Both of my parents have been confirmed as parental DNA matches. Usually when I have a match, it will also show one of my parents in the list of people with shared DNA to that person. That's really helpful, because it tells me which side of the family to start looking at. However, sometimes I get matches that don't share any DNA with either of my parents. How is this even possible?
Date
Votes
15 comments
-
Keri Denise Jackson, ♊ Twin A, GEDMATCH GQ346442C1 Hello Angela,
I have not experienced that or have known anyone that has til now so I am guessing that maybe it is an error and the matches are not really close matches or they really do match your parents and the program being used is not picking it up. These kinds of things do happen. While technology is improving sometimes there are mistakes. I am sorry that you having to deal with this. Hope this helps.
-
Angela Kaye Austin Hi Keri,
Thank you for the response. This happens relatively often, though I get many more matches that do also list one of my parents. I don't know a lot about DNA, but I know we supposedly inherit roughly 50% from each parent. My results say 49% of my DNA is from my mom and 48% is from my dad, so I've wondered what could possibly account for the other 3%. I was thinking maybe this is the section where I get matches that don't correspond to either parent. Obviously, they didn't analyze us as a family unit, and I think there are a few things they're misidentifying there. The matches I get like this are sometimes as close as 2nd cousin, which is pretty close, but then I don't recognize any of the names or often any of the locations, so I think it's connecting me to some of the wrong people. Thanks for confirming that it's probably just an error instead of some weird biological mystery!
Angela
-
Keri Denise Jackson, ♊ Twin A, GEDMATCH GQ346442C1 Hello Angela,
I do know that generally woman do inherit 50% from each parent but it is not always exactly 50% each. Men usually carry more of their mother's DNA than their father's . The 3% could be an error or it could be a biological mystery. I like to think of things that are different about me as gifts. :) Have you done more than one DNA test? If so, are the results the same? Sometimes that will tell you if maybe there was some kind of glitch or error. If not then the 3% might be part of what is uniquely you. :) Hope this helps.
Thank you,
Keri
-
Keri Denise Jackson, ♊ Twin A, GEDMATCH GQ346442C1 Angela,
Another thing I would recommend is you contact the company that completed your DNA test and ask them to explain to you how that result was reached.
Keri
-
Angela Kaye Austin Actually, my parents and I have done multiple tests, and the results have been dramatically different. I haven't seen the problem with my matches not matching either parent, but the geographical origins are completely different from company to company:
My dad's test through familytreedna says his ancestral origins are 97% British Isles (0% English) and 2% Southern Europe, with traces from Eastern Europe, but his test through Myheritage says 92% NW Europe and 8% Celtic, which is super different, almost exactly opposite the other test.
My mom's test through ancestry says 83% England, Wales, and NW Europe, 13% Ireland & Scotland, 2% Sweden, 2% Germany. But then her Myheritage says 50% Scandinavian, 44% Scottish & Irish, 4% Finnish, and 2% NW Europe. Familytreedna gives her 48% British Isles (0% English), 37% West & Central Europe, 11% Eastern Europe, trace results from Finland and Asia. This is super weird, since her ancestors came mainly from Scotland & Ireland, and there was also substantial Native American within her last 3 generations. She's certainly not 1/2 Scandinavian.
My results through Myheritage say 61% NW Europe, 21% Irish & Scottish, 15% Scandinavian, and 3% Finnish. Okay, but that doesn't match up with my parents' percentages on that site, since my mom would have to have substantially more NW European for me to come out with 61%. Then my results on familytreedna say 51% British Isles (0% English), 41% West & Central Europe, 8% Eastern Europe. On that site, my West & Central Europe is quite a bit higher than either parent, which I don't think could be possible.
So to be honest, we're pretty disillusioned with dna testing, as far as geographical origins, it seems like they're almost guessing at it. We did think it was useful for showing us people we connect with, but now there's this issue of me getting matches that don't connect with either parent. I would really love to talk to a professional dna expert on all this, but I don't know who to contact.
-
Keri Denise Jackson, ♊ Twin A, GEDMATCH GQ346442C1 Angela,
As far as Geographical origins the companies can only go on the DNA tests that they have done. That is why it differs from company to company. I personally have done 4 tests and they are all different. It is getting better but that I think is going to take time or the companies sharing geographical and other information with each other. Another place I use that has been deemed more accurate in it's geographic estimates is https://www.gedmatch.com/login1.php they have several different admixture calculators to use. As far as a DNA expert I would contact the company that you are having this issue with their test and ask them to explain why and how they reached this result. It is best to go to the DNA expert who read your DNA and computed the results.
Keri
-
Angela Kaye Austin Thank you for the reply. I will try talking to people at each of the companies, and will check out the link you posted too. Thank you for that.
I know dna analysis is a new science and experts are continuing to learn about it, but it looks to me like they've got quite a ways to go!
-
Keri Denise Jackson, ♊ Twin A, GEDMATCH GQ346442C1 You are quite welcome Angela. I wish you all the best in your search for an answer to your question. Yes it is going to take a lot more time and tests. If you need anything else I will be happy to help.
Keri
-
ing Jeroen M.W. van Dijk I do not know a lot of about DNA, so this also something new for me. But this a good question for one of the DNA experts that are giving talks and so.
So this really a question for MyHeritage and the other DNA companies that are selling the DNA kits.
-
Angela Kaye Austin Keri, the link you provided does show that I have substantial Native American, which is something none of the others picked up on. The site is very complicated, but just the confirmation of NA alone makes it well worth it.
-
Keri Denise Jackson, ♊ Twin A, GEDMATCH GQ346442C1 It is complicated. It may take a minute to learn all the features but it is well worth it. You can also post your Gedmatch Id on your profile so other people can compare to see if they match. At least that is what I have done.
-
ing Jeroen M.W. van Dijk It is very hard to answer questions about DNA results that are not even viewable on Geni.com so those questions are just questions and are not bugs or even features of Geni.com so we can discuss this kind of things, but this not the place to do so.
Matches based on Gedmatch id is not just supported, but personally that is not a bad idea. But I am not a Geni staff member, but we can discuss if matching based on Gedmatch id should be supported by Geni.com
-
ing Jeroen M.W. van Dijk On NA remark.
I have some procent Finnish from my MyHeritage atDNA test and my father has 50% UK and I have very less procent UK DNA .
And on paper my father has 0% UK forfathers. They are all from West Netherlands or West Europe, but not from UK.
It looks like MyHeritage did think that West Netherlands are a part of the UK. On that point there is some discussion between the Dutch and UK parlements and the UK has voted and they do not want to be in the same policial union as the Netherlands and the rest of the european countries.
My father does not think he is British, but the atDNA test does say another story, so he did choice to ignore that part of the test results.
-
Angela Kaye Austin " this not the place to do so"
Sorry, I was only discussing those results in response to Keri's question about whether I'd tested with other companies. If I wanted to ask one of the mods about that in particular, I would've posted it in a different thread. My real question was the one in the initial post.
-
Angela Kaye Austin Which is a bug.
Please sign in to leave a comment.