Ancestry.com ethnicity accuracy problems

[MarcuccioV]

As for skin color, I would guess that is more related to recent ancestry than ancient. Ancient Sicilians were Italiotes (with Carthaginians in the western fringe). I don't know what their skin coloring may have been. I think the olive comes more from the entrance of Greeks, Moors, Arabs and Anatolians onto the island in the intervening centuries.

Some Sicilians are light, an indication possibly of a more Norman mix. It seems some of the darkest Italians are Calabrian, but it appears widespread and varying from about Lazio/Abruzzo south.

Strangely I know more Sicilians with blue or light eyes than from mainland southern Italian backgrounds.

[MarcuccioV]

So, to confuse things further (since I love to do that), these are two of the MTA ancient "deep dives" into my ancestry (top from 23&Me, bottom from Ancestry).

Again, mostly southern & eastern Europe. Granted, "Roman" is a civilization rather than an ethnicity, as well as some of the others.

So based on where these civilizations conquered/migrated, I don't see how I can associate anything but the obvious to any one side. IE: the "Roman" could apply to either side; same goes for Pannonian, Illyrian and Visigoth.

It's seems most of my "ancient" ancestors came out of the Balkans & Eastern Slavic states. They likely split off & migrated both into Western/NW Europe as well as southern Europe.

It's great to know where your ancient ancestry stems from, but how that relates to recent ancestry is about as clear as mud...

[darkerhorse]

Too different for both to be accurate.

[MarcuccioV]

Too different for both to be accurate.

It depends on what SNP's they are using. Even the most detailed DNA tests only use a small percentage of your genome (small pockets spread throughout your DNA that might not be the same ones for different companies, even if from the same general area of your genome). Might explain the ethnicity differences too, except uploads of my Ancestry test to other sites gives a totally different result.

All-in-all I think it takes you to the right neighborhood but doesn't necessarily drop you off at the correct address.

[afecad]

Try livingdna.com, you can upload your DNA for free to compare the results and their database is more centered in Europe because they are based in the UK. Results vary site to site, though I still feel 23andme is the most accurate on region (based on factual data).

LivingDNA just updated the results recently, I show no Southern Italian DNA, only Northern, while there is some truth to this (my family originated from Pisa) it does not show what I know were ancestors who lived in Calabria as far back as the 1800's or earlier. I don't know for sure when they moved south.

% of this and that varies so much you have to take it as estimated only.

[darkerhorse]

I don't see Sicily listed as a separate region for livingdna.

[afecad]

I don't see Sicily listed as a separate region for livingdna.

I only see Sicily via 23andme, all the others I tried do not list it either.

[MarcuccioV]

Try livingdna.com, you can upload your DNA for free to compare the results and their database is more centered in Europe because they are based in the UK. Results vary site to site, though I still feel 23andme is the most accurate on region (based on factual data).

LivingDNA just updated the results recently.

% of this and that varies so much you have to take it as estimated only.

What do you consider "recently"..? I've had my results uploaded to LivingDNA for some time, it's definitely skewed to the UK but does give me a preponderance of southern Italian (including Sicily) over Tuscan (at least as far as the Italian goes). It also indicates some Armenian/Cypriot in smaller amounts.

My ethnicity update from them was last changed in Sept '21 -- around that time I stopped receiving match updates -- it's stuck on the same people (for months now). I had thought maybe their site was undergoing some kind of upgrade or something but I've seen no articles or blog posts about it. How recently was yours updated..?

[afecad]

What do you consider "recently"..? I've had my results uploaded to LivingDNA for some time, it's definitely skewed to the UK but does give me a preponderance of southern Italian (including Sicily) over Tuscan (at least as far as the Italian goes). It also indicates some Armenian/Cypriot in smaller amounts.

My ethnicity update from them was last changed in Sept '21 -- around that time I stopped receiving match updates -- it's stuck on the same people (for months now). I had thought maybe their site was undergoing some kind of upgrade or something but I've seen no articles or blog posts about it. How recently was yours updated..?

They just updated the results in the past few months, (maybe December), if you have not logged in recently, you may want to and update to see if it changes, mind did.

I uploaded Autosomal sometime ago, did not try their Y or MTDNA kit, it may give different results as well.

[MarcuccioV]

They just updated the results in the past few months, (maybe December), if you have not logged in recently, you may want to and update to see if it changes, mind did.

I uploaded Autosomal sometime ago, did not try their Y or MTDNA kit, it may give different results as well.

I log into it daily, yet no updates. I have emailed their support, waiting to hear back...

[MarcuccioV]

LivingDNA basically just regurgitated their FAQ answer that matches depend on participants on their site. I don't buy it. Prior to the update, I was getting additional matches (at least one or two) every few weeks. Not a single one since September.

Every other matrix I've uploaded to gives me new matches at LEAST every couple weeks (nearly daily, in some instances). I find it really hard to believe I have had NO matches on their matrix for 5 months (ESPECIALLY since my father's side is predominantly UK ancestry), but whatever...