DNA Tests

[navane]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Navane & 1964, I immediately thought of Megan when I read your posts. So often, the very "tribe" to which we think we belong is not indeed ours.

And that is certainly possible. That is why I asked my honorary cousin to take the DNA test. I told him via Facebook the other day, "Even if the test shows were are not blood family, I will always still call you cousin." His response to me was, "heheheh [family surname] is blood family. we are conected but we dont know where and how. we are conectet even with that part they say no we are not conected. yes we are just must find how"

(Specific note to honeychile: The last name you know me by on Facebook is my last name....however, it was not our original surname. Our family name was shortened when my dad was in the first grade. Our original surname is slightly less common.)

Originally Posted by aephi alum

I used Family Tree DNA because my MIL, who is very into genealogy, asked me to do it and paid for the test.

So far it's told me exactly two things.

1. I have Irish ancestry. (Not a peep about my English, Scottish, Indian, or Polish ancestry. My father's whole family is Polish. )

I believe that some companies have tests which are only based off of either the Y chromosome or on the mitochondrial DNA. Those would search the paternal and maternal sides, respectively. If you did an mtDNA test, then you would be looking at your mother's lineage and, therefore, your father's Polish side would not have shown up.

[aephi alum]

Originally Posted by navane

I believe that some companies have tests which are only based off of either the Y chromosome or on the mitochondrial DNA. Those would search the paternal and maternal sides, respectively. If you did an mtDNA test, then you would be looking at your mother's lineage and, therefore, your father's Polish side would not have shown up.

I did their standard kit and mtDNA. I would have thought that the standard kit would have turned up something about my Polish ancestry based on the X chromosome I got from my father. And it doesn't explain why my English and Indian ancestry don't show up.

I do wish I could have gotten a Y-DNA test. But my father flat out refused, and now it's too late.