Can you handle the truth?

If you’ve been tempted to have your DNA tested there are always special offers during the holidays and at other times throughout the year. This is a great opportunity to join the genealogists who have already opted to have some or all of the DNA tests available in order to trace their ancestral origins.
I’m not going to go into a great deal of specifics about DNA because it gets technical very quickly and can’t be covered in the space I have here. There are numerous online sources and books which will allow you to do that. I will say that you inherit half your genes (23) from your father and half (23) from your mother.
Most people begin with what is called autosomal DNA which determines your ethnicity. The results normally come in percentages – 50 percent English, 50 percent Scandinavian, for example. These results are determined by matching your DNA test results against other people’s test results in the company’s database, and if yours matches many people in say Ireland you are determined to be at least part Irish. Naturally, if the company has a small database your results could be limited or even outright wrong. And, keep in mind you are matched against where people live now and that may not be where they and their earliest ancestors originated.
The test itself is easy. Depending on the company chosen, you will either swab your inner cheek for 30 seconds or spit into a vial for a period of time. You will seal these items in a vial and send them off. The test can take anywhere from a month or more and the results will be posted online or sent through the mail.
Often these results will confirm your genealogical research; other times they will contain surprises telling of a heritage you didn’t know about. My own results were backed up by my research except for the 2 percent South Central Asian. I had no idea where that came from but there it was. When I had another DNA test done that tested my female ancestors’ DNA (called mtDNA) it found an exact match in Uzbekistan which indeed is South Central Asia. I still don’t know where that comes in but there it is.
Other people have told me they’ve found Native American, Jewish, or African ancestry and most had no idea at all of these genes in their family tree. Of course, DNA has proven we are all related to each other and we all share common ancestry.
Many people don’t believe their DNA results. A good friend tells me his aunt insists the family is French but the DNA results show no French at all. So, as always I warn people if you would be unhappy with any possible results, don’t take the test.
There are several reliable companies out there and the costs vary. I recommend either FamilyTree DNA or Ancestry.com DNA but there are others. Visit their websites, read up on the procedures, the databases, the types of tests, and if they offer a webinar or written information about DNA be sure to investigate these. Then, send for your kit and wait for the results.
Nancy Battick is a Dover-Foxcroft native who has researched genealogy for over 30 years. She is past president of the Maine Genealogical Society, author of several genealogical articles and co-transcribed the Vital Records of Dover-Foxcroft. Nancy holds a MA in History from UM and lives in DF with her husband, Jack, another avid genealogist. You can contact Nancy at nbattick@roadrunner.com.