Hi Bill, I've been working with DNA for a number of years now. A couple of thoughts regarding your post. First, when it comes to the "ethnicity estimates," remember that they are just that -- estimates. Each company develops an algorithm to make sense of the data. Some of this is dependent on who is in their database, and how big it is. That said, Ancestry's database is said to be the largest. As more people test and the dataset improves, the algorithms are updated, and the estimates get more accurate and more narrow -- being able to pinpoint smaller regions. But, you will find differences in the estimates between companies, and even with the same company over time as they tweak their algorithm. Here is one article on the subject: http://www.researchjournal.yourislandroutes.com/2018/01/dna-ethnicity-estimates-are-just-that-estimates/ Second, ethnicity estimates are most accurate at the continental level. So, for example, you won't see things like "French," but instead "Western Europe." With roots in Spain, you'd see "Western European' and "Iberian Peninsula" and probably even some UK. We have to remember that between wars and trade, there was a lot of intermingling of people. My Italian roots show a mix of Italian/Greek, North African, Middle Eastern and British. Third, DNA "washes out" with every generation. The saying goes that "Everyone has two family trees -- a genealogical one and a genetic one." For example, perhaps I had one great-great-great grandfather who was Jewish. With every generation, the people in our family will have less and less DNA from him. We will get to the point where the is a generation where some, if not all, of the descendants don't have ANY Jewish DNA. We have the paper trail to show he's an ancestor. Our older relatives have some of his DNA. But, the youngest generation doesn't have any. This is my favorite article on the subject: http://thegeneticgenealogist.com/2009/11/10/qa-everyone-has-two-family-trees-a-genealogical-tree-and-a-genetic-tree/ Finally, the DNA matches are very reliable and of more use to your genealogy research. I'd focus my energy there. One of my all time favorite webinars on using DNA for genealogy is Blaine Bettinger's 5-part series "The Foundations of DNA," which is offered through Legacy. http://news.legacyfamilytree.com/legacy_news/2016/08/foundations-in-dna-by-blaine-bettinger-now-available.html I hope this helps to address some of your questions! Debbie ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2018 07:29:19 -0400 > From: Evelyn and Bill <floridamarbil@gmail.com> > Subject: [NYC-ROOTS] DNA testing > To: jnunnie@frontiernet.net, nyc-roots@rootsweb.com > Message-ID: > <CAK9oFL0oLBcRJhQpJhTMoUOVzX088_QN7T1NhtKr6_Muwg7qKA@mail. > gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" > > In response to the post: > > I have done Ancestry & 23 and Me, DNA testing. > > I was always under the impression I was 1/2 Italian & it did not show = > that on either test.=20 > > Some one told me they only do the =E2=80=9CMother=E2=80=9D side = > =E2=80=93 not the father on these DNA test. > I find that hard to believe =E2=80=93 Is that true?? > > I would like to add that I took the Ancestry DNA test and I could not find > ANY results regarding my mother's side of the family. > > My grandfather was born in Havana Cuba in 1890 and his entire family, all > the way back to the 1700's were Spanish/Cuban. I have copies of the > genealogy proving that, YET.... my DNA results do not show ANY Hispanic > roots. > > Kinda makes one feel that the DNA testing is not as accurate as I hoped it > was. > > Bill Hinkle > > ------------------------------ >