If you've taken the Family Tree DNA Family Finder test take a look at your Matches result. How many do you have? There are ten matches per page so look at the number of pages and multiply by 10.
The article "Why Autosomal DNA Test Results Are Significantly Different for Ashkenazi Jews" by Paull et al. reports their study sample of 40 Jews had an average 2,777 matches, inter-faith participants with one Jewish parent had an average 1,701 matches and non-Jewish participants averaged 672 matches.
The paper explains this as the result of endogamy, groups where members usually marry with the group. The larger number of matches correlates with an excess number of chromosome segments between 3 and 8 cM for Jews compared to the non-Jewish study group and more matches at the fourth cousin and more distant relationship level.
I have about 1,350 Family Finder matches, just about fitting the pattern as I have one Jewish grandparent.
The article identifies other endogamous groups, "Amish, Armenians, the Basque, Hindus (within their castes). Mennonites, Jehovah's Witnesses and various sub-populations of the Jewish diaspora." I was surprised to find Jehovah's Witness, a relatively recent sect in the list. Not mentioned are populations of relatively isolated islands which would include Icelanders, maybe Newfoundlanders and perhaps Irish with deep roots.
Do your results fit the pattern?
Got my results in last month and I have only 668 matches, so that seems to confirm that I have no Jewish roots. Not to find some that are reasonable close. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have about 440 matches, despite having a Newfoundland-born father. A friend with an Acadian great-grandmother has about 780 matches.
ReplyDeleteI have 620 and my husband has 630.I was surprised to find that my first cousin has 920. I don't know much about her father's side, but maybe there is something interesting there.
ReplyDeleteI have 913 Family Finder matches and one probably great great grandparent who was Jewish. (Not yet found) So it appears I fit the profile.
ReplyDeleteWell, look at that! 600+ for me, 1110+ for my husband who has Ashkenazi ancestors through his great-great-grandfather in his paternal line. My matches seem to include a rather heavy helping of relatives in the American South, despite my being the product of British parents. How long before I run into Ben Affleck's situation? (I hope I'd be a little more brave about it...)
ReplyDeleteI have 495 matches at Family Finder. My brother has 555 matches. My sister has 512 matches.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has 555 matches which is surprising given his American Colonial ancestry. My husband's double second cousin has 425 matches where he shares almost half of my husband's Americans lines including shared great grandparents and shared 2x great grandparents. Another cousin has 476 matches (shared American Colonial and shared great grandparents German ancestry). A 5th cousin of mine has 789 matches with American Colonial, Australian Colonial and British Isles.
However on testing at BritainsDNA my brother has 7% Ashkenazi Jewish but I have not yet located any Jewish ancestry but I am suspicious of the surname Siderfin (my 4x great grandmother). I may yet test at BritainsDNA out of curiosity.
An interesting comparison thank you John.