By Brianne Kirkpatrick, MS, LCGC
Whether it’s a mother <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/mother-son-meet">finding her son</a>, or a daughter <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-customer-stories/this-fathers-day-is-their-first/">finding her father</a>, or <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-customer-stories/seoul-sisters-and-brothers/">brothers and sisters meeting</a> for the first time, stories of adoptees using DNA testing to connect to their biological family are profoundly moving.
But DNA testing is also profoundly powerful because it can give adoptees —and their children and grandchildren — an opportunity to discover health risks they might not learn otherwise.
<h2>Tools for Adoptees</h2>
Whether it is uncovering unknown health risks or finding family, DNA testing is a powerful tool for adoptees. Here are some of the ways DNA testing can help adoptees:
<ul>
<li>Identifying genetic family — “Do I have biological relatives who might be interested in connecting?”</li>
<li>Exploring ancestry —“What’s my ethnic background?”</li>
<li>Learning about genetic health risks —“What could a DNA test add to what I know about my medical history?”</li>
</ul>
At-home DNA testing has surged in popularity in recent years, with well over 12 million kits sold at 23andMe. The boom in DNA testing comes at a time of other societal shifts in the world of U.S. adoptions. A <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s3419">New York State law</a> went into effect in 2020, enabling adult adoptees access to their original birth certificate. Many other states have already made the change, and others will be expected to follow in the future.
The reasons behind a search for biological relatives are unique in every instance. On top of a search for information about biological origins, interest in the health information that can be gleaned from DNA also grows. More uses are available for DNA testing in the medical sector each year, ranging from the prescription of medications to the prediction of who is at higher risk of developing certain cancers.  
<h2>Types of Information to Come from At-home DNA Tests</h2>
23andMe offers direct-to-consumer <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27264 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/33111270506_6cdfd74444_k-1-e1563554749812.jpg" alt="" width="1054" height="859" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/33111270506_6cdfd74444_k-1-e1563554749812.jpg 1054w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/33111270506_6cdfd74444_k-1-e1563554749812-300x244.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/33111270506_6cdfd74444_k-1-e1563554749812-768x626.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/33111270506_6cdfd74444_k-1-e1563554749812-1024x835.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/33111270506_6cdfd74444_k-1-e1563554749812-880x717.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1054px) 100vw, 1054px" />might choose from:
<ul>
<li>Ancestry + Traits Service</li>
<li>Health + Ancestry Service</li>
<li>VIP Health + Ancestry Service</li>
</ul>
The options all use the same type of testing&#8211;genotype analysis&#8211;and look at markers that give information on ethnic ancestry, DNA relatives, select traits influenced by genetics, and certain health-related* reports.
<h2>Whether (and When) to DNA Test?</h2>
Just like non-adopted individuals, people who are adopted have needs as unique as their DNA. There is no one test or one reason for testing that fits all. Even the right time to order a DNA test varies from one person to the next.
23andMe puts customers in control of deciding what information they want to learn and what information they want to share. Customers also have a choice to opt-in to research or other features throughout the product. But those considerations are up to each individual. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28657 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/lock.0a035f691712.svg" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads//2020/12/lock.0a035f691712.svg 150w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads//2020/12/lock.0a035f691712.svg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads//2020/12/lock.0a035f691712.svg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
No one else can tell you what’s the right decision, and <a href="https://www.23andme.com/">DNA testing</a> doesn’t assure that all your questions will be answered. Consider a kit from 23andMe as another way to gather additional information if you’re adopted and have gaps in your information about your past or health.
If someone is looking into getting a kit for another person, for example, adoptive parents who might be looking into testing for a child, keep special considerations like age and preparation in mind. A specialist like a genetic counselor would be a good fit for considering the ins and outs (and the whether and when) of DNA testing in these situations.
<h2>DNA Testing that Matches Family Members</h2>
All of the 23andMe service options allow you to opt into family tree features, DNA Relative Finder, and Automatic Family Tree Builder. These features are of interest to those seeking genetic family, whether or not they have built their own family tree. These tools are not mandatory for customers, and customers can choose to opt-in and opt-out at any time.
A chat feature and choice over automatic notifications of new matches gives customers control of when and how they choose to pursue a search for DNA relatives and how they communicate with others.
<h2>Adoptees, Health Information, and Reports Offered by 23andMe</h2>
Family health history is often a cornerstone of every medical record. It adds another dimension to a person’s health profile, giving doctors and patients alike the information they can use to manage their health. But for many adoptees, their health history is a mystery.
For most of her life Shellye, a 51-year-old mom in Texas said she had no idea about her
family’s medical history.
“At doctors’ visits when I have to answer questions regarding family history I always wrote not applicable because I’m adopted,” she said.
It wasn’t until her 19-year-old daughter suddenly died from a pulmonary embolism that Shellye wanted to learn more. Her 23andMe report showed she had the factor V Leiden mutation putting her at a higher risk for blood clots.
<h2>Talking to Your Doctor</h2>
Your doctor understands the value of family history and genetic risks and is left wondering how to fill in the gap in those situations when your full history is not available. This can be frustrating for everyone. 23andMe can begin to fill in the gaps by providing information about your risk of being a carrier of recessive conditions.* It allows you to choose whether to receive more information like the risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.* Although not a full picture of a person’s genetic risk, some information is available.
What about health information for you if you are outwardly healthy? A number of adult adoptees have found DNA testing helpful even if they have no particular medical concern in mind. If you are having health issues, you and your doctor should be aware that DNA testing at 23andMe is not diagnostic or a substitute for clinical testing that is diagnostic in nature. If you are having medical symptoms, talk to your doctor about what testing is best for your individual situation.
<h2>Final Thoughts on DNA Testing for Adoptees</h2>
Like in the story of an adopted son and birth mother connecting as a result of a 23andMe test, a DNA test can’t predict the relationship that might follow. As Doug, a 23andMe customer and adoptee, said, “Just go into it with an open mind.”
There is the potential for valuable information to be gained from DNA testing in adoption situations. Be willing to have open conversations with your family, your medical providers, and others. If you are an adoptee and are in contact with your biological family, try to gather what you can about your family medical history. Consider that information a complement to a DNA test.
<div id="attachment_28650" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28650" class="wp-image-28650 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image001-300x267.jpg" alt="Brianne Kirkpatrick" width="300" height="267" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image001-300x267.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image001-1024x911.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image001-768x683.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image001-880x783.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image001-1180x1050.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image001.jpg 1596w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Brianne Kirkpatrick, MS, LCGC</div>
Brianne Kirkpatrick is a genetic counselor and DNA consultant. She is the founder of <a href="https://www.watersheddna.com/">Watershed DNA</a> and the author of the book DNA Guide for Adoptees. An alumnus of Indiana University and Northwestern University, Brianne is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, American Board of Genetic Counseling, American Counseling Association, and International Society of Genetic Genealogy. She lives in Crozet, Virginia with her husband and their three children.
<hr />
<h2>Disclaimer</h2>
*23andMe health predisposition reports include both reports that meet FDA requirements for genetic health risks and reports which are based on 23andMe research and have not been reviewed by the FDA. The test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks. It is not intended to diagnose any disease. Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. Each genetic health risk report describes if a person has variants associated with a higher risk of developing a disease, but does not describe a person’s overall risk of developing the disease. The test is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatment. Our carrier status reports can be used to determine carrier status, but cannot determine if you have two copies of any genetic variant. These carrier reports are not intended to tell you anything about your risk for developing a disease in the future, the health of your fetus, or your newborn child&#8217;s risk of developing a particular disease later in life. For certain conditions, we provide a single report that includes information on both carrier status and genetic health risk. For important information and limitations regarding each genetic health risk and carrier status report, visit <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/">23andme.com/test-info/</a>

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

DNA Testing Fills in Gaps for Adult Adoptees 

By Samantha Ancona Esselmann, Ph.D., a 23andMe Ancestry Product Scientist
The <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry">genetic ancestry testing</a> industry† is younger than Facebook.
Since the mid-aughts, around 35 million people have “done their DNA,” and as we chew on our own results, the industry struggles to keep up with an evolving understanding of identity in a genomic era. There’s a lot of learning and adjusting that’s happening in real time.
I’m still learning, too.
I’ve learned that it’s essential that Direct-to-Consumer DNA testing companies be clear about the differences between DNA, ancestry, and identity. And, for this <a href="https://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/about/">Native American Heritage </a>Month,‡ I decided to share what I’ve learned about how these concepts impact not only the lives of Indigenous American individuals but also the sovereignties of Indigenous Nations. 
Identity is complex, and the discussions raised in this post are intended to amplify the perspectives of individuals from North America with Indigenous ancestry. In Mexico, Central America, and South America, Indigenous ancestry is more common than in North America, and their perspectives on how DNA does or does not relate to cultural identity are distinct. Furthermore, the adoption of Indigenous children presents a different set of issues related to identity and ancestry that are not explored here.
Whether or not you have “Native American DNA,” it’s essential to understand what it means — and doesn’t mean — to find evidence of this ancestry in your DNA.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-32806 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Map-of-Indigenous-American-Reference-Panel-1024x786.jpg" alt="A map of the Americas that shades in where 23andMe customers with Indigenous American ancestry come from." width="1024" height="786" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Map-of-Indigenous-American-Reference-Panel-1024x786.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Map-of-Indigenous-American-Reference-Panel-300x230.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Map-of-Indigenous-American-Reference-Panel-768x590.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Map-of-Indigenous-American-Reference-Panel-880x676.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Map-of-Indigenous-American-Reference-Panel-1180x906.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Map-of-Indigenous-American-Reference-Panel.jpg 1249w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h2>What it does mean</h2>
<ol>
<li>With some degree of statistical confidence, some sections of your DNA match a limited set of Indigenous American reference individuals more closely than they do other global reference populations.</li>
<li>Suppose information about a possible Indigenous American ancestor is new to you. In that case, you can be excited about this ancestry and use it as a starting place to learn more about the diverse Indigenous histories of the Americas respectfully. However, your test result should be viewed cautiously in the context of the technology’s limitations.</li>
</ol>
<h2>What it does not mean</h2>
<ol>
<li>You cannot use these results to seek or confirm membership in a Tribe or Nation. These tests simply do not provide enough information to confirm this kind of affiliation. Tribal enrollment processes use genealogical evidence of kinship, not genetic ancestry test results.</li>
<li>It doesn’t mean you should start identifying as Native American based on the results of a genetic ancestry test.</li>
<li>It doesn’t mean you can claim Native identity and then use genetic ancestry testing to “confirm” it.</li>
<li>It doesn’t mean you can go to your Native American friends and say, “Hey, guess what? I took a DNA test, and it turns out I’m Native American, too!”</li>
</ol>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-32813 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Kim-Tallbear-Quote.jpg" alt="A quote from Kim TallBear's book." width="723" height="531" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Kim-Tallbear-Quote.jpg 723w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Kim-Tallbear-Quote-300x220.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px" />
<h2>Keep in Mind</h2>
If that last point is confusing, perhaps you have a frame of reference that can help you empathize: Would it rub you the wrong way if someone who never lived in your hometown told you they identified as being from there?
Being Native American isn&#8217;t just about having Indigenous American ancestry. It&#8217;s about being part of a culture&#8230;part of a community with shared beliefs, histories, and experiences. And no matter where you’re from, biology is ultimately not how group membership is determined.
Just as countries outline their own processes for obtaining citizenship, many Indigenous North American Nations, Tribes, or Bands determine enrollment based on many factors, such as documented descent from enrolled ancestors. While some Indigenous Nations have used DNA to ascertain close familial relationships (e.g., paternity tests), genetic ancestry estimates like those conducted by 23andMe are not used to determine enrollment.
<h2>Cultural Connections</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-32809" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Criteria-for-Enrollment.jpg" alt="A list of some of the criteria for enrollment in a Indigenous American Tribes or Nations." width="1536" height="989" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Criteria-for-Enrollment.jpg 1536w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Criteria-for-Enrollment-300x193.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Criteria-for-Enrollment-768x495.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Criteria-for-Enrollment-1024x659.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Criteria-for-Enrollment-880x567.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Criteria-for-Enrollment-1180x760.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1536px) 100vw, 1536px" />Today, many people with Indigenous American genetic ancestry have no cultural connection to Native communities. 
There has been a centuries-long, systematic erasure of Indigenous Americans that began with slaughter and continued through the 20th century in the form of cultural assimilation. In North America, the U.S. and Canadian governments <a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/dawes-act.htm">partitioned Native lands</a>, incentivized Native people to <a href="https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/indian-relocation.html">relocate to cities</a>, and compelled Native families to send their children to <a href="https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/IPS_Boarding_Schools.pdf">residential schools</a> far from home, where diseases spread like wildfire, abuse was commonplace, and expressing one’s Native culture was forbidden. For many, the psychological wounds of these institutions are still raw: the last residential school in Canada closed in the 1990s, and many boarding schools continue to operate in the U.S., though attendance is no longer mandatory.
<h2>Identity 
</h2>
Around one million 23andMe research participants, including many who don’t identify as Indigenous, have evidence in their DNA of having an Indigenous American ancestor. 
In 2015, 23andMe published a <a href="https://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(14)00476-5">study</a> showing that over 5% of our research participants who identify as African American have at least 2% DNA predicted to most closely match an Indigenous American reference population (and 22% are estimated to have at least 1% of this DNA). While self-identified European Americans are generally less likely to have Indigenous American genetic ancestry, the numbers vary widely from one state to the next: as many as 8% of European American customers from Louisiana carried at least 1% of this genetic ancestry.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-32810 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Self-Reported-European-American-with-NA-ancestry.jpg" alt="A map of the US showing concentrations of European Americans with Native American ancestry." width="1539" height="904" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Self-Reported-European-American-with-NA-ancestry.jpg 1539w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Self-Reported-European-American-with-NA-ancestry-300x176.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Self-Reported-European-American-with-NA-ancestry-768x451.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Self-Reported-European-American-with-NA-ancestry-1024x601.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Self-Reported-European-American-with-NA-ancestry-880x517.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Self-Reported-European-American-with-NA-ancestry-1180x693.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1539px) 100vw, 1539px" />
<h2>The Unexpected</h2>
Many of our customers expect to see evidence of Indigenous American ancestry in their DNA but don’t. 
This is among the most common customer complaints we receive, and there are a few reasons why this could happen. As a result of genetic recombination — the process through which DNA is randomly shuffled between generations — the further back in your family history you look, the less likely you are to have inherited DNA directly from every single one of your ancestors. For example, there’s a roughly 5% chance that you inherited zero DNA from a 5th-great-grandparent.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-32811 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Grantree-for-Inheritance-NA.jpg" alt="An illustration of how ancestry is inherited from grandparents, to parents to child." width="898" height="641" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Grantree-for-Inheritance-NA.jpg 898w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Grantree-for-Inheritance-NA-300x214.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Grantree-for-Inheritance-NA-768x548.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Grantree-for-Inheritance-NA-880x628.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 898px) 100vw, 898px" />
This means that you can be directly descended from someone indigenous to the Americas without having any DNA evidence of that ancestry.
<h2>Family Stories</h2>
But, there’s another reason someone might not have “Native American DNA”: In North America during the 19th and 20th centuries, white settlers or their descendants sometimes misattributed an ancestor as Indigenous. This may have been to justify a more native-born “Americanness” or to absolve one’s family of blame for colonialism, and these stories are still passed down through families to this day.
If your family has a story like this but no documentation, it doesn’t necessarily mean those stories are wrong and don’t make you a bad person.
<h2>The takeaway</h2>
Whether or not you have “Native American DNA,” your genetic ancestry may not be consistent with your cultural identity. You can celebrate and reflect on what your results can tell you about your genetic ancestors but understand that falsely claiming a romanticized Native identity based only on that evidence can be deeply offensive to people whose identities, experiences, worldviews, and cultures are shaped by being Native American. Its cultural appropriation <a href="https://qz.com/805704/columbus-day-cultural-appropriation-white-americans-need-to-stop-assuming-native-american-culture-belongs-to-them-too/">stems from colonialism</a>.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-32808 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Kim-Tallbear-Quote-2.png" alt="" width="716" height="590" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Kim-Tallbear-Quote-2.png 716w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Kim-Tallbear-Quote-2-300x247.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 716px) 100vw, 716px" />
I leave you with this: Indigenous peoples are modern peoples 
It’s a simple but essential point.
While it may be easy for you to think of Indigenous peoples as living in the past or to imagine them only in their ceremonial regalia, festooned with intricate beadwork or wearing elaborately feathered headgear, this perception of them does not capture the whole picture of who they are and how they think of themselves today.§
<h2>Learn About Indigenous Culture</h2>
There are countless respectful ways you can engage with Indigenous cultures, and here are just a few:
<ul>
<li>Experience <a href="https://native-land.ca/">Native Land</a> — a resource that “creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together.”</li>
<li>Follow Indigenous creators on Instagram or TikTok (start by exploring #Indigenous or #Native hashtags).</li>
<li>For Native American heritage month, Amazon Video and PBS are highlighting movies and documentaries featuring Native American voices.</li>
<li>Read the work of the incumbent United States Poet Laureate, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Harjo">Joy Harjo</a>, an enrolled member of the Muskogee Tribe.</li>
<li>Browse <a href="https://americanindian.si.edu/online-resources/exhibition-websites">online exhibitions </a>at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian</li>
<li>Check out the 45th annual <a href="https://www.aifisf.com/">American Indian Film Festival</a>, which ran November 6 &#8211; 14, 2020, or attend the <a href="https://nmai.brand.live/c/nativecinemashowcase">Native Cinema Showcase</a> November 18 &#8211; 27, 2020</li>
</ul>
To dig deeper into this topic, I recommend reading “<a href="https://kimtallbear.com/pubs/how-identifying-native-americans-is-vastly-more-complicated-than-matching-dna/">Native American DNA: Tribal Belongings and the False Promise of Genetic Science</a>” by Kim TallBear.
Have other resources? Share them in the comments below.
Thank you to all of you who continue to grow and learn with us, and thank you for being passionately curious about the world and the diverse stories of the people close to you and those further away.
<hr />
*Did you notice that “Native American DNA” in the title of this piece is in quotes? Krystal Tsosie, a Navajo (Diné) geneticist and bioethicist at Vanderbilt University explains why the phrase is problematic: “It biologically reifies the idea that DNA can be intrinsic to an ethnic group.” Additionally, the term “Native American” is considered U.S.-centric (First Nations people of Canada do not refer to themselves this way), and the phrase is rooted in colonialism: “America” comes from Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian navigator and merchant. For these and other reasons, Tsosie emphasizes, “We, as Indigenous scientists, use the term &#8220;Native American DNA&#8221; to highlight these limitations, but do not consider it a legitimate phrasing.” In this post, the terms “Native” and “Indigenous” are used interchangeably, and “Native American” is the name 23andMe has used for its reference panel for the Americas to date. 
† In 2007, 23andMe became the first autosomal genetic ancestry test available to consumers. However, limited Y chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA analyses were available to consumers before 2007. 
‡ Native American Heritage Month is celebrated during November in the U.S. Canada celebrates National Indigenous History Month in June.
• Even indigeneity is a modern category and people may not understand themselves in this way. For example, modern “Indigenous” Europeans would most likely identify as “European” rather than “Indigenous European.” Colonialism has forced such distinctions between Indigenous peoples and settler colonizers.

What it means to have “Native American DNA”*

Improved accuracy. Less uncertainty. Better science.



We like to call 23andMe’s Ancestry Composition a living analysis of your DNA that gets better and more granular over time as more people from different backgrounds become customers.



This fall, we’re upgrading to that analysis to improve accuracy and reduce the number of “unassigned” and non-specific ancestry assignments. But, some 23andMe users may see some pretty significant shifts in their results. For example, many should expect an increase in their most common ancestry proportion and a reduction in their broad ancestries. The end of this post includes a summary of some of the most common ways in which 23andMe users’ results will change.



In parallel with this 23andMe upgrade to the Ancestry Composition analysis, we&#8217;re updating our reference dataset for our recent ancestor locations feature, so you might see your recent ancestor locations and match strengths change as well.  



This is all part of our ongoing efforts to improve our customer offerings. It’s worth looking back at what we’ve done since 2008 when we first started offering customers a breakdown of their ancestry.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-look-back">A look back</h2>



A lot has happened in the past 12 years. Millions of individuals have joined 23andMe, and ongoing research efforts have helped us understand more about genetic diversity worldwide. 23andMe has also made great strides in improving the underlying algorithms and reference populations we use to deliver these results. In 2008, we divided ancestry into three main categories: African, European, and East Asian. Since then, we&#8217;ve offered a series of updates where we refined those original estimates into more and more granular results. Now, customers can discover if their DNA traces to more than 2,000 regions worldwide.



When we update the algorithms or the reference populations used to predict your ancestry, your results are expected to change. That’s why we call Ancestry Composition a living analysis of your DNA. Mostly, these changes should be minor and hopefully provide you with more detail about <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">your ancestral origins</a>. Like almost everything we do, these changes are based on science, and we want to be transparent about our actions. That’s why each time we make an update, we share it in our &#8220;Change Log,&#8221; which can be found at the bottom of the <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/details/">Scientific Details</a> section of your Ancestry Composition report. If you want even more detail, you can look at our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry-composition-guide/">Ancestry Composition Guide</a>, or for those with a science bent, check out our White Paper.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-the-most-recent-update-to-ancestry-composition-nbsp">More about the most recent update to Ancestry Composition&nbsp;</h2>



Since 2014, 23andMe has added or expanded dozens of reference populations, but the core Ancestry Composition algorithm has remained almost completely unchanged. Until now.



In 2020, our R&amp;D team developed a new approach that dramatically improves accuracy while reducing unassigned and nonspecific ancestry. This update is a significant part of our latest 23andMe upgrade.



To understand what’s changing, let’s first review the basics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-simple-step-by-step-guide-to-ancestry-composition">A simple, step-by-step guide to Ancestry Composition</h2>



Step 1: Assigning



First, in our Ancestry DNA update, we separate the customer’s genome data into small segments, similar to train boxcars. Each boxcar contains data for about 300 DNA markers, out of the total of over 650,000 markers we test on our genotyping chip. By dividing 650,000 by 300 DNA markers, we get approximately 2,000 boxcars.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="228" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Boxcar-image-300x228.png" alt="An illustration of compring DNA to reference populations" class="wp-image-28574" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Boxcar-image-300x228.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Boxcar-image.png 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure>



For each of those 2,000 DNA boxcars, the algorithm picks the most closely matching genetic population out of the 45 we currently have in many head-to-head match-ups.



But this first step is noisy and prone to error, especially if someone has ancestry, say, from two neighboring populations. If an assignment is made to each boxcar without considering the neighboring boxcars, then the algorithm is missing useful information about ancestry segments extending across several boxcars.



That’s where the next step comes in!



Step 2: Smoothing



In our Ancestry DNA update, the next step of the algorithm is called “smoothing” because it makes the results from the first step less noisy. In this step, we use information from neighboring DNA boxcars to make a more informed decision about the most likely ancestry of individual boxcars.



Let’s say a boxcar seems to match Sudanese ancestry, but many of the surrounding boxcars match Ethiopians with high confidence (Sudan and Ethiopia are neighboring countries). The smoother uses that information to adjust the prediction for that middle boxcar and assigns Ethiopian instead.



Or, say there’s a stretch of boxcars that don’t match Ethiopian or Sudanese with high confidence. Here, the smoother can “zoom out” to a broader population called “Northern East African,” at which point it will be highly confident in that assignment.



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="449" data-id="28575" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sudanese-to-Ethiopian-Image.png" alt="An illustration of refining to more specific regions." class="wp-image-28575" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sudanese-to-Ethiopian-Image.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Sudanese-to-Ethiopian-Image-300x263.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="475" data-id="28576" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Northern-East-African-Image.png" alt="An illustration going from Ethiopian to Northern East African" class="wp-image-28576" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Northern-East-African-Image.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Northern-East-African-Image-300x278.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure>
</figure>



What Are DNA Markers?



DNA markers are specific sequences in the genome used to identify genetic differences between individuals or populations. These markers play a crucial role in genome data analysis by helping scientists match genetic data with reference populations accurately.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-what-s-special-about-this-update-to-ancestry-composition">So, what’s special about this update to Ancestry Composition?</h2>



In our Ancestry DNA update, our R&amp;D team realized that we could significantly improve the second step—smoothing—which would dramatically enhance the accuracy of people’s results.



Previously, the models used in the smoothing process were trained using the genomes of thousands of customers. (&#8220;Training&#8221; a model means setting its &#8220;dials&#8221; based on a dataset so that it can make the most accurate predictions.) These pre-trained models were then applied to each new customer&#8217;s genome. In practice, this step was prone to over-generalizing, which customers saw as results with higher levels of unassigned ancestry or non-specific ancestry, such as “Broadly Southern European.”



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="219" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Smoothing-Illustration-45-populations-300x219.png" alt="An illustration of the steps for smoothing using 45 reference populations" class="wp-image-28577" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Smoothing-Illustration-45-populations-300x219.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Smoothing-Illustration-45-populations-1024x749.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Smoothing-Illustration-45-populations-768x561.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Smoothing-Illustration-45-populations-880x643.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Smoothing-Illustration-45-populations-1180x863.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Smoothing-Illustration-45-populations.png 1547w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure>



It was analogous to estimating an individual’s salary based on statewide salary data. But what if we could estimate that individual’s salary based on data from their specific zip code? So, the R&amp;D team developed a new approach that trains a custom smoother model for each customer, avoiding the over-generalizations of the previous approach. This custom smoother model still reduces the noise across DNA boxcars and produces Ancestry Composition results that are, at the same time, more accurate and more specific.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-will-customers-results-be-affected-by-this-update">How will customers’ results be affected by this update?</h2>



While customers with ancestry from certain parts of the world will be affected more by this update than others, everyone should see some adjustments to their Ancestry Composition.



We understand that changing results can be confusing, but Ancestry Composition is a living analysis, and this update reduces uncertainty and improves accuracy for most customers.



Here are some trends in how customers’ results are changing:&nbsp;



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Many customers, in particular customers with ancestry from Central &amp; South America, could see a significant reduction in the amount of their unassigned ancestry.</li>



<li>Many customers could see a significant reduction in the number of their broad ancestry assignments, such as “Broadly Northwestern European.”</li>



<li>In general, we should now be better able to confidently assign more of your most common ancestry. For example, if you have primarily British &amp; Irish ancestry, you may see your British &amp; Irish percentage increase with this update.</li>



<li>Many customers will see a drop in the number of their trace ancestry assignments.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancestry-specific-changes-general-trends">Ancestry-Specific Changes (general trends)</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="697" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/What-Changes-Illustration-1024x697.png" alt="This is a matrix of some of the changes in this update" class="wp-image-28578" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/What-Changes-Illustration-1024x697.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/What-Changes-Illustration-300x204.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/What-Changes-Illustration-768x523.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/What-Changes-Illustration-880x599.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/What-Changes-Illustration.png 1090w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>







Keep in mind that these are general trends, and changes in your own results may be very different from the changes shown here.



Example customer changes:



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="561" data-id="28580" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry-1024x561.png" alt="Before and After comparison with Native American Ancestry
" class="wp-image-28580" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry-1024x561.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry-300x164.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry-768x421.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry-880x482.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry-1180x647.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry-271x149.png 271w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry-372x204.png 372w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry-574x315.png 574w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry-980x537.png 980w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Another-Before-and-After-comparison-with-Native-American-Ancestry.png 1283w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="373" data-id="28579" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/An-example-of-before-and-after-Anestry-Composition.png" alt="An example of before and after Ancestry Composition
" class="wp-image-28579" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/An-example-of-before-and-after-Anestry-Composition.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/An-example-of-before-and-after-Anestry-Composition-300x219.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure>
</figure>



Visit your <a href="http://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition">Ancestry Composition report</a> to see your updated results.



This update is only available to customers on our genotyping platform&#8217;s most recent version (Version 5). You can check which version you are on near the bottom of the “Personal Information” section of your <a href="https://you.23andme.com/user/">profile settings</a> page.

The 23andMe Ancestry Algorithm Gets an Upgrade

Since 23andMe’s Neanderthal Ancestry report was first released eight years ago, new scientific discoveries have enabled 23andMe to identify previously unknown associations between Neanderthal DNA variants and certain traits. 
While most people have a relatively tiny percentage of Neanderthal DNA, our ancient cousins are a big part of the human story. Now we’re celebrating that ancient DNA in a big way with the release of an even more detailed Neanderthal Ancestry report.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/macbook-pro-stock-mockup@2x-1024x649.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-28102" width="1024" height="649" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/macbook-pro-stock-mockup@2x-1024x649.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/macbook-pro-stock-mockup@2x-300x190.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/macbook-pro-stock-mockup@2x-768x486.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/macbook-pro-stock-mockup@2x-880x557.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/macbook-pro-stock-mockup@2x-1180x747.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h6>A Brief History of the Neanderthal Ancestry Report</h6>
Since the Neanderthal genome was sequenced for the first time in 2010, scientists have learned a lot more about how these ancient hominins lived, and how their DNA may affect us today. These studies have even given us insight into human migration out of Africa. Most recently <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)30059-3">we learned</a> that modern humans may have left the continent 200,000 years ago, much earlier than we thought. Since 23andMe first started offering Neanderthal ancestry insights in 2011, many new discoveries have been made that we’d like to highlight. 
But this series of recent scientific discoveries aren’t the only driving force behind this update — we also listened to all the customer feedback and questions we’ve received over the years. We appreciate all of the Neanderthal nerds who asked for more features, suggested new stories, and shared their own experiences.

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/blog_image-1024x315.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-28100" width="1024" height="315" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/blog_image-1024x315.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/blog_image-300x92.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/blog_image-768x237.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/blog_image-880x271.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/blog_image-1180x363.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> 
<h6>What’s New in this Update </h6>
All the Neanderthal report features our customers know and love — their Neanderthal Ancestry percentile, Connections leaderboard, and ancient history stories —  are still included in the report. Now, customers will also see more than double the number of Neanderthal trait associations, including brand new trait associations, some of which are exclusive to customers on a v5 chip.  We’ve also added three new social share cards for your Neanderthal results as part of the ultimate ancient DNA conversation starter pack. 
In addition to giving the Neanderthal report a whole new look and feel, we’ve simplified customers’ results for clarity and added new stories to help bring humans’ ancient Neanderthal ancestors to life. 
 
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/neanderthal_desktop_v2_1.2-copy-1024x464.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-28103" width="1024" height="464" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/neanderthal_desktop_v2_1.2-copy-1024x464.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/neanderthal_desktop_v2_1.2-copy-300x136.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/neanderthal_desktop_v2_1.2-copy-768x348.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/neanderthal_desktop_v2_1.2-copy-880x399.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/neanderthal_desktop_v2_1.2-copy-1180x535.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
The Science Behind the Report</h6>
Research suggests that 1-2 percent of the genomes of all modern humans with European, Asian, or Native American ancestry are of Neanderthal origin. (A <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)30059-3">recent study </a>suggests that people of African ancestry also have a very small amount of Neanderthal DNA, a surprising finding that suggests modern humans migrated out of Africa much earlier than we thought, intermixed with Neanderthals, and then some migrated back to the continent.)  Scientists at 23andMe further noticed that several Neanderthal DNA variants are associated with traits in 23andMe customers. To do this, scientists combined and analyzed data from 23andMe’s database of genotyped customers who have consented to participate in research through web-based surveys. The team was then able to identify associations between Neanderthal DNA variants and human traits like the likelihood of sneezing after eating dark chocolate, sense of direction, mosquito bite frequency, body type, dandruff, or being naturally strong, among others.
&nbsp;
Many of these new Neanderthal trait associations were identified from DNA variants that are only found on 23andMe’s v5 chip. A customer will need to upgrade their chip if they’re on a previous version in order to see all of the new possible Neanderthal trait associations. 
&nbsp;
“So much about Neanderthals have been discovered over the last decade, and we’re really starting to understand that they were probably a lot like us,” said Samantha Ancona Esselmann, Ph.D., the 23andMe product scientist behind the new report. “23andMe has a unique opportunity to highlight some of those exciting new discoveries to help bring our Neanderthal ancestors to life.”
<h6>What’s changing for existing customers?</h6>
If you are on the most recent version of the 23andMe genotyping chip (called “v5”), you can expect your Neanderthal DNA variant count and percentile to change with the most recent update. That’s because we improved the way we count your Neanderthal variants. Now, our analysis does a better job identifying Neanderthal ancestry in non-European populations and provides you with a more representative estimate of your Neanderthal ancestry compared to people from around the world. 
Customers on earlier versions of the genotyping chip should see no change in their number of Neanderthal DNA variants, but they may see a small percentile change reflecting the most up-to-date analysis.
Not a 23andMe customer yet? <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">Buy a kit </a>to start learning all about your own Neanderthal DNA and more. If you’re already a customer, you can share your updated Neanderthal results and fun facts with share cards to post on your favorite social media channels. 
&nbsp;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/iphone-x-mockup-scene@2x-2-1024x768.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-28105" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/iphone-x-mockup-scene@2x-2-1024x768.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/iphone-x-mockup-scene@2x-2-300x225.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/iphone-x-mockup-scene@2x-2-768x576.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/iphone-x-mockup-scene@2x-2-880x660.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/iphone-x-mockup-scene@2x-2-1180x885.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />

Celebrate your Ancient DNA with a New Neanderthal Report

Much like when I hesitated over opening my health results, I, surprisingly, also felt a mix of nerves and anticipation about learning my ancestry results. 
After all, DNA has the power to bust through family myths and long-held identities of who we are. 

<h6>Opening Up My Ancestry Results</h6>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Percentages.png" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-28118 size-full" width="283" height="512" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Percentages.png 283w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Percentages-166x300.png 166w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 283px) 100vw, 283px" />I was raised knowing I had deep roots in the American South and German ancestors that moved from Prussia to Buffalo, NY in the 1800s. But mostly, I was raised passionately Scottish. How Scottish? My parents took photos of my brother and me as babies in wee kilts. My brother went to a bagpipe camp and played in a bagpipe band. We helped organize the local Highland Games and we even made a pilgrimage to Scotland to view headstones and church plaques that had our last names carved into them. 
&nbsp;
Fortunately, my 23andMe Ancestry Composition results confirmed that I was indeed partly Scottish, but it also showed I had an equal percentage of English, German, and Irish ancestry. There were even small amounts from regions in Scandinavia,  Spain, and Portugal, as well as western Asia and northern Africa. 
&nbsp;
I was surprised to see that my 23andMe is even able to pinpoint the very regions in some countries that my genetic ancestors most likely lived as well as a timeline of when ancestors lived in those countries. 
&nbsp;
Indeed, the Scottish and German ancestors were the most recent immigrants to America so in some ways, it made sense that those cultural identities held the most weight in my family lore. But, having never identified with the other heritages felt like a slight to those branches of the family tree. There is a unique satisfaction in having a more complete picture.
&nbsp;
<h6>My DNA Relatives</h6>
As my DNA had revealed surprises in where my family is from, I braced myself to learn who I was related to via the site’s DNA Relatives feature. 23andMe even warns you about this before you opt-in to participate in DNA Relatives, letting you know you might learn something unexpected.
&nbsp;
My results didn’t reveal any family secrets, fortunately. They did, however, help us solve one family mystery. More on that in a minute.
&nbsp;
DNA Relatives connects you to other 23andMe customers, who have also opted-in and with whom you share DNA, looking at how much DNA you share and the length of the segments of DNA, 23andMe can predict how closely you are related. 
&nbsp;
But beyond the first few close family members, I knew on my DNA Relatives list, 23andMe matched me to literally hundreds of much more distant relatives, I don’t know at all. I recognized hardly any last names. 
&nbsp;
But I wanted to learn more about these genetic cousins, so starting with those who shared the most DNA with me, I clicked through names in the hopes that they had filled out their profiles, listing birthplaces or surnames I might recognize.
&nbsp;
In one profile, I discovered someone who had listed the last name I’d heard before. It was a name that was bounced around in family discussions as the possible last name of my great-grandmother who was adopted. Sure enough, my DNA relative listed my nana’s birthplace as a birthplace for his family members. 
&nbsp;
I messaged him through 23andMe and it turns out his great-grandfather and my great-grandmother were brother and sister. He even had photos of the two together, arm and arm in front of their childhood home as adults. We had always assumed that she had no ties to her birth family after what was likely a traumatic separation from her parents. But clearly, that wasn’t the whole story. It gave me joy learning that she and her brother had had a relationship during their adulthood. 
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Timeline.png" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-28117" width="600" height="220" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Timeline.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Amanda-Timeline-300x110.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></h6>
<h6>Exploring More</h6>
Within the first week of opening my results, other DNA relatives seeking answers to mysteries in their own family trees were sending me messages. Just like me, they were looking for information to fill in the connections in their family trees. One woman, who said a certain branch of her family refused to accept her as a relative, was able to find a common ancestor with me that proved her relation to them.
&nbsp;
As a result of these discoveries, and the rush of finding answers to mysteries that may have endured for centuries, I began pulling down old family bibles that listed births, marriages, and deaths to paint a fuller picture of extended family trees. I soon fell down the rabbit hole of genealogical research – finding evidence of both slave owners and abolitionists, loyalists and patriots fighting against each other in the Revolutionary War. I know from our own family stories that we have ancestors who were members of the original 13 colonies as well as others who immigrated through Ellis Island. 
&nbsp;
Some believe DNA testing might be used as a way to further an “us vs. them” mentality. But what I found was quite the opposite. I suddenly felt related to everyone and living in a world where everyone feels like family is a good feeling. 
Amanda McCorquodale is a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in Gourmet, Miami Magazine and Mental Floss. She previously worked as an associate editor at the Huffington Post and as an Arts and Culture Editor at the Miami New Times. She lives in New York with her family. This is the third and last part of the series. You can read <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/23andme-how-to/taking-the-leap-into-my-dna-part-i/">Part I here</a>, and <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-customer-stories/taking-a-leap-into-my-dna-part-ii/">Part II here.</a>

Amanda McCorquodale

Taking a Leap Into My DNA: Part III

23andMe is boosting the way you see your family connections with a new feature. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Tree-Overview-e1582841796172-300x183.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-28065 size-medium" width="300" height="183" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Tree-Overview-e1582841796172-300x183.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Tree-Overview-e1582841796172.jpg 708w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The feature, Family Tree, will automatically start your tree based on your list of DNA Relatives. With a new algorithm, 23andMe’s Family Tree predicts how you might be connected to your genetic relatives, so you don’t have to start from scratch.

“23andMe’s service strives to help customers explore their family ties, known and new,” said Hilary Vance, Family Tree product manager at 23andMe. “We hope our new Family Tree will make understanding your relationships easier than ever, so our customers can focus on what’s important — connecting with family.” 

<h6>Quickly see the big picture</h6>

According to a recent study conducted by 23andMe researchers, more than 50% of respondents wanted to learn more about their family history and family tree from a DNA test. Despite the high awareness and interest in family trees, very few people play an active role in developing their own tree, as 52% of respondents cited difficulty to create and not knowing where to start as the main barriers to creating one. 

With <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/ancestry/family-tree/">23andMe’s Family Tree</a>, users can see at a glance how family members are related to each other, with very little initial manual work.

To start your Family Tree, opt into DNA Relatives to see and be seen by your genetic relatives on 23andMe. Then, the Family Tree’s algorithm populates a tree in one go with your predicted genetic relatives, so you can get a head start figuring out whether cousins and other relatives are on your mom’s or dad’s side of the family.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/tree@2x-1024x354.png" alt="" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-27798" width="1024" height="354" />
<h6>How to edit relationships and add family members</h6>

The Family Tree algorithm offers a best guess at what your family tree could look like, but it’s only a starting point.

For example, upon first look, a second cousin may be in the wrong spot by a generation. If you see an unexpected relationship on your tree, we provide resources to help you understand the available DNA evidence and edit the prediction if needed.

Using different editing tools, you can move individual people and groups of relatives elsewhere in the tree. If a relative hasn&#8217;t participated in 23andMe&#8217;s services, you can still represent them by adding information about additional relatives to your tree.

Fill in your story by adding details about your ancestors, such as a name, photo, and place of birth. You can send a message to a relative on 23andMe, who may offer you more information to fill in the gaps.

<h6>More on the way </h6>

In the coming months, customers will see improvements and updates to the Family Tree. 

&#8220;Throughout 2020, our team will be hard at work bringing new Family Tree features to make building your family story easier than ever,” Vance said.

The joy of genetic testing is that it can introduce people to new relatives. But sometimes it can be challenging to determine how, specifically, they’re related. Take some of the guessing out of building your family tree, and let 23andMe get you started. 
&nbsp;
Want to see your Family Tree? Check it out on the Family &amp; Friends page of your account, or <a href="https://store.23andme.com/en-us/cart/">buy a kit</a> to get started.
&nbsp;

23andMe’s Latest Feature Automates Genetic Family Trees

By David Silverberg
During Christmas three years ago, when Doug Clarke and his wife exchanged 23andMe DNA kits as gifts, he had no clue his life would be irrevocably changed.
<div id="attachment_27957" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-27957" class="size-medium wp-image-27957" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PatriciaDoug-e1580924652355-300x231.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="231" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PatriciaDoug-e1580924652355-300x231.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PatriciaDoug-e1580924652355.jpg 666w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Doug and Patricia after meeting in Santa Cruz for the first time.</div>
The 54-year-old Lexington, Kentucky resident always long known he’d been adopted and he wasn’t searching for his birth parents. Rather, he took the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/en-ca/howitworks/">23andMe test</a> to find out if he was at risk for certain health conditions.
But when the results revealed that a relative lived in New York, Doug reached out to him and found out this man was his cousin. Doug’s newfound cousin told him, “My aunt, Patricia, is your mother.”

<h2>A New Family Relationship</h2>
Within weeks, Doug was on a plane to Santa Cruz where his birth mother lived. It had been a tough year for Doug: he lost his father months before taking the DNA test, and the two had been very close growing up.
“To find my birth mother helped ease that sting of losing the father who raised me,” Clarke said in an interview.
Meeting his birth mother at a lighthouse near Santa Cruz proved to be the catalyst for a new relationship he never thought he would find.
“There’s literally no way I would have met my mother without 23andMe,” Doug said.
Patricia and Doug joined 23andMe for a special Mother&#8217;s Day event in 2018 where we chronicled their story in a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaGUyrlp9ac">video</a>: 
<iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XaGUyrlp9ac" width="966" height="543" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
<h2>Spending Time</h2>
But it’s the relationship that the two have formed since that initial meeting, that has been the true gift. Their story of building a bond that has only grown since that first meeting is something they both have worked at nurturing. Now they talk every week on Sundays and spend holidays together. They have merged their two families allowing them to gradually become acquainted.
It’s been a blessing for Patricia Johnson, Doug’s birth mother. For years she felt shame and guilt for giving her son up for adoption.
“I always wondered if my baby was going to be OK, if he was doing well,” Patricia, 79, said. “But now that I know him and have seen what a great man he’s become, I no longer feel that guilt.”
In fact, Doug has been there for her during unfortunate mishaps, like when she suffered a fall and endured a compression fracture in her spine in December 2019.
“And who was there to take care of me after the long plane ride from Kentucky? My son,” she said. “He did my laundry, cooked for me, and applied those IcyHot patches on my back.”
Patricia saw a lot of similarities between the two even at that initial meeting.
“Our eyes are the same for sure, and we make the same hand gestures,” she said. “Even our likes and dislikes with food and music are the same!”
<h2>What New DNA Relatives Should Expect</h2>
It’s not just Doug she’s bonded with but his family too.  Patricia is gradually getting to know Doug’s wife Lisa, his daughter-in-law, his sister, nephew, and brother-in-law. For his part, Doug is in touch with his half-sister and cousins, aunts and uncles from Patricia’s side of the family.
Doug cautioned that adoptees should temper their expectations if they reconnect with their birth parents via 23andMe or other methods.
“Don’t think the heavens will open and angels will start singing and you’ll have the perfect relationship,” he said. “Just go into it with an open mind. And if you don’t go through with it because you’re scared, you might have missed out on an opportunity of a lifetime.”
Patricia is often quick to share her story of reuniting with her long-lost son, so much so she even inspired someone randomly.
When her WiFi connection malfunctioned, a technician came into her home to fix it. The two began talking and Patricia said she:
“Got all blubbery and told him about Doug and what happened and what this DNA test gave me. He told me he is also adopted and just as he was walking out the door he said ‘I think I’m going try 23andmMe and look for my parents.’ And I said, ‘Honey, do it! It’s worth every cent you have!’”
David Silverberg is a freelance journalist and content creator who regularly contributes to BBC News, The Washington Post, Business Insider, and Gamespot. He is also a theatre artist and wrote about his Jewish heritage in his new solo show Jewnique. Find him at<a href="http://davidsilverberg.ca"> DavidSilverberg.ca</a>

A mother and Son Fostered New Relationship

Five short stories about the genetic history of Western Europe — from the Celts to Charlemagne.



You probably have some Celtic ancestry (but don’t dig out your bagpipes just yet)



<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
<h6>Did you know?</h6>
<code style="display: none;"> 
</code><code style="display: none;"> 
</code><code style="display: none;"> 
</code><code style="display: none;"> 
</code><a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition/french_german/">French &amp; German</a> ancestry doesn’t only reflect ancestry from France or Germany. It also represents ancestry from one of the predominantly French or Germanic- speaking countries of Europe, including: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and Switzerland.
</div>



Near the dawn of European written history, Greek scholars recorded the existence of the Keltoi, or <a href="https://www.ancient.eu/celt/">Celts</a> — advanced Iron Age tribes with roots near the headwaters of the Rhine and Danube rivers in the Alps.



In the 19th century, finely wrought gold, bronze, and iron artifacts from an early Celtic society were discovered in the Austrian Alps. These artifacts hint at wealth and a facility with metalworking that may have aided in the rapid expansion of the Celts across Europe.



By the <a href="https://www.ancient.eu/celt/">3rd century BCE</a>, there were Celtic-speaking peoples from the British Isles to the Black Sea.&nbsp;



So, you probably inherited some Celtic-like DNA even if your family never lived in the British Isles, but it’s old&#8230;really old.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="276" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/celtic-expansion.jpg" alt="Map of Celtic Origins in Europe" class="wp-image-28132" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/celtic-expansion.jpg 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/celtic-expansion-300x162.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure>







<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nbsp">&nbsp;</h6>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-europe-belonged-to-caesar">When Europe belonged to Caesar</h6>



After fending off frequent attacks from the Celtic tribes of Gaul (the heart of which is now France and Belgium), Julius Caesar and his Roman legions decided to remove this Celtic threat for good.&nbsp;



In 58 BCE, Roman troops led by Caesar began a series of devastating military campaigns to subjugate the Celtic tribes and secure the western bank of the Rhine River—a natural barrier against the restless Germanic tribes to the east. By 51 BCE, Gaul fell to Caesar.



Over the next 500 years, Latin became the lingua franca in Gaul, and Celtic languages found refuge along the Atlantic fringe of Europe.&nbsp;



Despite this massive cultural shift, genetic <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26387712">evidence</a> suggests the Romans from Rome didn’t leave much DNA behind in Gaul.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="237" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Roman-Empire-300x237.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27965" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Roman-Empire-300x237.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Roman-Empire.jpg 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-german-tribes-go-south">German tribes go South</h6>



Ever heard of “Francia”? The “Frankish Kingdom”? The “Franks”?&nbsp;



It’s fine if you haven’t, but you might have a genetic connection to them.



After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE, the Franks — a federation of Germanic tribes led by Clovis I — wrested control of Gaul from the Romans and Visigoths, marking the founding of Francia (the Frankish Kingdom) and the beginning of the Merovingian Dynasty.&nbsp;



Germanic-speaking precursors to the Franks and other Germanic tribes are thought to have originated in southern Scandinavia over 3,000 years ago, expanding further and further south into formerly Celtic and Roman territory. Recent <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26387712">studies</a> found evidence that the widespread migrations of Germanic peoples between the 4th and 6th centuries (called the “Migration Period”) had a more significant impact on northwestern and central Europe’s DNA than did the expansion of the Roman Empire. 



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27967 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FrenchGerman.png" alt="" width="512" height="216" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FrenchGerman.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FrenchGerman-300x127.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></h6>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-spirit-of-francia">The Spirit of Francia</h6>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-did-you-know-nbsp">Did you know?&nbsp;</h2>



23andMe’s “French &amp; German” ancestry falls roughly within the historical bounds of the Frankish Kingdom—Francia—as it existed in the early 9th century under Charlemagne.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="365" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Francia.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-27968" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Francia.jpg 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Francia-300x214.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure>







And, speaking of Charlemagne&#8230;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-you-could-be-descended-from-charlemagne-king-of-the-franks-nbsp">How you could be descended from Charlemagne, King of the Franks&nbsp;</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="512" height="216" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Charlemagne.png" alt="" class="wp-image-27969" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Charlemagne.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Charlemagne-300x127.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px" /></figure>



<div style="float: right; text-align: justified; width: 300px; background-color: #eee; padding: 15px; margin-left: 10px;">
<h6>Fast Facts</h6>
• Approximately 1 million 23andMe customers have a majority French German Ancestry, while over 5 million customers possess at least 1 percent of this genetic heritage
• Today, Frenchand German Ancestry is widespread across central and western Europe, with particularly high concentrations near the Upper Rhine River, where France, Germany, and Switzerland converge.
• “French and German Ancestry is most prevalent among 23andMe customers from Switzerland, with an average of around 64 percent.
</div>



The authors of a recent <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23667324">study</a> estimated that every European who lived over 1,000 years ago — and left descendants — is very likely the ancestor of every ethnically European person alive today. And Charlemagne, King of the Franks, was particularly prolific, siring around 20 children.



Suppose you go far enough back in time. In that case, your pedigree is actually “collapsing” repeatedly, with many of your ancestors showing up on multiple branches of your family tree.



So, if you have European ancestry, you’re probably descended from Charlemagne.&nbsp;

What is French and German Ancestry?

by Samantha Ancona Esselmann, Ph.D., product scientist at 23andMe
When 23andMe scientists added a “<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition/filipino">Filipino</a>” population to our Ancestry Composition report two years ago, customers were excited to see their Filipino ancestry reflected in their results for the first time. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-27890" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-300x211.png" alt="" width="300" height="211" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-300x211.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-768x541.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-1024x721.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-880x620.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map-1180x831.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Did-you-Know-Map.png 1440w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Only, there was a twist! Many customers with no known Filipino ancestors were getting 5 percent, 20 percent, even 50 percent or more of this ancestry, and were understandably confused.
In response to customer feedback, our team performed more analyses and confirmed that we were missing a big part of the story — or maybe a better way of saying it was that we were missing a big part of the human migration story.

It was true that people with the highest proportion of “Filipino” in their ancestry estimates were actually of Filipino descent (over 90 percent on average), but this so-called “Filipino” ancestry reached an average of 75 percent in customers from Samoa, 71 percent in Tonga, 68 percent in Guam, 18 percent in Hawaii, and even 34 percent among customers from Madagascar, off the southeastern coast of Africa.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27891" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Filipinio-Ancestry-Map.png" alt="" width="600" height="304" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Filipinio-Ancestry-Map.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Filipinio-Ancestry-Map-300x152.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Clearly, this update was not just identifying Filipino ancestry, but a shared genetic heritage that was spread across nearly two-thirds of the circumference of the globe.
Our ancestry scientists realized right away that this shared ancestry was a reflection of human migration and the major expansion of seafaring people who spoke Austronesian languages that began around 5,000 years ago near Taiwan and spread across a vast part of the world.
We renamed the population to “Filipino &amp; Austronesian,” and the population description was updated to shed light on this shared linguistic, genetic, and cultural history.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27892" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Expansion-Map.png" alt="" width="600" height="275" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Expansion-Map.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Expansion-Map-300x138.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Here are our favorite stories about the “Austronesian Expansion,” from out-of-this-world navigation techniques to the gut bacteria that hitched a ride across the sea.
<h6>The Final Frontier</h6>
Around 5,000 years ago, Austronesians began a millennia-long expansion into the Pacific from Taiwan. They carried their knowledge of navigation and farming more than halfway around the world. They expanded through the Philippines and Indonesia all the way to Hawaii in the east and Madagascar in the west. During this <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21074440">expansion</a>, the Austronesians mixed with people they met along their way, including the indigenous Filipinos, Papuans (whose ancestors are thought to have arrived over 50,000 years ago), and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25137359">Southeast Asian</a> mainlanders.
Polynesian culture later emerged from Austronesian societies in Tonga and Samoa. It spread to the equatorial islands of the central Pacific — including French Polynesia — as recently as 1,000 years ago. Soon after, Polynesians settled the far-flung lands of Hawaii, Aotearoa (New Zealand), and Rapa Nui (Easter Island). This late, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21187404">rapid settlement</a> is thought to explain the remarkable similarities between the cultures and languages of the remote Pacific.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27889" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Out-of-Taiwan-Map.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Out-of-Taiwan-Map.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Out-of-Taiwan-Map-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></h6>
<h6>Way-finders</h6>
Long before the European Age of Exploration, Polynesian voyagers were crossing thousands of miles of uncharted water, settling one uninhabited island after another. Almost all knowledge of traditional Polynesian navigation is lost to time, but their techniques likely included:
<ol>
<li>“<a href="https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2009.52">Wave-piloting</a>,” which involves sensing the reflections and refractions of ocean swells off of distant islands.</li>
<li> Following birds or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26857090">turtles</a> to land.</li>
<li> Spotting island-hugging bioluminescence.</li>
<li> Relying on memorized star maps as a guide — a skill highlighted in the 2016 animated film, Moana.</li>
</ol>
Only a handful of Pacific Islanders carry the traditional knowledge of wave piloting, but in 2006, researchers accompanied a Marshallese wave pilot on a journey between islands. To navigate the journey, the wave pilot relied only on his ability to read the ocean swells. In a test of the wave pilot’s skill, the researchers set the ship miles off-course while the navigator slept. But soon after he woke up, the wave pilot had the ship back on course, having correctly interpreted the pattern of waves reflecting off a nearby island.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27888" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Way-Finders.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Way-Finders.png 750w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Way-Finders-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></h6>
<h6></h6>
<h6>Language on the move</h6>
Before DNA shed light on the origins of Austronesians, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19164742">studies of their languages</a> pointed to an Austronesian origin closely related to the indigenous people of Taiwan. A team of scientists in New Zealand built a database of simple words from 400 Austronesian languages, and by focusing on cognates (similar words that mean the same thing), the team was able to build a family tree of Austronesian languages — with indigenous Taiwanese Formosan languages at the root. Branching from there were the languages spoken in the Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, Fiji, and finally, the closely related Polynesian languages, such as Samoan, Maori, Tahitian, and Hawaiian.
This language tree mirrors the genetic relationships of a number of other living things found throughout the Pacific — from <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19164753">gut bacteria</a> to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26499243">paper mulberry</a> plants (used to make barkcloth). Researchers believe these different organisms originated in Taiwan and hitched a ride across the Pacific with the Austronesian voyagers.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27887" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Language-Tree.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Language-Tree.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Austronesian-Language-Tree-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
<h6>Melanesian Exchange</h6>
The ancestors of Melanesians — the indigenous inhabitants of Near Oceania — reached the islands of the western Pacific much earlier than the Austronesians. They arrived on these islands well over 50,000 years ago. Today this ancestry is common in populations from Papua New Guinea to Fiji, a distance spanning over 2,500 miles. But, the oldest human remains found on Vanuatu (an archipelago between New Guinea and Fiji) and on islands further East aren’t Melanesian. So when did the Melanesians reach Vanuatu and who was there before them?
A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29501328">recent study</a> of ancient human remains from Vanuatu showed that Austronesian settlers first reached Vanuatu around 3,000 years ago. Soon after, people with Melanesian ancestry began to arrive. Today, even though <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29487365">Vanuatuans speak primarily Austronesian languages</a>, they have mostly Melanesian ancestry.
It seems that early Melanesian voyagers halted their eastward migration in the Solomon Islands. They only ventured further into the Pacific after a new wave of voyagers — the Austronesians — passed through the region to settle Vanuatu, Tonga, and other remote Pacific islands. Today, almost all populations in the remote Pacific have more than 25 percent Melanesian ancestry. This is despite initial settlement by Austronesians.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27886" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Vanatu-Ancestry-Timeline.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Vanatu-Ancestry-Timeline.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Vanatu-Ancestry-Timeline-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></h6>
<h6>Indonesian Melting Pot</h6>
Indonesia is genetically diverse. This is not particularly surprising for a 3,000-mile-wide nation made up of more than 17,000 islands.
Austronesian ancestry is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25137359">found throughout Indonesia.</a> But where the inhabitants of the large western islands have strong genetic ties to the Southeast Asian mainland, the inhabitants of the islands east of Bali have very little.
The most likely scenario is that a western group of Austronesian voyagers mixed with people in southern Vietnam or the Malay Peninsula. This mixed population likely continued on to settle western Indonesia. Eastern Indonesia, on the other hand, is home to people with a combination of primarily<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22396590"> Austronesian and Melanesian</a> ancestry.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27885" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Migration-Heat-Map.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Migration-Heat-Map.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Migration-Heat-Map-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></h6>
<h6>The Malagasy Mystery</h6>
The Malagasy people of Madagascar speak an Austronesian language, but Madagascar is a world away from Southeast Asia. Malagasy people also have African ancestry. So who reached Madagascar first and where did they come from?
Although the African continent is much closer, there is cultural, genetic, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27247383">archaeological</a>, and linguistic evidence pointing to an initial settlement of Madagascar by Austronesian voyagers between 1,200 and 1,500 years ago. This was followed by the arrival of Bantu speakers from southern East Africa.
Linguistic and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15793703">genetic studies</a> showed that the Austronesian founders of Madagascar were most closely related to present-day groups living in central and eastern Indonesia (<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27381999">1</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27188237">2</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25880430">3</a>). These studies also revealed that<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28716916"> African ancestry</a> is generally higher in Madagascar’s coastal lowlands. Austronesian ancestry reaches higher levels in the country’s central highlands.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27884" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Madagascar-Migration.png" alt="" width="600" height="360" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Madagascar-Migration.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Madagascar-Migration-300x180.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />Customers can see these stories on the <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition/filipino/">Filipino &amp; Austronesian Ancestry Detail Report</a> page. Not yet a customer, find out more about 23andMe’s Ancestry + Traits service <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">here</a>.

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