DNA @ 23andMe

It took about 8 weeks for the results.  I think it went pretty well.  I still have lots of questions. 

You remember that I did the y-33 chromosome on ancestry for $79 now $149, It gave me R1b group, the 33 y-chromosome numbers and gave me possible relatives mostly that connect to me mostly 29 generations ago, until my newly found (tree) relative did the same y-test and matched exactly, three generation match.

OK, so now with 23andme I have a longer paternal group R1b1b2a1a1, my maternal group is T1a1. 
Just being in a group doesn't mean your related. (They have reading material about each group.)  

It also says I'm part neanderthal ! well !! LOL.
I'm 99.9% European, I've never ever even been there.
0.1% asian, I do like chinese food !  No fish heads or chopsticks.

Health report:     This has been suspended by the FDA
How you react to certain drugs. 
If you are a carrier of certain diseases. 
What is your risk of getting diseases. Nothing embarrassing.

Many potential relatives, almost 1000.

Lots of message boards and some people who know some dna stuff, what are they talking about ?

Ancestry composition
Continents, ethnicity, not too specific.



So now I contact and have been getting contacted by 3rd to 5th cousins, 3rd to distant cousin, etc.
So we connect but where there's no separation of paternal or maternal dna (here), I guess it's back to the trees. genealogy, should we track surnames ?, locations ?, what??.  I guess we're related and that helps.  Instead of doing your family tree and finding relatives, you find relatives and see how they are related (to your family tree?)

It's at least three tests in one, y-chromosome, MTdna and autosomal (called relative finder) but there is no division.  Is it the mother or father's side ?, is it the mother's mother family ?, the mother's father family ?  You won't get definite answers here.  Now it did link my wife and her brother immediately and they didn't know of the relation prior.  They did give me a high risk of a disease which I just realized recently.

The thing that stood out most was even though women can't themselves find their y-chromosome, only by using a male (brother, father, uncle), I noticed the results did show my wife's second cousin once removed on her father's side on the list of related and they did get the category pretty close, 2nd to 3rd cousin.  So I'm thinking this is going to help many women in finding their potential paternal connections too.  Her brother's dna had some same results and did find some extra relatives and some less.

Overall I like the 23andme test. It's not what I was expecting, good or bad but for $99 ( + $10? for shipping).  Once they say your results are available to view it's another week for the relative finder. 


Combined shipping fee for multiple tests to the same address.  Be sure to write down the number on the tube, tracking number on the the return prepaid package and make sure the address is to 23andme.

The price was higher last year so hopefully it will stay this low.  Other companies have lowered their prices somewhat since this new price from 23.  One company has y-12 for $39, probably a waste.



Good Luck if you decide to try it, I hope we're related, or not !