The Test is In
So today, the day after Thanksgiving, I receive the results from my DNA test with 23andMe. Logging in I went straight to the “My Results” tab. My hands were shaking a bit. I wondered if there would be an immediate DNA match, perhaps 6-12% or more, with another person on file. I hoped for maybe an Aunt, Uncle, Cousin.
Right in the middle of the page is a color coded circle with the map of the world in the center. In the right column is the “Ancestry Composition” listed by percentage . Ancestry Composition tells you what percent of your DNA comes from each of 31 populations worldwide. This analysis includes DNA you received from all of your recent ancestors, on both sides of your family. The results reflect where your ancestors lived before the widespread migrations of the past few hundred years.
Here are my results: Haplogroup U5a1a1
85.9% European (45% Northern, 33% Southern, includes 12% Iberian)
8.3% Sub-Saharan African (7.3% of it is West African)
5% East Asian and Native American
.8% Unassigned (probably mole people)
(The report breaks the findings out in more detail, for example 1.4% of the European is Italian DNA, but I just included the BIG numbers here. How glorious to see so many regions represented. It’s my DNA and I love it!)
You get a little history about your haplogroup. The U5 group is one of the oldest haplogroups in Europe. Genetic tests indicate it probably arose when modern humans first moved into western Eurasia from the Near East about 40,000 years ago.
The top five countries I share DNA with, my Countries of Ancestry, are Cuba, United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil and Spain, in that order. That’s one hot dish of fish n’ chip! (as in put some salsa on those chips!)
The closest match at this time is a person I share only 0.79% DNA across four segments. This means we are genetically 3rd, 4th or 5th cousins. However, there are over 960 “DNA Relatives”, people that share at least ONE segment with me. The more people I meet and connect with through the social network side of the site, the better my chances of finding a closer match, so stay tuned. Just finding one REAL relative would be amazing.
TOOLS
The coolest tool I have uncovered so far, and there are many tools, is the DNA Melody. What a feeling to have my DNA turned into a short little song! Talk about music in your blood. I shivered the first time I heard it. I had to play it over and over. You can listen to the song played by a “piano”, “guitar” or a “dulcimer”. Those instruments I selected with respect to my DNA origins.
How they do it: 23andMe lab looks at several components of your DNA and crafts a unique melody based on your genotype. Key is determined by maternal haplogroup, Rhythm by the genes that control eye color and height, Pitch by the crazy genes for ear wax and photic sneeze response. (sneeze response!?)
Please visit my SoudCloud account to hear them. Just click on the links to listen.
Click to listen:
This story is just starting.
shannon p. laws 
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