Showing posts with label Autosomal DNA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Autosomal DNA. Show all posts

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Autosomal DNA Testing and Results- My Ancient And Recent Ancestral Origins


Harrison - Crider Ancestry
Fan Chart
My Direct Ancestors
6 Generations
Above Is My Simplified Compiled Family Tree Chart Based On My Own Research
(Chart Completed Using a Familysearch Tool)


In 2014 and 2015, I completed Autosomal DNA testing with two companies, Ancestry DNA and 23AndMe.  These tests reflect what my Autosomal DNA says about my geographic and ethnic ancestral origins on both the maternal and paternal sides of my tree. I will share a few screen shots from these reports, below.  This blog posts pertains only to those Autosomal DNA testing reports.


(Note: I had previously completed MtDNA testing for maternal ancestry only with Family Tree DNA.  A female can only be tested for MtDNA and Autosomal DNA. As for my paternal ancestry origins; a 4th cousin from my same paternal surname line who is a proven descendant of our common ancestor also provided his YDNA test results through Family Tree DNA and the Harrison Patriarchs Project, which is not the subject of this blog post and will be covered in another post). 

Ethnicity Estimates and Origins Map
Ancestry DNA
(based on my own Autosomal DNA sample and report)


The above map shows the overall ancient ancestral origins of my direct ancestors on both the maternal and paternal sides of my tree, based on my Autosomal DNA testing report completed using Ancestry DNA. The report and map retrieved in my results package online in 2015 indicates that my ancestral roots are 59% Western European, 29% from Ireland, and 5% from Great Britian; with 7% indicated as "Trace Regions". 


British Ancestry- England, Scotland, Wales 

The above map is a subsection of the first map, and reflects my own ancestral roots in England, Scotland and Wales based on my Autosomal DNA report with Ancestry DNA. The report states: "Results map shows 5% for my overall ancient British ancestral roots (England, Scotland, Wales), however this overlaps with the the Ireland ancestral roots map showing 29% overall roots (depending on the generation/ time period, some of that may fall under England, Scotland, or Wales). Primarily located in: England, Scotland, Wales. Also found in: Ireland, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Italy. "


The above map is a subsection of the first map, and reflects my Irish ancestry.  Ireland= 29% overall of my ancestral roots . Primarily located in: Ireland, Wales, Scotland Also found in: France, England.

The above map is a sub-section of the first map and relfects my overal Western European ancient ancestry, based on my Autosomal DNA test and report completed with Ancestry DNA.  Western European ancestry (ancient through more recent ancestry) = 59% of my overall ancestry. The report states "Countries include Scandanavia, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Belgium. Population History: Prehistoric Western Europe- Due to its location and geography, Western Europe has seen many successive waves of immigrants throughout its history. Both peaceful intermingling and violent invasions of newcomers have resulted in a greater diversity in the genetics of the population, compared with neighboring regions. The first major migration into Western Europe is arguably the Neolithic expansion of farmers who came from the Middle East. From about 8,000 to 6,000 years ago these farmers filtered in through Turkey and brought with them wheat, cows and pigs. It is possible, too, that these people could have been the megalithic cultures who erected enormous stone monuments like the famous menhirs of Stonehenge. There were dozens, if not hundreds, of monuments scattered throughout prehistoric Europe, some serving as tombs, others possibly having astronomical significance. Photograph of Stonehenge taken in July 1877 by Philip Rupert Acott. Owned by Tamsin Titcomb. Celtic and Germanic tribes: Although “Celtic” is often associated with the people of Ireland and Scotland, the Celts emerged as a unique culture in central Europe more than 2,500 years ago. From an epicenter in what is now Austria, they spread and settled in the areas of today’s western Germany and eastern France, generally near the Rhine and Danube Rivers. By 450 B.C., their influence and Celtic languages had spread across most of western Europe, including the areas that are now France, the Iberian Peninsula and the British Isles. The Celts either conquered or assimilated the previous inhabitants of the area, and almost all languages and cultural and religious customs were replaced. The only exception, most scholars believe, is the Basque language, which managed to persist in the Pyrenees of southern France and northern Spain. In the early 4th century B.C., Celtic tribes in northern Italy invaded and sacked Rome, setting the stage for centuries of conflict. In the 5th century B.C., Germanic peoples began moving south, from Sweden, Denmark and northern Germany, displacing the Celts as they went. It is unclear what prompted their movement, but it may have been climate related, as they sought warmer weather and more fertile farmland. The Germanic tribes’ expansion was checked by the generals, Gaius Marius and Julius Caesar, as they approached the Roman provinces around 100 B.C. This map shows the expansion of Celtic tribes by 275 A.D. (in light green) from their presumed origin, the Bronze Age Hallstatt culture (in yellow). Dark green areas show regions where Celtic languages are still spoken today. The Romans: After Rome defeated Carthage in the Punic Wars, the Republic had extended its borders to include the entire Italian Peninsula, Carthage’s territories in North Africa, most of the Iberian Peninsula, Greece and parts of Anatolia. It began turning its attention northwest toward the Celtic-dominated region known as Gaul, which more or less covered the area of modern-day France. Part of Rome’s motivation was to secure its frontier, as conflict with the Celts was a chronic problem. Julius Caesar led the campaign to conquer Gaul. A Celtic chieftain, Vercingetorix, assembled a confederation of tribes and mounted a resistance, but was defeated at the Battle of Alesia in 52 B.C. The battle effectively ended Celtic resistance. The Gauls were absorbed into the Roman Republic and became thoroughly assimilated into Roman culture, adopting the language, customs, governance and religion of the Empire. Many generals and even emperors were born in Gaul or came from Gallic families. Vercingetorix Throws Down His Arms at the Feet of Julius Caesar by Lionel Royer. For the most part, by 400 A.D., Western Europe was split between the Roman Empire and the restless Germanic tribes to the northeast. Celtic culture and influence still held sway in parts of the British Isles, and the Basque language continued to survive in the Pyrenees. It is interesting to note that the Basque share genetic similarities to the Celts of Ireland and Scotland, despite being culturally and linguistically dissimilar and geographically separated. While the exact relationship of the groups is difficult to determine, this does highlight the interesting interplay between genetic origin and ethno-linguistic identity. The Migration Period: By 400 A.D., the Roman Empire had been split into pieces. Rome was no longer the heart of the Empire, as the seat of power had been moved to Byzantium in the east. The Romans had begun to adopt Greek customs and language as well as Christianity, which had become the official state religion. Control of the provinces in the west had waned, and Rome itself was militarily weakened. About this time, there was a period of intensified human migration throughout Europe, called the Migration Period, or the Völkerwanderung (“migration of peoples” in German). Many of the groups involved were Germanic tribes, whose expansion had previously been held in check by the Romans. To some degree, the earlier Germanic tribes of the Migration Period, notably the Goths and Vandals, were being pushed west and south by invasions from the Middle East and Central Asia. The Huns swept across eastern Europe, followed by the Avars, Slavs, Bulgars and Alans. These successive attacks may have been a factor in several waves of population displacement and resettlement. Seven large German-speaking tribes—the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, Vandals, Burgundians, Lombards, Saxons and Franks—began pressing aggressively west into the Roman provinces and, in 410, the Visigoths attacked and sacked Rome. The western part of the Roman Empire was rapidly overrun as the invaders swept in, eventually dividing the remainder of the Roman provinces into new, Germanic kingdoms. An anachronistic 15th-century miniature depicting the sack of 410. The Frankish Kingdom- The Franks conquered northern Gaul in 486 A.D. and established an empire under the Merovingian kings, subjugating many of the other Germanic tribes. Over the course of almost four centuries, a succession of Frankish kings, including Clovis, Clothar, Pepin and Charlemagne, led campaigns that greatly expanded Frankish control over Western Europe. Charlemagne's kingdom covered almost all of France, most of today's Germany, Austria and northern Italy. On Christmas Day, 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne “Emperor of the Romans.” This upset the Byzantine emperor, who saw himself as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire, but by 812, he was forced to accept Charlemagne as co-emperor. In 843, Charlemagne's grandsons divided the Frankish empire into three parts—one for each of them. Charles the Bald received the western portion, which later became France. Lothair received the central portion of the empire, called Middle Francia, which stretched from the North Sea to northern Italy. It included parts of eastern France, western Germany and the Low Countries. Louis the German received the eastern portion, which eventually became the high medieval Kingdom of Germany, the largest component of the Holy Roman Empire. Statue of Charlemagne, by Agostino Cornacchini (1725). Located at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican. Division of the Frankish Empire Among Charlemagne's Grandsons, 843 A.D. Charles the Bald Lothair Louis the German- Additional cultures of note: In addition to the Basque in the area of the Pyrenees in southern France, there are a number of other cultures with unique ethnic or linguistic identities in Western Europe. Among them are the Normans of northern France. Descended from Viking settlers who arrived sometime during the rule of the Frankish kings, the Normans controlled a powerful region known as Normandy. Their territories were subject to the French crown, which countenanced them in exchange for protecting the northern coast against other Viking raids. Just to the west of Normandy was Brittany, named after the Celtic Britons who arrived there from the British Isles in the 5th century. Some scholars believe that the migration may have been due to the Anglo-Saxon invasion of England after the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Brittany resisted the Frankish kings and remained independent until 1532. It is one of the few places where Celtic languages are still spoken."


The above chart is from the Autosomal DNA Testing Report that I obtained on myself through the 23AndMe testing service.   While it breaks the results down a little differently than the Ancestry DNA report, the overall results are about the same as far as ancestral origins and regions/ percentages. I'm primarily Northwestern European in origin. 


The above map is from my 23AndMe report on my ancestral origins based on my Autosomal DNA sample provided in 2014, indicating that my ancestral roots are concentrated primarily in the blue and green sections on the above globe of the world (European ancestry). 

The above chart is the Chromosome View of my Ancestral Composition based on the report I obtained through the 23AndMe DNA testing service in 2014. 

All of the above information based on my actual DNA testing is very consistent with the results of my own "old school" research in tracing my family tree.   I have discovered that I have a significant amount of Scottish ancestry, some Irish ancestry, and deep roots in the rest of Northwestern Europe. I am aware from my research that I have lots of German and Swiss ancestry on the maternal side of my tree, as well as some French.   My paternal ancestors were mostly English, Scottish, and Irish with a sprinkling of French. 

Monday, October 11, 2010

NOT SO NEWBIE ANY MORE- DNA "Newbie": A New Genealogy Research Tool For An Old Researcher

Copyright 2015, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

**Updated comments as of 2015:  Since this post was originally published ln 2010, I have done Autosomal and MtDNA testing with all 3 of the major DNA for genealogy testing companies; which is Family Tree DNA, 23AndMe DNA, and Ancestry DNA.  I have also found distant YDNA cousins in my paternal direct line who have taken the test for our mutual Harrison lineage. The testing and results have enabled me to find and network with new DNA cousins who share family history with me within 5 generations, and farther back, on both the materanl and paternal sides of my tree. We have exchanged family tree info. It has not yet been able to provide the clues needed to break down a proverbial "Brick Wall" in my Harrison paternal line 5 generations back, but the YDNA results and participation is the Harrison YDNA Patriarchs project did indicate which other tested lines we are not related to, by comparing our results to the other tested lines. This has proved very useful, as it does eliminate "barking up the wrong tree" and spending time researching lines that we are not actually genetically related to. **

Below is the original post, from when I was truly a "newbie" to genetic genealogy 5 years ago:


Copyright 2010, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

Today I received my Ancestry Family-Finder Autosomal DNA test results and report via email, along with my MtDNA (maternal) results and report. The reports arrived several weeks earlier than anticipated. I checked email this morning, thinking I would spend 15 minutes reading and deleting messages, replying to a couple, and move on to other business. Instead, I have spent the better part of a day, and now well into the evening, trying to decipher my DNA reports. This occasion is momentous enough to warrant this Blog entry. I haven't written in my genealogy Blog in a few weeks, sidetracked as I often am with "life" happening in the here and now. Today is different.

This DNA for genealogy thing is an exciting new world to me. New doors are already opened to explore. Already, I have heard from one of my DNA "matches" via email, before I even had a chance to contact her as intended later tonight. She is inquiring about a mutual ancestral surname that we share: Burgess. She is excited to find a new HVR2 match in me, as am I to find her. We are 3rd cousins; so the reports tell us. We hope to exchange useful family tree information with each other. Now, I just need to learn the significance of what all those HVR2 and HVR1 matches mean. I need to learn about Cambridge Reference Sequence mutations, Halpogroups and sub-groups, and all kinds of scientific stuff. I need to learn to identity myself by my DNA segments and HVR1 and HVR2 mutations when I sign onto the DNA message boards, to hook up with potential "cousins" for shared research. I made a little joke to myself today that it sounds like they are talking about various strains of flu viruses, not their own personal DNA makeup and markers. Soon though, I will have my DNA mutations (sequence of letters and numbers) memorized so that I can rattle it off the top of my head without thinking, like I do my name or social security number. Something tells me this is the wave of the future; and that all of us "genealogy geeks" are the forerunners of a whole new method of identity proof that will become commonplace for everyone in the not so distant future. Our grandchildren will no doubt carry around a wallet card as adults that identifies their DNA markers, right along with their drivers license and social security cards...or maybe their DNA information will be imbeded in a halogram on their driver's license. The new fingerprint: DNA . Already people are worried about security issues with their DNA. (How can someone steal my DNA and pass it off as their own? It seems ridiculous that they might even want to. I don't even worry about it).

Today I have discovered half a dozen "new" potential 3rd cousins who appear to share a significant portion of matching DNA with me; along with a couple of dozen potential 4th cousins and a few potential 5th cousins. We all share varying degrees of matching DNA in various segments. It is hoped this will be a useful tool for breaking down brick walls in my paternal lineage 5 generations back, as well as to help support and prove my maternal lineage several generations back.

I am an experienced genealogist and researcher with about 20 years of "old school" research under my belt. However, I am a complete novice at using DNA as a genealogy tool. I hardly know where to begin. I have narrowed the list of "matches" from the initial report, and will contact a few of them and see where it leads. I hope this puts me on the brink of new discoveries, and proving some theories or disproving some other theories. It does require collaboration and the exchange of information. I am happy to share my DNA results info with other genealogists.

Maybe some of you following my Blog who are proficient genealogy DNA researchers can provide me with some helpful hints. I will record some of my discoveries and blunders in this Blog as I find my path in the DNA world. I think I will need to keep lots of coffee and chocolates handy for the next few weeks as I delve into this new world.