My Mother Knew All Along

I have uploaded the raw data from my Ancestry.com DNA test to Gedmatch.com, which lets me find matches with others who have taken DNA tests from a variety of companies. It also gives me tools for genealogy and DNA analysis. 

To get the following numbers, I used one of those tools--an admixture (heritage or ethnicity) utility using the project Eurogenes-13. This is my approximate heritage, as my DNA test revealed. I do like that touch of Siberian!

For a good description and explanation of different Gedmatch admixture utilities, see Finally! A Gedmatch Admixture Guide on the Genealogical Musings blog. 

Eurogenes K13 Admixture Proportions

Eurogenes K13 4-Ancestors Oracle

Looking at the results, I think it's a wonder I don't have a Scottish accent. It pleased me to watch the BBC Scotland crime drama Shetland last night, as the Shetlands are the group of islands just 158 miles from the Orkneys. However, despite my DNA, I still had to turn on the captions to understand the old timers of Shetland.

The map shows how possible historical migrations might have affected the mixture: The Orkney Islands of Scotland ("Orcadian" on my list) lie between Norway and Scotland, so that could be where the Scandinavian part comes in, as ancient populations moved down into Scotland.  By the way, the modern map I've shown implies that one may drive between the islands. I am assuming the mileage-counters are depending on the local ferries.

If you need further proof of my Scottish heritage check out my outfit in the class photo below. It was designed and sewn by my teacher mom, who always remembered picture day and apparently knew all about my ancient ancestral past well before most folks knew much about DNA.