Ancestry's most recent update

[MarcuccioV]

So Ancestry.com recently updated their ethnicity matrix. And it changed SIGNIFICANTLY for me. Compared to prior estimates, it now at least falls closer in line with what all my other matrices have been indicating. The parentheticals are their potential "range" for what your results could possibly be -- the final # is their "best guess":

England - NW Europe: 27% (24-45)
Northern Italy: 24% (20-41)
Southern Italy: 21% (19-46)
Scotland: 20% (2-30)
Anatolia/Caucasus: 3% (0-8)
Wales: 3% (0-8)
Levant: 2% (0-7)

This also fits my research much closer (there is documented German farther back on my father's side, so either it was filtered out through random recombination or got swept up into the NW Europe category).

This estimate FINALLY has my Italian (although I think it's far more southern than northern) and Mediterranean/West Asian at 50% for the first time.

Anyone else notice a stark change in their results with this new estimate..?

[afecad]

Yes, mine changed as well. I would not hang your hat on it as it's all an estimate and the margin of error often is very high. For me, it's now showing Sweden and Denmark and states "Your ethnicity estimate is 13%, but it can range from 0—22%. " I have no documented traditional genealogy from Scandinavia on either side, it's showing on my Father's side, so I'm a bit skeptical. Did get my Mother's side quite accurate though, but the % and estimates are way off, but this also points true that we do not receive the same amounts of DNA from our parents as siblings and % received can vary.

[mjclayton1]

In the latest update, Ancestry finally shows more Italian/Sicilian for me. They only had, like, 4% before, plus the usual minimal Greek, N. African, etc. It was pathetic. Seriously. I have one confirmed Italian grandfather. I have records where he was born (Santa Lucia del Mela, Messina)... and back to my 4th great-grandparents. 23andme has me at 25% Italian. MyHeritage, 22%. Bingo. But until now, Ancestyr was just sooooo off the mark.

Welcome to the real world.

[peeldecent]

Yep, I also had a transformation. Since it's all an estimate with a frequently extremely wide margin of error, I wouldn't put my whole faith in it. I'm a little dubious because neither side of my family has any recorded traditional ancestry from Scandinavia, which is evident on my father's side.

[MarcuccioV]

It continues to evolve. As of the last update (later last year) mine seems the nearest to what my research has turned up. On my father's (non-Italian) side, I have extensive documentation & the estimate aligns very well with the past several gens.

On my mother's (Italian) side, it has refined to Italian & a sliver of Greek, which I can't verify as I can't go back far enough. But it seems accurate.

Their parental division split for me is 100% accurate. I'm waiting for the next update to see if anything changes. Unfortunately, my DNA matches run about 20-25/1 in favor of my father's side, so it isn't really helping my maternal research much...

[maureenfirst]

I have the same situation and it is proving to be very accurate. 15k paternal matches 2k Italian maternal matches with 50/50 split of nordic (paternal) and italian (maternal). All I can do now is wait for more italians to join ancestry!

[MarcuccioV]

I have the same situation and it is proving to be very accurate. 15k paternal matches 2k Italian maternal matches with 50/50 split of nordic (paternal) and italian (maternal). All I can do now is wait for more italians to join ancestry!

Mine is skewed even more drastically: 24,196 paternal, 585 maternal & 1,685 yet unassigned...