23 August 2012

Why not to do the AncestryDNA test

CeCe Moore, Your Genetic Genealogist, posts a sad story about the DNA arm of Ancestry.com and the heartache they have caused. That would not have happened if, like FamilyTreeDNA and 23andMe, they released the individual's basic data. Withholding one's own data is unconscionable. One wonders whether they have something to hide.
The post also has information about comparing the DNA profiles of particular interest to adoptees and generally in understanding your results compared to others.
Debbie Kennett also has posts on her blog about AncestryDNA with a British perspective, here and here.
Although I've not tested with AncestryDNA I cannot advise others to use the service as long as they continue to withhold individual's basic data.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are you saying that Ancestry don't tell you what your dna test reveals?
I am on the list to have the test because I want to know where my family originated from.
What do they actually tell you?
I wondered why it was only $99 as another place I enquired about a test charge £350.

JDR said...

Take a look at the post by CeCe which includes images of the results presented. What AncestryDNA does not (presently) give you are the raw results saying which of A C G or T you have at the selected locations. You do get their interpretation of what the raw data means and links to people who match. Without the raw data you can't take the results to another site to get a second opinion.