Long-time readers of this blog know that we have reminded our readers that ethnic calculators or heritage estimates based on DNA tests are not accurate. We've posted about the concept here, here, here, and here.
MyHeritage's algorithms remain an utter joke. Horrid, just garbage results.
We've been particularly critical of Ancestry.com for being just awful for anyone from the center of the European continent (Italy, Germany, France, etc.) and been very critical of 23andme too, even though at least 23andme disclosed that it couldn't spot German or French heritage >80% of the time!
Well, Ancestry just changed the dynamic. As we've posted before, we consult for a number of different people with well-documented German heritage, dating to the 1600s in small, obscure, out of the way towns. They have photos, all German cousins, etc. One of them was previously told by Ancestry that he was 50% Swedish, 25% Italian, and 15% British, and 10% We Don't Know. This person, again, is 100% German. This was a bad result before, to say the least.
Well, Ancestry just notified this client that his estimates have changed. This person that they previously told was Swedish and Italian was just changed to: 96% German ("Germanic Europe" which is Germany, Alsace-Lorraine in France, Austria, Switzerland, and far western Poland). This is impressive. Another one of our clients experienced a similar change.
Ancestry.com has stolen the thunder from all the other DNA testing companies. It has found the holy grail of European DNA testing: be able to identify central Europeans.
There are two take aways:
1. Many companies still have it wrong, and the fact that one individual saw such an enormous change in the estimates -- well, as we've said, you should take any result with a grain of salt until the science is 100% ready for prime time.
2. But, as of now, if you're north-central European and want an accurate result, Ancestry.com has rocketed to the top of our list.
Now if only they could improve French and Italians...
