a very useful tool), working with the 23andMe breakdown of my DNA results was an especially fun and gratifying exercise. I was able to see how the genetic and geographic breakdown of my DNA results clearly aligned with - and confirmed - my genealogy research for many of my British families. I could almost hear the "click" as my understanding came into sharper focus.

But I was also able to observe geographic regions in my 23andMe DNA results where more genealogy research is clearly needed - Irish ancestors, I'm talking to you! I am eager to continue to use this tool to help gain more insight into my family's origins.