Ancestry?

[James Y]

I've thought about this for awhile, figuring it might be an interesting topic. Let's keep the discussion civil.

What is ancestry, and what does it really mean? As has been seen in many vids posted on YouTube by people who have had their DNA tested, their tests often came up with unexpected results. Who knows just how accurate these tests really are at this point, as I've also heard that different companies' tests have yielded slightly different results for the same persons.

Personally, I have zero plans to have my DNA tested by any of the ancestry sites, as I don't know if they sell information to third parties, such as insurance companies, etc. Or exactly WHO may be given access to it, and for what purposes. Also, because the DNA ancestry companies seem to be spotty at differentiating East Asian DNA.

Is our DNA really that important in how we self-identify, or is our environment and upbringing more important? And how much percentage makes us part of a specific group(s)? I knew a guy who looked 100% European-American, but who self-identified as Cherokee Indian, which is actually not too uncommon in certain parts of the country.

I remember this commercial from several years ago. It made me wonder why, if he really enjoyed wearing lederhosen and German dancing, why would he feel the need to give it all up, just because he found he was 52% Scotch-Irish?

https://youtu.be/2J5n8kzpbCs


Anyone who has read my posts in the martial arts thread will see that although my ancestry is Japanese (which I'll go into later), I've studied, and even specialized in, methods that are not necessarily Japanese, or are not even Japanese at all. If I followed the line of thinking in the video above, I could only do Japanese martial arts, or nothing at all.

We can all be rightfully proud of our heritage/ancestry, and be so without using it to limit, or stifle (or dictate) the types of interests we can have, and the activities we can allow ourselves to enjoy.

Jim

[MacLaren]

Yeah, I dunno man. I think most people in my area are Scotch Irish, English, & German. All those mixed. Lol, pretty good timing for this thread as the annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games just concluded this year. And according to my forum name, I would be Scottish. But, as I've said before, that's just for kicks really. Although, the reason I chose that name is because my cousin regularly attends the Highland Games and is very big into all things Scottish, hence he says we are Scottish and our Clan is Clan MacLaren. Whatever.
If so, cool. If not, that's just fine too. Personally, I think we're more than likely just Scotch Irish.
But, like ya say, who really knows. My wife on the other hand claims she is of German decent. I actually believe she is, especially considering her maiden name. But, she's probably really a little German, Scotch & Irish too maybe? Again, I go back to most people from my area are mainly Scotch Irish, English & German. Typical Anglo Saxons.

[James Y]

Yeah, I dunno man. I think most people in my area are Scotch Irish, English, & German. All those mixed. Lol, pretty good timing for this thread as the annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games just concluded this year. And according to my forum name, I would be Scottish. But, as I've said before, that's just for kicks really. Although, the reason I chose that name is because my cousin regularly attends the Highland Games and is very big into all things Scottish, hence he says we are Scottish and our Clan is Clan MacLaren. Whatever.
If so, cool. If not, that's just fine too. Personally, I think we're more than likely just Scotch Irish.
But, like ya say, who really knows. My wife on the other hand claims she is of German decent. I actually believe she is, especially considering her maiden name. But, she's probably really a little German, Scotch & Irish too maybe? Again, I go back to most people from my area are mainly Scotch Irish, English & German. Typical Anglo Saxons.

Thank you for sharing, MacLaren!

We're all mixed in varying amounts, but I think those amounts are a lot. DNA has been traveling and mixing long before artificial demarcations and borders were established.

AFAIK I'm only of Japanese descent. But my dad's side of the family had an "unusual" look that differs from what most people stereotypically think of as Japanese. He had dark skin, naturally wavy hair, thick eyebrows, plenty of body hair, and the ability to grow a full, thick beard (but he always shaved and had 5:00 shadow/ beard stubble). He also had "European-looking" eyes and facial structure (my mom did too, to a lesser degree). He and my uncles were often mistaken for American Indians when they were young, although I don't know if it's common for tribal Native Americans to have body and facial hair.

I've been mistaken as mixed-blooded by Westerners who spent years living in Japan. Some thought I must either have some Italian or Portuguese mix. Or some type of southern European. I've also been mistaken as Mexican (by Mexicans!). And there have been a few Japanese from Japan who said I didn't look Japanese to them. Which might not be evident in the several pics of myself I've posted in the martial arts discussion thread. I've even had friends who assumed for years (from my appearance) that I was "part white." Which makes no sense to me. This only started happening to me as an adult; as a child, I didn't have a "mixed" look at all.

Historically, there were Portuguese traders and missionaries in Nagasaki in the late 1500s and early 1600s, not too far from Kumamoto, where my paternal grandfather was from. And my grandpa was very tall for a Japanese of his time, over 6' tall (he was born in 1871) But historically, Portuguese generally weren't very tall, either. My grandpa's height was probably just an anomaly.

Personally, instead of European, I believe my dad's side had a higher than normal amount of Jomon DNA. Jomon were the indigenous inhabitants of Japan, of which the only surviving remnants are the Ainu, now mostly relegated to the northern islands of Hokkaido, Sakhalin (once part of Japan, now part of Far Eastern Russia), etc. The rest have been absorbed and mixed with the later-arriving Yayoi, which is the characteristic people think of as "Japanese" or "East Asian." Westerners used to believe that the Ainu were actually Europeans, until recent DNA studies proved them wrong.

Jim

[JRinFL]

I will eventually do the DNS test. I'm no longer overly concerned about how my DNA might be used. Anything doctor's have cut or scraped off of me, not to mention lab tests, probably have been used for who know what already.

But without that test, I have a strong idea that my lineage is mostly Anglo-Saxon mixed with Schwabian\Suebian lines.

[Jim Malone]

I tested my DNA a few years ago.
72% North and West European
27% Scandinavian
0.8% East european
The Scandinavian part is probably from the old Nordic Raiders who raided the Coastal area's in Europe and left their DNA.
The 0.8% East european is suprissing. No idea where that came from. I did some study of my paternal family heritage and they are basically farmers who geographically spread no more then 150km since the mid 1700's till now. Not much of an exotic mixture apart from the large Viking pool.

[JRinFL]

The Vikings ranged far and wide. Russia is named after the Rus. Rus means red or ruddy, as in complexion. They were Vikings who went east and setup trading settlements. It’s possible one of your forebears was in the east or had purchased/kidnapped someone from there. They weren’t nice guys. Over the years the small population was absorbed into the larger population.

[yablanowitz]

I suspect if I had my DNA tested, it would come out looking like someone tossed a globe in a blender and squeezed me out.

[Doc Dan]

Kermit the frog did an ancestry DNA test. It turns out he's a tad Pole.


Sorry! I couldn't help myself!

[James Y]

Thanks for sharing, everyone! This subject is always interesting.

Good one, Doc!

Jim

[James Y]

Ethnic Origin of the Japanese

I highly doubt that anybody else on this forum would care about this video, and it's only a very basic presentation that only goes into superficial details. But it does discuss some of the genetic diversity of Japanese, which most Westerners assume are "all the same." As I mentioned, my dad's side of the family had very heavy Jomon characteristics, even moreso than some of the Ainu in the photographs shown in the video; but our family was from Southwestern Japan (Kyushu and Shikoku islands), not Northern Japan.

I would disagree with the presenter/narrator about how big the popularity is of Japanese in popular culture. Right now, the Asian culture that "everyone" (Gen Z, etc.) the world over are obsessed with is South Korea. K-pop, K-dramas, etc.

https://youtu.be/NqCK46kk4VA

Jim

[Coastal]

`
Mostly Northern and Southern European, plus some Ashkenazi Jewish, West African, and Native American.

My maternal grandparents were both 1st-generation Americans, of German, Scandinavian and various British Isles descent. My paternal grandmother was also a 1st-generation American, born to German immigrants. My paternal grandfather was a Mexican immigrant of French descent.

From the DNA results, it wouldn't surprise me if, many generations ago, I had ancestors on both sides of the slave trade.

[TomAiello]

I'm a lot more interested in the people who actually matter to me than the people who may have donated genes. I've got several adopted people in my family tree, and it doesn't matter to me at all what their 'genetics' are. I trace my family to the people who cared enough to adopt them.

So for me, DNA testing doesn't matter at all.

[TomAiello]

From the DNA results, it wouldn't surprise me if, many generations ago, I had ancestors on both sides of the slave trade.

3/4 of my ancestors came to the United States after the slave trade had ended. The 1/4 who were here before that were southerners, but never wealthy enough to be slave owners.

[Coastal]

From the DNA results, it wouldn't surprise me if, many generations ago, I had ancestors on both sides of the slave trade.

3/4 of my ancestors came to the United States after the slave trade had ended. The 1/4 who were here before that were southerners, but never wealthy enough to be slave owners.

`
Same with me; no wealth whatsoever. I'm talking many generations back, and not so much settlers, more like slave traders and slaves. All speculation, of course, but when West African pops up in your DNA...

[shunsui]

Never did a DNA test. Well I have to say, back in the day, I did have some blood tests done once for an enthusiastic doctor and the guy who took the blood took about three times what I thought he needed, so I'm guessing they probably sent some off to various "projects".

My ancestry basics are pretty clear, one side of my family came from Contae Mhaigh Eo, Éire; and the other side rolled into town from Toscana, Italia.

The Irish side supposedly fled France a long time ago.

I suppose after a couple of hundred years you could be getting just about anything in the mix.

I wouldn't mind getting into some ancestry stuff just for the big picture.

Bottom line though, the body you've got is your ancestors' gift to you.

Each of us is a bit of a work of art, and all of us are lucky to be here.

[Manixguy@1994]

Kermit the frog did an ancestry DNA test. It turns out he's a tad Pole.


Sorry! I couldn't help myself!

You sure jumped on that one ! Dan

[MacLaren]

Tell ya what fellas, it's just amazing how big and strong people are becoming these days.
I mean, we've always had people that are big, fast & strong but, now a days there's just so, so, many more. Of course, our population has grown a lot since the 80's & 90's (I think) ....at any rate, it's like man oh man....

[Manixguy@1994]

On my father’s side my family dates back in the states from England and fought in the Revolutionary War , settling In Pennsylvania and slowing worked their way farming to the Midwest . My Mother’s side were from Germany settling in the Midwest in the 1800’s also in farming . MG2

[shunsui]

Tell ya what fellas, it's just amazing how big and strong people are becoming these days.

Probably the steroids in meat.

https://www.businessinsider.com/inflata ... teroids-12

I remember way back when, Sports Illustrated did a pictorial on the biggest sluggers in baseball. The all had the same build which looked like they were all wearing linebacker shoulder pads.

[ChrisinHove]

Tell ya what fellas, it's just amazing how big and strong people are becoming these days.
I mean, we've always had people that are big, fast & strong but, now a days there's just so, so, many more. Of course, our population has grown a lot since the 80's & 90's (I think) ....at any rate, it's like man oh man....

If you see historic ships, buildings, armour, coffins etc that is really noticeable. Our ancestors were much smaller than us. I have read that well nourished Aussie & US soldiers looked almost like giants when they came to the industrialised U.K. even in WW1.

I have also read that ancient populations were so small, that virtually everyone in the western world could trace their ancestry back to the 9th Century emperor Charlemagne 1 somehow, also that home dna tests are wildly inaccurate: certainly I have known two unrelated elderly gents get precisely the same results.

On the other hand, in the U.K. where still some people are born, live and die in the same area as their forbears, some people I see I can geographically place by their facial features (or maybe they are related to people I know from there, if that isn’t the same thing).

I found A Brief History of everyone that ever lived, by Adam Rutherford a very interesting and accessible book. I also recall my grandfather’s Popular Scientist magazines from the 1930’s reporting eugenics as fact, and we all know where that led.