Can DNA reveal what "races" you are made of ?

Question

I am half Italian, part Dutch, American Indian (Native American),
Hessian German of Revolutionary War period when the English used German Mercenaries, Irish, and who knows what else.?

Generally of European extraction >>> a "white boy" as a rough and crude description.

Can DNA be used to determine blood lines ?

Is there any other method to determine blood lines ?

Thanks,

dave

Answer 1

DNA on the Y chromosome can be used to trace your line in a rather general sort of way. It is mostly capable of linking you (or proving that you are NOT linked) to a particular family. It only works for Y chromosomes, which are passed from father to son practically intact, so it only works for males; a woman who wants to trace her line can get DNA from a blood-related male of the same surname (i.e., since I'm female, I'd have to get a DNA sample through my father or cousin who is the son of my father's brother, since I don't have an brothers).

Tracing a woman's ancestry is tougher; that has to be done through mitochondrial DNA (which can be done for a male as well if he is interested in his matrilineal DNA); that won't generally trace to a particular surname, since women historically haven't kept their birth names for many, many generations, but often CAN trace to a particular part of the world, so it has the potential in some senses to trace MUCH futher back.

Before you spend the bucks on this (it is NOT cheap), check with the DNA project to make sure that someone in your family hasn't already done this - if a brother or cousin has already traced your family name, then you'll get the same results.

Answer 2

Hi Dave
I have had my DNA done through Genebase in Canada and I was very surprised by the results.
My father was half Italian and half English and my mother was Half Irish & Half (She seems to think) German. So I knew I was a mongrel!!
When I got the results, I found that thousands of years ago my blood line came from Finland! Not a bit what I expected.
There seems to be two types of tests that can be done - both expensive. The one I had done was the cheapest that they offered. It gives the general pattern of migration (which is interesting) back from the year dot practically. I could only have the mtDNA done as I am female. If you are a male you can have Y-DNA done and apparently you get a lot more info.
Cost seems to be between about £150 for the bog standard one & £850 for a "super DNA" depending on which company does it. You can find them on the internet.
I am not an expert on this but I hope that this helps you.
Regards
Barbarella

Answer 3

Nope.

Those aren't races anyway. What you can do with a male yDNA genealogy test is determine where your surname falls among others of the same surname at certain genetic markers. That can be useful to determine which "Smith" (to pick a name) you're genetically related to. Or not. You can read more about it at familytreedna.org. You do get a haplotype report with the test, that is 'deep DNA' that might give an idea what dominant population your ancestors were a part of before the end of the last ice age 10k years ago.

Answer 4

Ja. Meiner Meinung Nach DNA Kann Es Erklaeren Lassen.

Answer 5

Y dna is passed from father to son only.

Mitochondrial dna is passed from the mother to both her sons and daughters but only the daughters pass it on to their children.

Most of your DNA is autosomal and you get it 50 50 from both parents. Autosomal is used to determine a person's group and to an extent the origin of their ancestors.

Also autosomal is used to determine paternity of a a female.

Answer 6

I think DNA can be used to trace our ancestors. As scientists can pinpoint where various populations came from, and that all seem to come from a common woman "Eve".

Answer 7

This question is cool as hell, but I think if we found a magical way to do this it would only serve to divide us. It certainly wouldn't bring people together.

Answer 8

no and your are not of a race anymore you are all mixed up