ARTICLE #063

Ethnicity Results can be wrong

2021-08-06 Ellie

(https://dna-explained.com/2013/10/04/ethnicity-results-true-or-not/)

Accuracy of ethnicity test is not always 100%

Ethnicity is a complicated thing to measure. The concept is tied up in sociology, culture, history, and
biology. What people loosely refer to as ethnicity is more accurately termed 'ancestry' because it
measures the makeup of one's family lineage over many generations. Therefore, the accuracy of an
ethnic test can never be 100%. Further, whether or not you would consider yourself 'ethnic' depends
on your background and outlook.

There are different ways to make an ethnic test.

The first is to have a participant take a standardized test (a multiple-choice type) that basically asks
them what nationality they think they are, where their parent comes from, and so on. I'm not talking
about the way someone's parents used to talk of their ethnic status, but the current outlook of their
ethnicity.

The second way is to test the participant's DNA. For example, it can look at the Y (male) chromosome
and see where it most closely resembles another person.
Because there are too many variables with ethnicity, using standardized tests like these are
not 100% accurate. As humans, we are capable of making a decision based on a few pieces of
information the same way machines can't, but machines can take in more information than we can
before coming to their conclusion. But there is another problem with ethnicity tests. The test creators
are not reflective of the people who are taking the test. For example, if your ethnicity is Irish on one
test, it doesn't mean your family's heritage was all Irish. It simply means that one part of your family
shares some genetic similarities with Ireland's current population.

Ancestry testing can be accused of being unpleasant and perhaps even offensive. At least, that's what
the professional organizations say to make themselves appear concerned about their customers'
feelings. It is a very delicate subject to many people and can be difficult to talk about, but it is a reality
in our society.

What I suggest is that you take an ethnicity test, but don't get hung up on the results. Plus, you should
take at least two different tests using two different methods (one genetic and one not) if you want to
get really accurate results.

The thing I will talk about more today is the second way - DNA test. Let me begin by explaining the
concept of DNA.

DNA is a molecule that is passed along to children by its parents. For example, if one of your parents
has brown hair, then there is a high probability that you will have brown hair. Your DNA contains all the
genetic information that makes you who you are as a person.

By analyzing DNA we can make broad or specific claims about ancestry and genetic makeup.

This test does not give percentages. It takes in your DNA information, compares it to similar DNA
information and then creates a report about what ethnic group your DNA is most related to. The
results are often broad statements like "You are 86% Middle Eastern."

These tests are good for getting an idea of where you most closely match another person's DNA. But
it's important to understand that the results can be wrong if they are not comparing your specific DNA
with a similar person (for example, the sample is too small).

There are a number of companies that offer the DNA test service, such as Ancestry.com, Family Tree
DNA, 23andMe and Genographic. A lot of people are reluctant to get an ethnic test. Some think that
they are going to be traumatized by what the results say (they won't), and others just feel
uncomfortable about giving their genetic information away. Each result from those companies can be
differ from the same person. I suggest you visit the companies' websites to compare the test service
they offer and see which one you feel comfortable with.

You can also just go online to do a DNA test yourself. I suggest getting at least two different tests.

For example, for my ethnicity test I did three tests: 1) 23andMe, 2) Ancestry by DNA, and 3) My
Heritage. The main goal is to understand which ethnic group you most closely match your DNA.
These results are most reliable if someone with the same background as you (for example, European)
has done the test. If you are white, get a white person's results; if you are Asian, get an Asian.

The other thing to worry about is that different companies use different types of tests. Some
companies look at specific genes while others look at family records and your history. If you are in the
U.K., the results will be different than for someone in the U.S. The best way to know what to expect is
by getting a different test by a company you trust for your ethnicity. I would also suggest reading other
reviews about ethnicity or ancestry testing to see if the test you are considering is reliable and
accurate for someone of your background (for example, English).

The results given to us by these companies are not absolute. For example, let's say that you test as
80% Irish. It does not mean that you are only 80% Irish and the other 20% is made up of other ethnic
groups. The 40% figure is just a way to show how that group compares statistically with all of the
other people who have DNA tests.

Why the results can not be the same?

1. Perhaps some of the genealogy is incorrect. This is probably the case, because a DNA test will
be done by people. If they don't know what they are doing, then the results will be incorrect.

2. The second answer is time. The vendors are likely with different measures, inventories of time.
For example, 23andMe compared your DNA to their database which was mostly recent people, while
My Heritage instead compared you to a database of European people. These tests differ in how far
back they go. 23andMe goes back about 700 years, and My Heritage goes up to about 3 thousand
years ago.

Falsely attributed ethnicity is not always a bad thing, in fact often it's not. It can allow one to learn
about underappreciated parts of themselves and a common bond that crosses races. Ask yourself:
why would someone want to have false ethnicity? To feel as if you are part of a group, to belong, or
for superficial reasons.

The only way that you can find out for certain what your ethnic background is is by taking an ancestry
test. But be careful because the results can be wrong if they are not comparing your specific DNA with
a similar person of the same race.

It’s difficult to determine which of the matching populations are more recent and which are
less recent. Let’s say you have German ancestry. It may be that your ancestors have been in
Germany for several generations, or perhaps you are one-or-two generations removed from an
ancestor born in Germany.

If your DNA was compared with a database of people who are second-generation or later
descendants from Germany, it might be hard to determine exactly which region of Germany your
ancestors came from. More recent German populations are found in the north of Germany, including
places like Hamburg and Berlin. However, it may be that your ancestors were actually from the south
of Germany, which was part of the Holy Roman Empire (much like America was part of the British
Empire).

You also need to be careful when choosing whether to use a "near-ground" or "near-tree" setting. The
former is good for finding more recent connections, and the latter is better for finding deeper ancestry.

Another thing to be aware of is that small populations can form their own cluster. For instance,
you might find that Ashkenazi Jews form a cluster on your DNA test and you thought the test was
showing a connection between Ashkenazi Jews and European-Americans. This may be because of
something called endogamy, or marrying within a specific ethnic or religious group.

3. The third answer is that the same ethnic group can have different locations depending upon
the person. For example, some people who are Caucasian in America are Caucasian on their tests
even though they may be from very different parts of Europe (one of your ancestors could have been
from Germany, another from Greece).

4. One person can get a different result than another for similar reasons as listed above with respect
to false ethnicity. Initially, what is to be inferred by France or Germany? And when do you need to
consider these comments? A common misconception is that when you see "French" on a DNA test, it
means that your ancestors were from France. This is not the case. You can be French and have
Germanic, Italian or British ancestry. The tests are only guessing.

5. The fifth answer is focus. Their business IS genetic genealogy and DNA testing. So of all these
vendors, they can least afford to have upset clients and are therefore the most likely to be the most
vigilant about the accuracy of their testing, the quality of the tools and results provided to customers.
23andMe is one of the most popular companies for DNA testing. They give you your overall ancestry
through percentages. You can find out which percentage of your DNA is from Africa, Europe, Asia,
Oceania, and the Americas. They also provide information on your family back five generations. That
means that 23andMe can tell you which part of the world your great-great-grandparents are from by
looking at that one piece of their DNA.

Summary

I think in some way all of them are probably correct, excluding Ancestry. I have absolutely no
confidence in Ancestry’s results based on their track record and history, lack of tools, lack of
transparency and frustratingly poor quality. Given the high level of error that has been produced in the
past by one or more of these services, I would be very cautious of the conclusions about any branch
of my family tree that has been determined by companies that have admitted to errors in their testing.

Please be aware that this is a very partial list and there are other DNA companies and testing
platforms based less on fraud than on scientific evaluation of your results.

The science behind DNA testing is still young, and there may be problems with the way a
company interprets your DNA information. However, these companies are trying to make their
results as accurate as possible.

When I first started looking into DNA testing I thought this would be a good way to find out about my
ancestry and heritage. But after doing some research, I have changed my mind. It can do more harm
than good and you shouldn't have an opinion about something until you understand it better.

So what should we as consumers do today?

Personally, I think we should file this away and use it the moment it is useful to us. I think we should
look at it as a display of possibilities. We should not over-interpret these results. Let it be a starting
point, not the end.

Still, I think we should also be aware of the fact that because of this new technology that everyone is
using these days, there are companies and tools that are trying to make money off these genetic
matches.

The information above is the product of research by Genealogy by the Numbers with considerable
input from others.