I think many people are in the same knowledge bracket I was in when I first did Ancestry DNA a few years ago. To provide some context without sounding patronizing, here is a breakdown of what I've learned, which should help you get a better understanding of why you are seeing specific regions in your results. lets have some fun with it.
You see Ancestry went back and found a masq... ok now to the good stuff
You have three major parts of your DNA: - it is googlable (I have a Trademark
)
Y-chromosome aka Y-DNA, BIG Y, Y-700 or which ever the company is calling it. Can only be transferred from father to son (Male) only
M- chromosome aka Mt-DND-Mitochondrial- shared by the mother to the daughter (Female) only
Then you have the common starter kits and services that DNA ancestry companies offer as Christmas gifts.
Autosomal DNA - which you get from both your mother and your father. This is why most companies only offer this because it gives you the biggest satisfaction for you buck.
I only know this because I went through the trial and error much like I see in above posts. Until I linked up with a maternal line DNA project that shed light on who and what and how DNA works vs written or verbal ancestry and then how that ties into books, and finally historical records.
"I am Scottish and I will wear my kilt until you tear it from my naked arse.. oh they were lowland scots and the tartan was not registered until 1980 in the US.. Stuff like thhhat"
What you see with A-DNA has the potential to skip generations and certain mutations happen such as in Y-DNA. So seeing some unknown origin might not be something you can directly trace with your known generations, and as some of stated it goes by migration mapping.
I've found that people are more reluctant to confront facts that emerge from deep DNA analyses. Furthermore, the results sometimes contain generalities which turn out to be straightforward errors.
If you dig through family history be prepared for bumps! I have seen multiple family surnames turn out to be different based on alias and not adoption, affairs being brought to light etc. So be prepared, turned out two surnames were false in my line, and I have seen it in others as well.
Also the whole Cherokee Princes thing, is not really a thing, yes many Europeans married and had families with natives such as Cherokee and Creek etc.. but the Princess is a bit much. Also Native DNA is so under studied you would not be able to reliably track it.
Also the Mulato on census record etc.. that was up to the transcriber, much like how your surname is spelled. How was it annunciated to the ear of the transcriber and how did that person look.
I've seen a lot of intense reactions. The most common friction point occurs when someone's DNA analysis doesn't match the history they were told growing up. When you present verifiable records to back up the DNA findings, be prepared for significant pushback. It's just human nature to defend the narrative we know.
This is precisely why I'd likely double the suggested prices. My experience doing this type of deep-dive for friends has shown me just how much work it is—not just the research, but managing the sometimes difficult reactions from family members. I need to value my time and the emotional energy required, so I'd likely start my pricing around $10k.
Just remember "LIFE ALWAYS FINDS A WAY"
You see Ancestry went back and found a masq... ok now to the good stuff
You have three major parts of your DNA: - it is googlable (I have a Trademark
)Y-chromosome aka Y-DNA, BIG Y, Y-700 or which ever the company is calling it. Can only be transferred from father to son (Male) only
M- chromosome aka Mt-DND-Mitochondrial- shared by the mother to the daughter (Female) only
Then you have the common starter kits and services that DNA ancestry companies offer as Christmas gifts.
Autosomal DNA - which you get from both your mother and your father. This is why most companies only offer this because it gives you the biggest satisfaction for you buck.
I only know this because I went through the trial and error much like I see in above posts. Until I linked up with a maternal line DNA project that shed light on who and what and how DNA works vs written or verbal ancestry and then how that ties into books, and finally historical records.
"I am Scottish and I will wear my kilt until you tear it from my naked arse.. oh they were lowland scots and the tartan was not registered until 1980 in the US.. Stuff like thhhat
"What you see with A-DNA has the potential to skip generations and certain mutations happen such as in Y-DNA. So seeing some unknown origin might not be something you can directly trace with your known generations, and as some of stated it goes by migration mapping.
I've found that people are more reluctant to confront facts that emerge from deep DNA analyses. Furthermore, the results sometimes contain generalities which turn out to be straightforward errors.
If you dig through family history be prepared for bumps! I have seen multiple family surnames turn out to be different based on alias and not adoption, affairs being brought to light etc. So be prepared, turned out two surnames were false in my line, and I have seen it in others as well.
Also the whole Cherokee Princes thing, is not really a thing, yes many Europeans married and had families with natives such as Cherokee and Creek etc.. but the Princess is a bit much. Also Native DNA is so under studied you would not be able to reliably track it.
Also the Mulato on census record etc.. that was up to the transcriber, much like how your surname is spelled. How was it annunciated to the ear of the transcriber and how did that person look.
I've seen a lot of intense reactions. The most common friction point occurs when someone's DNA analysis doesn't match the history they were told growing up. When you present verifiable records to back up the DNA findings, be prepared for significant pushback. It's just human nature to defend the narrative we know.
This is precisely why I'd likely double the suggested prices. My experience doing this type of deep-dive for friends has shown me just how much work it is—not just the research, but managing the sometimes difficult reactions from family members. I need to value my time and the emotional energy required, so I'd likely start my pricing around $10k.
Just remember "LIFE ALWAYS FINDS A WAY"
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