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Monday, October 12, 2015

Has Our Mozabite Gone To DNALand?



I've been trying out the Beta version of DNA Land and, a new site devoted to scientific genetic research. It also provides some of the same features as the DNA testing companies; such as ethnicity results and matching for those upload their raw data file. Sounds like a very worthwhile project to contribute to. I encourage everyone (especially AncestryDNA customers) to contribute their raw data. Register and upload here https://dna.land/ Full instructions on how to get your raw data, and how to upload it are provided after you register. It's free to use.

When I got my initial results back I thought the Ashkenazi on my father's side had finally been recognized. My Ashkenazi came out to be 17%. After uploading my mother's raw data I discovered that she tested as 18% Ashkenazi/Levantine. A cousin thought that this result might reflect our shared German line. Looking at our family tree our German line represents a small fraction of our ancestry. I don't see it adding up to very much percentage wise. Plus most cousins in this line aren't testing Ashkenazi. At 23andMe my Mom and I have less than 1% Ashkenazi. None of the other companies found any Ashkenazi for either of us (except AncestryDNA did find a trace amount for me only).

For background I should say my maternal Grandmother Graciela Del Castillo was Nicaraguan, and my maternal Grandfather Charles Forgey was primarily Scots-Irish with some German. 23andMe found that trace of Ashkenazi, which it placed on my Grandmother Graciela's side after, in my Mother's results, after phasing. I believe all of the Middle East and Ashkenazi results are from my maternal Grandmother, since these results don't show up in Forgey cousin admixture.

Original Family Tree DNA result Mom
I remember back when my Mom and I first tested with Family Tree DNA we had high percentages of Middle Eastern. In my Mom's case it was said to be Mozabite. It's interesting that her Middle Eastern percentage (from 2013 FTDNA) matched her Ashkenazi/Levantine at DNA Land percentage exactly, at 18%. Family Tree DNA has changed that result to 8%. With 6% Asia minor (quite ancient ancestry probably?) and 2% North African. The 6% Asia Minor probably accounts for some of the 18% Ashkenazi/Levantine. I believe the change in our results at Family Tree DNA is due to the fact they separated out the Mediterranean from the Middle Eastern. Sea travel in the Mediterranean resulted in a great deal of mixing of peoples along the coastline. Also my Spanish ancestors likely lived in the Arabian occupied area of Spain. Spain also had a large Jewish population, which may account for a portion of the results? The Ashkenazi/Levantine results for my Mom and I would not trace to Eastern and Central Europe as shown on the map provided by DNA Land. They are probably tracing back to the Middle East and Asia Minor; farther back in time. I think that Family Tree DNA's 8 percent Middle Eastern is close to correct.

Since DNA Land is in early Beta the percentages might change? I have a feeling Mediterranean roots are difficult to untangle, and are mixed with North African and Middle Eastern. Our Mediterranean percentages are all over the place.

Looking at my Mom's Native American percentage prediction at DNA Land it looks correct. Native American is much easier to distinguish than some other admixtures.

I'm hoping DNA Land will provide information regarding the populations they are using to come up with the percentages? That would be helpful.

PS Spent the day at the beach yesterday. Got sunburned. I'm a little zonked out today. Hope this makes sense?

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