I took a DNA test…Now What?

March 2, 2018

DNA test next steps

You took a DNA test and received your results. So what’s next? The answer to that is…it depends. Depending on why you took the test there are a variety of ideas and tools to get the most out of your DNA results. If you are thinking about taking a DNA test but don’t know which one to choose, here is a good article comparing the top 3 tests.

I break down DNA testers into three basic categories:

  1. I just wanted to find out my ethnicity
  2. I want to use the results to help me build my family tree
  3. I want to map my chromosomes and be able to pinpoint which ancestor each section of DNA came from (aka full geek level – don’t be offended, I fit in here, too)

Depending on where you fit into this range of DNA interest…here are a few tips to help you out. Feel free to skip to the section that best describes your DNA interest.

1. just curious about my ethnicity

Great! You received your results. Were you surprised? Here are a few tips to help you interpret the results:

DNA doesn’t lie. What I mean is that your DNA test will accurately provide you with a list of people who share segments of your DNA. They say that DNA testing is not for the faint of heart…which might be true if your results show close matches you didn’t expect or (as in my case) no matches where some should be. Finding new family through this process can either be rewarding or heartbreaking…depending on your point of view. In my case, I gained family members who I adore and feel like my life has been made better by the results.

If, however, you discover a non-parental event (NPE) in your family tree, because someone you thought was a parent is actually not…you don’t have to work through the shock alone.

The DNA NPE community is a private Facebook support group for those who were surprised to learn through a DNA test that their parent is NOT biological. You can connect with them through the DNA NPE Gateway.

DNA doesn’t lie…but your ethnicity estimate may not be a perfect representation of your paper family tree or oral family history.

What? You just said DNA doesn’t lie.

While your DNA matches accurately portray segments of shared DNA with other people, there is a reason that your heritage results are called an ethnicity estimate. Your DNA ethnicity estimate is calculated by comparing your DNA to large groups of people whose families have lived in one area for generations (also known as a reference panel). If your family is from Europe where people have moved around and intermarried throughout the centuries, then the regional estimate (ie. Europe East or Great Britain) will be accurate but may not pinpoint a specific country or location. 

In addition, DNA ethnicity estimates go back hundreds to thousands of years. Due to family migration and the changes in country boundaries your ethnicity estimate might be different than expected.

In Ancestry’s DNA estimate, France is lumped in with surrounding regions. My French heritage was likely included in the UK and Iberian percentages.

A perfect example is that of French Canadian DNA. When I initially received my Ancestry.com DNA results I was so confused…my maternal grandfather was nearly 100% French Canadian but *I didn’t show any French ancestry, what? After further research I discovered that commercial DNA testing companies (like Ancestry, FTDNA, and 23&Me) are not legal in France…so comparable matches in France are almost non-existent. Ancestry.com lumps French DNA into other groups. My French family is primarily from Normandy and the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions of western France so that DNA was combined with Great Britain and the Iberian Peninsula. 23andMe lumps French and German DNA together. [*UPDATE: Ancestry’s most recent ethnicity estimates are more precise with French and French Canadian estimates]

The good news is that these reference panels change as more data is added, and it is likely that your ethnicity estimate will gain a higher level of detail over time. As of the writing of this article 23andMe just announced they will be adding 120 new regions to their ancestry composition results.

For additional information about how to interpret your DNA results, I recommend reading Donna Rutherford’s DNA FAQ page located here.

One request: Even though your interest in DNA is purely out of curiosity about your heritage, I will throw out a very simple request. If you want to make your distant cousins very, very happy…on whatever site you test with please fill in a basic family tree or list of surnames for the few family members you know….grandparents and great-grandparents, if possible. If one of your family members already has a tree, have them connect your DNA test to their tree. A few minutes of your time will help your family researchers make valuable connections!

2. I want to use DNA results to help with my family tree research

DNA provides an avenue to share genealogical information with distant cousins you didn’t even realize you had. I have broken down several brick walls in my own family tree by collaborating with relatives. (I will give examples of the methods I used to break down walls in a future post.)

Here are my first steps on how to start using your DNA results for genetic genealogy:

3. mapping your chromosomes and a few other helpful tools

If you are new to DNA and genetic genealogy you should start by following the steps in section 2 of this article. Once you learn the basics you may be interested in mapping your chromosomes.

What is chromosome mapping and why would I want to do it? In short, chromosome mapping (aka ancestor mapping) creates a graphic representation of inherited DNA segments on each chromosome. Each segment of DNA is attributed to specific ancestors. (see sample below)

Jonny Perl has developed a new tool called DNA Painter that makes this process much easier than the old method of logging matches in an excel spreadsheet…and it is FREE. His DNA Painter is incredibly easy to use and recently won the DNA Innovation award at Rootstech. If you decide to give DNA painting a try I suggest joining the user group on Facebook located here.

A few other helpful DNA tools:

  • DNA Gedcom-This tool extracts and compares family tree and DNA data from multiple sites and can construct relationships from chromosome data.
  • Genome Mate Pro-This app helps manage data collected from various DNA testing companies and triangulate relationships.

There are many more tools and resources available out there. Hopefully, these links will get you well on your way to maximizing the use of your DNA results.

More about Michelle

2 Comments
    1. I enjoyed reading about the next steps after taking a DNA test. I have been working on several family trees for several years, and I am totally inundated with so many ancestors, that I cannot keep up with some of my family trees. Also, I’m at a road block in my paternal family tree research, so I’m anxious to try the steps you recommend. Beautifully designed website Michelle.

      1. Thank you Jo Ann. DNA has helped me to break down several brick walls in my tree. If you tested through Ancestry, the new Thrulines have made connecting the matches much easier. Best of luck with your research.

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