Ancestry DNA

[rightsaidfreddie]

If you and your siblings wanted to do one DNA test between you (assuming you really do have the same parents!!) then is it best for a female or a male to do the test?

I was told once that one sex gives better results than the other but I can't recall which.

I've googled it but it looks as though there may now be no difference.

Did I imagine it or perhaps I'm going mad?

There no difference with ancestry dna which is an autosomal test. I'm a family history geek and I'd encourage you to have a few family members take the ancestry rest as you get a different dna combo for connections.

However, sites such as ftdna offer YDNA and MtDNA which track father/son or Mother/daughter.
My dad kindly did a full ydna test as I am part of a big surname male research project and have no ydna as I am female!
This has been very valuable to the group researching as we have our own dna branch!

However, I haven't done my own mtdna.
For my genealogy it's really limited as although the mtdna stretches back many thousands of years, unlike autosomal dna, family history records relating to women are limited compared to male records.

I

I've just realised that was a very geeky answer.
In short there's no difference between you and your brother in terms of who is best but your dna combo will differ, so you would have some different dna matches.

I’ve done 23andme and there is certainly part of the dna results which I have no result for due to being female. Only available for males.

Thank you!

Why would a brother and sister's DNA combo be different?

It depends on the reason you are taking the test. But as mentioned above Ancestry DNA doesn’t matter.

There are other tests such as YDNA test that only trace the paternal DNA or MTDNA tests for maternal line but they aren’t offered by Ancestry. For the majority of people the test Ancestry offers is the one you want, depending on what you hope to get from the results.

The DNA you get from each parent is a random mix from their parents. So siblings inherit different amounts

Guys can more easily find their relatives, the Y-chromosome is more useful than mtDNA. I'd get a boy done to get a bit more info.

Thanks for the responses.

I must admit to not having a clue what's meant by YDNA, MtDNA and autosomal DNA. I think it's going to one of those subjects that will go straight over my head, no matter how many times it's explained to me too 😀

I'll get the test done by the male side of the family and see how we get on!

i would strongly recommend getting your parents to do the test instead if they're still around and willing - in fact the oldest relatives that are still alive. If you're serious about tracing your ancestry this information is so valuable. You each will have inherited 50% of each parents DNA, much better to go straight to the source and get 100% of each if you can.

Ancestry doesn't test Y DNA, so makes no difference if you're male or female.

But as the previous poster says it is better to get your parents or grandparents to do it if they're still alive.

Thanks.

Only my mum still alive so I could ask her to do it!

Autosomal chromosomes are the 'normal' ones - you have 22 pairs of these.

You also have 1 pair of sex chromosomes - XX in your case, XY for your brother. So the YDNA is from this single Y chromosome. Unlike autosomal chromosomes it is passed directly from father to son without mixing with the mother's DNA. So it varies much less as you go up and down the ancestral chains, but can only be used to find male relatives.

MtDNA is mitochondrial DNA. This is from separate little 'organs' within the cell, not from the main cell nucleus where all the autosomal and sex chromosomes live. MtDNA is passed directly from mother to child (both sexes) without being mixed with the father's DNA. So like the Y DNA it changes much less with each generation.

Siblings don't have the same DNA as each other (unless they are identical twins) because, as a PP said, the half they inherit from each parent is is random.

As a simplified illustration, imagine you have 23 numbered bags, each containing 1 black ball and 1 white ball. Go along the line and pick a ball from each bag; then put them all back and do it again. Both times you will end up with 23 balls, but you won't have picked the same colour ball from each numbered bag both times. That is essentially what happens to form an egg, and to form a spermatozoon. (Actually it's more complicated, because new balls are made every time and genes are also mixed up as part of that process).

So the egg that you grew from contained a random half of your mother's autosomal DNA, a randomly selected one of her X chromosomes, and all her MtDNA.

The egg your brother grew from contained exactly the same MtDNA but a randomly selected half of the other types.

Same for sperm - each one has a random half your father's autosomal DNA. But no MtDNA, and we know you got different sex chromosomes.

As an aside.
Do you know the police have access to the dna websites to look for possible matches.
They have to show proof of why they need it, it’s not a free for all.
Im not saying your family are going to commit any crime, don’t get me wrong, but once it’s submitted any member, including distant ones are vulnerable.

Big brother is watching

Tracing ancestors is interesting but by putting your DNA into a data base you are potentially impacting your family, even those yet unborn. For example imagine they are involved in political activism, you've made them easily traceable or Imagine insurance, mortgages etc. which could be influenced by hereditary risks.

I hadn’t thought about insurance, mortgages, hereditary illnesses etc.
Wow.

Even more glad I stopped my lot from doing it

I did consider this but then thought if any family member had done anywhere the police needed to do this then they deserved to be caught.

Ancestry do not provide access to police. GEDmatch do, however you have to opt in or out. You also do not have to give any information with your test you can register it as Mickey Mouse with a different email address if you prefer.

Ancestry is not a medical DNA test and doesn’t provide medical risks etc. But again, you don’t have to link it to your own name.

I've nothing to hide!