DNA testing?

[dutchy kilted]

Greetings all!

My wife and I do not exchange presents at Christmas, but usually purchase something for the house or an "experience" for the whole family.

This year we thought it might be interesting to each get DNA tests done so we can tell our son where his ancestry actually comes from. I have a good idea of my own genealogy but my wife can only go back two generations.

Since I know the Rabble has knowledge of many varied subjects, I was hoping someone on here might have gotten DNA testing done and can recommend (or not recommend) any testing firms? I would really like a place that would be able to go into pretty great detail.

My wife keeps insisting I am part Neanderthal so maybe some of those genes will show up.

[Orionson]

http://www.scotlandsdna.com/

This is a link to the leader in the field of DNA testing here in Scotland. They are well respected and very reasonably priced, comparatively speaking.

And, yes - they will take you back to your wife's suspected Neanderthal links, if indeed, she is correct.

Have fun. It is an interesting journey to embark upon.

Cheers!

[kiltedrennie]

I recently read an article reviewing the DNA testing option from ancestry.com. Looks like they liked the testing results.

http://geekdad.com/2013/06/follow-up...ising-results/

Several replies to the article were less than positive. They suggested some other companies:

https://www.23andme.com/
http://www.familytreedna.com/

I'd be interested to hear what you think if you do try one.

[unixken]

I've been considering having such testing done, as well. I am an ancestry.com member, and thus far my searches have all resulted in finds throughout the UK (with a brief stop in Nova Scotia.) But I've been wondering if there's any chance that the Roman occupation of Britania and forays into Caledonia may show some continental European influences, as well. Or perhaps a bit of Scandanavian influence from the north...

[The Monk]

Iʻve done both Ancestry.com and the National Geographic Genome Project. The National Geographic Web site and report is much better.

[Destin_scot]

Good luck. No experience with any of them but definitely want to hear about your experiences. If you have roots from any where in Europe, I'm pretty sure you'll find Neanderthal genes, (latest research I've heard about says up to 5%), so maybe you're wife has some insight?

[O'Callaghan]

My links to Clan Callaghan are through my mother, so to verify this through DNA we would have to check one of a couple of elderly uncles, while they are still with us. OTOH, there's really no point in bothering them, as she has already traced the genealogy to the 'correct' county (Cork) in Ireland where the clan lands were located, and no reason to think we are in any line leading of succession to the chief. IOW, there's no need to prove that I'm a member of that clan, because I already know I am.

There again, so little is known of my father's family, beyond their immediate origins in London and nearby, that it might prove interesting to test my own yDNA and see what comes up. My mother has been known to joke that my father looks Jewish, and his counter is that he may be of Roman descent, which is not entirely fanciful, as it was the Romans who founded London, ever so long ago. Fortunately, I seem to have inherited her nose rather than his, no offence intended to anyone. I have a common enough English surname, but one that also has Spanish and Italian variants. Of course, in general the English did not have surnames until centuries after the Romans left, even though Romans and Romanised Britons did have surnames. Or maybe my mum is right on where that branch of the family originated. Unknown Jewish origins might be possible to isolate more or less in DNA, Roman origins not so much, or perhaps might not be distinguishable from the former or from, say, more recent Italian descent, but who knows where it might lead. I'm getting ahead of myself with no real data, but anything is possible!

[unixken]

I have a common enough English surname, but one that also has Spanish and Italian variants...

The thing to remember, apart from the fact that surnames didn't always exist, is that any surname we tend to latch on to, was one of hundreds and thousands, of potential ancestral lines. You are one individual with two parents. You have 4 grandparents, 8 great grandparents, 16 great-greats, 32 great-great-greats, and so on. In just one of my family lines, my tree on ancestry.com goes back to my 13th Great grandfather. That individual is one of 32,767 other 13G-parents! And the number doubles with each generation.

[Stan]

I did DNA testing and it was great. My last name is Lackey, and I found out that my ancestors came form a little town named Sterling just north and east of loch lomon. I also found out that my surname is a derivation of the surname Leckie and even though my ancestors migrated about 200-300 year ago, I'm still genetically related to individuals who are from the area.

I also found out that I'm a direct unbroken linage from that first "Adam" Leckie male back in the 1,200's when surnames were first recognizes. It also turns out that I'm (my DNA) a byproduct of viking incursions in 500 AD, as well as ancient Brit (bronze age) Celt . In my DNA there are shows (matches) to individuals still living in Portugal which is significant to a migration to Briton and the UK from Portugal area in 10,000 BC.

I tested with familytree DNA and my results and genetic ancestral lands were fretted out by Dr. (PhD) Tyrone Bowers.

I'd be happy to give you Dr. Bowers info if you (or any one) would like to MP me.

[dutchy kilted]

Thank you all. I will have to do some more research but I have a good place to start.

Hopefully I'll find some plaid in my family quilt.