You&#8217;re more than just your genetics; insights from DNA testing can help add dimensions to your family history, ancestors, and sometimes distant connections to populations worldwide.



When exploring those connections, you need a trusted guide like 23andMe. 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service offers the most comprehensive genetic ancestry breakdown on the market, with more than 3,500 geographic regions, reports on traits, Neanderthal Ancestry, your Ancestry Timeline, ancient maternal and paternal lineages, and more. The Ancestry Service also offers access to our pioneering DNA Relative Finder tool, 23andMe&#8217;s automatic family tree builder, and more than 30 trait reports, with insights into hair and eye color, taste preferences, and facial characteristics.



In this post, we&#8217;ll tell you a little about what you can learn using the 23andMe Ancestry Service.&nbsp; Oh, and in case you didn&#8217;t know, 23andMe is also the only DNA ancestry service that allows you to upgrade to include FDA-authorized health reports anytime.



So, let&#8217;s look at 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service. And just a heads up before you dive in, it also happens to be a great time to do so. Now through October 15, 2024, we have our lowest price of the year on the 23andMe Ancestry Service for customers in the United States at just $59. Learn more <a href="https://www.23andme.com/">here</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancestry-composition">Ancestry Composition</h2>



Like everything at 23andMe, it all starts with science and a touch of wonder.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="1008" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-1024x1008.jpg" alt="An image of a customers Ancestry composition on a mobile phone," class="wp-image-33273" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-1024x1008.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-300x295.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-768x756.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-880x867.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_-1180x1162.jpg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/71Su-aPJvtL._AC_SL1500_.jpg 1500w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Here&#8217;s a fascinating fact: your DNA is not just a blueprint for what makes you you; it&#8217;s also a record of your ancestors&#8217; geographic origins.



<a href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry-composition-guide/">23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Composition</a> helps you visualize your ancestral origins. 23andMe compares thousands of sections of DNA across your genome to an ever-expanding library of reference populations. Then, we use those comparisons to assign a closely matching reference population for each of those sections of your DNA, and then we tally them up. That allows our Ancestry Composition tool to break down the percentages of your DNA that link to different populations from Asia, Europe, the Americas, or Africa.



We arrange this breakdown into a hierarchy. At the top is the continent level, which is then broken down into the region, country, and local levels. That breakdown is all plotted on a map to help you visualize where your DNA is from.&nbsp;



The Ancestry Composition report also shows specific Genetic Groups you match with, which may reveal connections to specific cultural, ethnic, or linguistic groups such as Germany’s historically Swabian-speaking communities, people from Italy’s Monregalese region, the Maya peoples of Mesoamerica, Native Americans from the Pacific Northwest, the Ashanti people from what is now Ghana, historical Sephardic Jewish communities of northeastern Mexico, and so much more.&nbsp;



Over the last few years, 23andMe has updated the granularity of results for customers with ancestral lines from around the world. Read about our recent updates here:<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/new-genetic-groups-for-japan-and-scandinavia"> Japan &amp; Scandinavia</a>,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/germanic-europe-genetic-groups"> Germanic Europe</a>,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-improves-ancestry-results-for-people-with-south-american-levantine-sephardic-and-mizrahi-genetic-ancestry"> South America, and the Levant</a>,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/african-ethnolinguistic-groups/"> African ancestry</a>,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/ancestry-composition-update-china/"> Chinese ancestry,</a><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-indigenous-caribbean-ancestry"> Indigenous Caribbean ancestry,</a><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-spanish-and-portuguese-ancestry"> Spanish and Portuguese ancestry,</a><a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/indigenous-genetic-ancestry/"> Indigenous American ancestry</a>, and<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-adds-more-detail-for-customers-with-british-and-irish-ancestry"> British and Irish ancestry</a>.



23andMe customers can see their<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/"> Ancestry Composition here</a>.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancestry-timeline">Ancestry Timeline</h2>



23andMe&#8217;s ancestry reports sometimes reveal surprises. You might find hidden African or Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry, for instance. But 23andMe&#8217;s ancestry reports often augment what many of us already know about our heritage.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="1208" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline.jpg" alt="An image of 23andMe's Ancestry Timeline Feature on a mobile phone." class="wp-image-33323" style="width:295px;height:auto" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline.jpg 750w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline-186x300.jpg 186w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline-636x1024.jpg 636w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline-546x880.jpg 546w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ancestry-Timeline-733x1180.jpg 733w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure>



Information gleaned from 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service can sharply illuminate family lore passed down from those who came before. For instance, the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#toc-timeline">Ancestry Timeline feature</a> uses statistical methodologies to estimate how many generations ago your most recent ancestor from a specific population likely lived. The Ancestry Timeline allows customers to go back seven or more generations to discover how their unique ancestral tapestry was woven together.



So, it might indicate how recently your ancestor lived and who had 100 percent Nigerian, Spanish, or Portuguese ancestry. This can sometimes clarify our family histories, offering a more vivid connection to past generations.



In addition, connecting to at least one parent using 23andMe can tell you what ancestry you inherited from your mother and what came from your father. For instance, you can see whether a small percentage of Italian ancestry comes from your mother&#8217;s or your father&#8217;s side.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-family-tree">Family Tree</h2>



23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service also includes a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/ancestry/a-family-tree/">Family Tree</a> that automatically builds a tree highlighting your close DNA relationships that are part of DNA Relatives.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="195" height="300" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-195x300.jpg" alt="An image of 23andMe's Family Tree on a mobile phone." class="wp-image-33291" style="width:286px;height:auto" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-195x300.jpg 195w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-768x1179.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-667x1024.jpg 667w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-573x880.jpg 573w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile-769x1180.jpg 769w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Family-Tree-Mobile.jpg 946w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px" /></figure>



Customers can also manually add people who are not 23andMe customers or are not part of 23andMe DNA Relatives. It&#8217;s easy, convenient, and just a click away. To start your Family Tree, opt into DNA Relatives. This allows you 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.



With an updated algorithm, 23andMe&#8217;s Family Tree predicts connections to your genetic relatives, so you don&#8217;t have to start from scratch. It&#8217;s a simple way for customers to explore their family ties, whether they are relatives they already know about or new ones. The hope is that the tool&#8217;s simplicity will help customers understand different family connections.



The joy of using 23andMe’s Ancestry Service is that it can introduce people to new relatives. With the simple Family Tree feature, you can see how these DNA relatives relate to you and where they are on your Family Tree.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dna-relatives">DNA Relatives</h2>



23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service connects people.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="957" height="1024" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-957x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33274" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-957x1024.jpg 957w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-280x300.jpg 280w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-768x822.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-822x880.jpg 822w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_-1102x1180.jpg 1102w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61EhXFDmQL._AC_SL1500_.jpg 1121w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 957px) 100vw, 957px" /></figure>



Along with discovering more about their heritage, 23andMe offers customers the opportunity to choose to connect with other<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#toc-family"> customers with whom they share DNA</a>.



<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#dnarelatives">23andMe&#8217;s DNA Relatives</a> tool looks at overlapping chromosome segments to help customers find or connect with close and distant relatives. For customers who choose to participate in DNA Relatives, it is optional; you must opt in to participate and can opt out of participating at any time. You can use it to help find new relatives in their family or reconnect with cousins.



The tool — which our scientists continue refining and improving— helps customers find new relatives and see how they are genetically connected. DNA Relatives allows customers to sort their relatives based on location, family names, how closely they are related, or the number of DNA segments they share. For DNA Relatives with whom you are sharing, you can also learn more about your genetic relationship by seeing a prediction of how you are related — such as via a second great-grandfather or great-grandmother.&nbsp;&nbsp;



If customers choose to participate in DNA Relatives, they can begin a conversation to learn together about their shared family histories.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-haplogroups">Haplogroups</h2>



Adding another dimension to those family connections, 23andMe also offers customers a chance to trace their maternal — and, in some cases, paternal — haplogroups.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="396" height="698" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Haplogroup-Image.png" alt="" class="wp-image-33324" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Haplogroup-Image.png 396w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Haplogroup-Image-170x300.png 170w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px" /></figure>



We say ‘some cases’ because the paternal haplogroup report only applies to genetically male people (individuals with a Y chromosome) or females whose close paternal male relatives (such as a father or brother) have tested on 23andMe. This is because paternal haplogroup assignments are made by tracing a person’s Y chromosome, which genetically female people do not inherit. That’s why the paternal haplogroup assignments are only available for some customers.



As our ancestors branched off into groups that migrated first throughout Africa and then out of Africa, genetic variants arose in those diverse groups, allowing us to trace lineages that descended from a common ancestor.



Maternal<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-and-you/23andmes-updated-maternal-haplogroup-report/"> haplogroups</a>, traced through users’ mitochondrial DNA, follow a customer&#8217;s maternal line and paternal haplogroups follow the path of the paternal line. Those haplogroups can offer customers insight into their place in the human story and, in some cases, meaningful<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#toc-map"> insight into their heritage</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-neanderthal-ancestry-report">Neanderthal Ancestry Report</h2>



23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service doesn&#8217;t just help you add to your family story. It connects you to the human story, including your genetic connection to our ancient human cousins, the Neanderthals.



Even though Neanderthals vanished about 40,000 years ago, their DNA lives on in us. 23andMe’s Neanderthal Ancestry report can show you how much your ancestry traces back to Neanderthals using SNPs across all your autosomes and X chromosome(s).



Looking back can be both fun and enlightening because your DNA offers a biological record that can reveal ancestral connections to a time when modern humans first migrated from Africa and encountered our early human cousins, the Neanderthals.



Using advanced science, our team of population geneticists, engineers, and designers built a fun and engaging feature. The Neanderthal Ancestry Report also shows whether you have more or fewer Neanderthal variants than other 23andMe customers and what traits could be influenced by your Neanderthal DNA variants, such as your likelihood of feeling angry when hungry or “hangry.”



Scientists still uncover what these early connections mean, the traits we may carry because of those encounters, and what other ancient human DNA may still linger in our genome.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-traits">Traits</h2>



Exploring your DNA offers deeper insight into more than just your ancestral origins and DNA relatives. It can also tell you about different traits that make you, you.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="957" height="1024" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-957x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33276" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-957x1024.jpg 957w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-280x300.jpg 280w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-768x822.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-822x880.jpg 822w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_-1103x1180.jpg 1103w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/61AULupuf2L._AC_SL1500_.jpg 1125w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 957px) 100vw, 957px" /></figure>



The Ancestry Service includes more than 30 Traits Reports. Our Traits Reports are a fun way to explore how your DNA makes you unique, from your food preferences, like whether you enjoy salty versus sweet snacks, to physical features, like whether you are more or less likely to have cheek dimples, a unibrow, or freckles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-with-23andme-premium-nbsp">More with 23andMe+ Premium&nbsp;</h2>



23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service includes innovative and scientifically robust features, more than 3,500 geographic regions, interactive features and ways to explore your connections to DNA Relatives. 



The Ancestry Service also opens the door to exploring your genetics further. You can seamlessly upgrade to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ Premium</a>, for more additional ancestry features, like Historical MatchesSM, advanced DNA Relative filters, and access to more DNA Relatives. You get all that as well as more insights into your health.



Are you still waiting to be a customer? Find out more about 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/"> here</a>, or <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ Premium here.</a>

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

Explore 23andMe’s Ancestry Service

Hikers found his body 30 years ago lodged in the ice, still clad in his leather pants, with a flint blade tucked into a wicker sheath, his copper ax, arrows, and bow strewn about him. Adorning his skin were 61 tattoos, and lodged into his left shoulder was the arrowhead that ultimately killed him.



He was nicknamed Ötzi the Iceman because of the location where his 5,300 year-old mummified body was found in the Tyrolean Alps along the border of Italy and Austria. Ötzi’s life and death have intrigued scientists since being found on September 19th, 1991. Recently, Ötzi’s genome offered additional insights into life in ancient Europe after researchers conducted a more<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666979X2300174X"> in-depth sequencing of his DNA</a> in 2023.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="225" height="300" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi-225x300.jpg" alt="An image of a life like model of Otzi on dislay at the Otzi museum in Bolzano Italy." class="wp-image-33345" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi-885x1180.jpg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Ricostruzione_di_Otzi.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A model of Otzi displayed at the Ötzi at museum in Bolzano, Italy. Photo by: Manuel Tassi (Mannivu)</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-historical-matches">Historical Matches</h2>



In honor of this new study and the 33rd anniversary of the Ötzi’s discovery, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">&nbsp;23andMe+ Premium</a> members using<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmes-historic-matches"> “Historical Matches”</a> can now learn if they might be connected to Ötzi through their DNA. Ötzi’s genome indicates he likely had darker skin, brown eyes, and was balding and that he was genetically related to the waves of people who migrated into Europe from Anatolia during the Neolithic Period (starting around 7000 BCE) and brought with them their knowledge of farming.



Historical Matches allows members to determine if they are connected to Ötzi or Beethoven or one of more than 450 other lesser-known historical people across the globe. The technology works by identifying places in your genome where you share identical DNA, inherited from a shared ancestor—possibly one who lived long before you or your historical match—creating a new way to learn more about your connections to the past. 23andMe will continue to add figures like Ötzi as they are published, offering customers more opportunities to connect their stories to past epochs. 



“We are connecting you to real people from real places and times in history who had real lives,” said<a href="https://youtu.be/9pKN4WGvLq4?si=hYnLC6yONV9Nn1lC"> Éadaoin Harney, Ph.D., a 23andMe population geneticist</a> and an expert on ancient DNA who was instrumental in creating the Historical Matches feature. “These are real genetic connections, so we want to tell you the real stories of those individuals.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-otzi-s-genome">Ötzi’s Genome</h2>



Ötzi’s story ended with his death at the hands of another. But discovering his body and all he carried offers scientists a rare glimpse into the people who lived in Europe during the Copper Age (5000-2000 BCE). It’s rare to find a body so well preserved from that long ago–more than a thousand years before the ancient Egyptians began practicing mummification.



Ötzi’s genetic information also offers some surprises for scientists. His closest genetic relatives are not the present-day people of the Tyrolean area. Instead, he is most closely related to the inhabitants of Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy. That’s not because Ötzi was Sardinian. Instead, it is because of the unique history of the inhabitants of this Mediterranean island, and early human migration.



There were three primary waves of early human settlers in Europe, early hunter-gatherers, farmers from Anatolia, and herders from the Eurasian Steppe. The first hunter-gatherers were the first to arrive in the region over 10,000 years ago. Later, during the Neolithic period (starting around 7000 BCE), farmers from Anatolia migrated into the area. This group mixed with the local hunter-gatherer population. Then, during the Bronze Age (around 3000–2500 BCE), herders from the Eurasian Steppe migrated into the region. They brought Indo-European languages with them. 



Over time, these three genetically distinct populations mixed. Most present-day European populations descend from all three groups. However, the final migration of Steppe herders didn’t make it as far as Sardinia.  Thus, the genetic makeup of present-day<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-14523-6#:~:text=These%20events%20are%20typically%20modeled,aDNA%20data%20from%20the%20island."> Sardinians most closely resembles that of the early European farmers</a>. 



Ötzi lived in Europe before the Steppe migration. His genetics led researchers to believe he likely belonged to one of the early European farming populations, which explains why he appears most genetically similar to present-day Sardinians.  



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-find-out-more">Find out more</h2>



Many 23andMe customers will learn that they share a genetic connection to Ötzi via this shared ancient European farmer ancestry. 



Connected or not, we&#8217;ve all learned more about human history through the discovery of his body and what he left behind. You can now visit a<a href="https://www.iceman.it/en/the-iceman/"> museum in Bolzano, Italy, dedicated to Ötzi</a>. There, you can learn more about his life and the insights gleaned from the discovery of his body.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="197" height="300" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Phone_Historical-Matches-197x300.jpg" alt="A view of a Historical Match with a Viking Woman on an mobile phone screen." class="wp-image-32706" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Phone_Historical-Matches-197x300.jpg 197w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Phone_Historical-Matches.jpg 459w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 197px) 100vw, 197px" /></figure>



Access to Historical Matches is among the many compelling reasons to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">join 23andMe+ Premium</a>.



 <a href="https://you.23andme.com/historical-matches/">Join 23andMe+</a> (requires 23andMe account).

Are You Related to Ötzi the Iceman?

As part of continuing improvements to 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service, we recently added 12 Genetic Groups for customers with roots in Japan and 25 for those genetically connected to one of the five Nordic countries in which Scandinavian or Finnish genetic ancestry is most common: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, or Sweden.



The updates improve the granularity of results for customers with ancestral lines tracing to these distinctive regions on opposite sides of the world. This update also closely follows the recent addition of 49 different genetic populations in<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/germanic-europe-genetic-groups"> Germanic Europe</a>, France, Belgium,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-improves-ancestry-results-for-people-with-south-american-levantine-sephardic-and-mizrahi-genetic-ancestry"> South America, and the Levant</a>, offering those with roots that trace back to these regions of Europe.



Let&#8217;s look at the new genetic groups added with this update in Japan and Scandinavia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-japan-update">Japan Update</h2>



This update includes new genetic groups in Japan.



Japan is an archipelago composed of more than 6,852 islands. Multiple waves of migration from the Asian mainland, starting as early as 35,000 years ago, first populated the islands.



Modern Japanese people can trace most of their ancestry to the Stone Age Jomon and late Stone Age Yayoi cultures. The Yayoi people introduced ironworks and agriculture. Yayoi DNA is concentrated in the center of Japan, while Jomon ancestry persists to the north and south among the culturally distinctive Ainu and Ryukyuan peoples.



The various tribes and kingdoms of Japan were nominally unified under the Emperor of Japan around the fifth century, a dynastic line that continues in modern times. One of the most culturally important periods for classical Japanese art, poetry, and literature is the Heian period, which lasted from 794 to 1185. Heian means peace in Japanese.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="546" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Japan-Hero-1024x546.jpg" alt="An image of Kyoto Japan
" class="wp-image-33259" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Japan-Hero-1024x546.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Japan-Hero-300x160.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Japan-Hero-768x409.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Japan-Hero-880x469.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Japan-Hero-1180x629.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Here are the 12 genetic populations we&#8217;ve added for this update:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Ryukyu Arc: For those with ancestral connections to people from the Ryukyu Arc, an arc-shaped archipelago extends south of Kyushu along the Ryukyu Islands.</li>



<li>Yamaguchi and Western Hiroshima: For those with ancestral connections to people from Yamaguchi and Western Hiroshima, a region known for its rural beauty and rich history.</li>



<li>Northern Honshu and Hokkaido: For those with ancestral connections to people from northern Japan, including the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto, and Chubu regions.</li>



<li>Kii Peninsula: For those with ancestral connections to people from the Kii Peninsula, located on the island of Honshu and within the Kansai region.</li>



<li>Northern Kyushu: For those with ancestral connections to people from Northern Kyushu, a region known for its dramatic scenery in places like Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan.</li>



<li>Chugoku and northern Shikoku: For those with ancestral connections to people from Chugoku, the westernmost region of Honshu, the largest and main island of Japan, and from northern Shikoku.</li>



<li>Southern Kyushu: For those with ancestral connections to people from Southern Kyushu, known for its scenery ranging from the wild horses on Cape Toi to sweeping views of active volcano Sakurajima in the Kagoshima Bay.</li>



<li>Yanbaru: For those with ancestral connections to people from Yanbaru, the northern part of Okinawa, including Nago and the Kunigami district.</li>



<li>Miyako-jima: For those with ancestral connections to people from the island of Miyako-jima, a picturesque island southwest of Okinawa.</li>



<li>Southern Okinawan: For those with ancestral connections to people from Southern Okinawa and north of Nanzan.</li>



<li>Nagasaku Bay and Yokatsu Islands: For those with ancestral connections to people from the Nagasaku Bay and Yokatsu Islands of Okinawa, home of a significant part of the Chuzan kingdom in the 14th and 15th centuries.</li>



<li>Okinawan West Coast: For those with ancestral connections to people from the west coast of Okinawa, stretching from Naha in the south to Nakijin in the north.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scandinavia-update">Scandinavia Update</h2>



The Scandinavia update includes genetic groups across five Nordic countries in which Scandinavian or Finnish genetic ancestry is most common.



However, these five countries also have shared linguistic and genetic roots that trace back to Northern Germanic tribes that established settlements in the North Sea during the Middle Ages. Mixed in with those Germanic tribal roots are local Scandinavian populations, like the Sámi people of the far north, who were hunter-gatherers.



These countries have a lot in common, but they also have their own unique cultures and histories, and there are regional differences. 23andMe added new genetic populations within each country to better reflect those distinguishing cultural differences and improve customers&#8217; results.



Those include five populations in Denmark, three in Iceland, four in Finland, seven in Norway, and six in Sweden.



Viking exploration, conquest, and colonization helped spread Scandinavian culture. Vikings went far beyond the six countries we now associate with Scandinavia, including settlements in Scotland, England, Ireland, Normandy, and Greenland. They extended their reach eastward into Russia, south to the Mediterranean, and as far west as North America.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="612" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Scandinavia-Hero-1024x612.jpg" alt="An image of boats anchored in a Nordic port" class="wp-image-33257" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Scandinavia-Hero-1024x612.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Scandinavia-Hero-300x179.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Scandinavia-Hero-768x459.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Scandinavia-Hero-880x526.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Scandinavia-Hero-1180x706.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Here are the genetic populations added to the five countries in Scandinavia:



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



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Southern Denmark: For those with ancestral connections to people from southwest Denmark, in the western parts of the Syddanmark (&#8220;South Denmark&#8221;) region on the Jutland, first settled in the Stone Age.</li>



<li>East Jutland: For those with ancestral connections to people from Østjylland, which stretches from Viborg in the northwest to Horsens and Vejle in the south.</li>



<li>Northern Denmark: This region, which stretches from Aalborg in the south to Skagen in the north, is for those with ancestral connections to people from North Jutland or Nordjylland.</li>



<li>Hovedstaden, Sjælland, and Fyn: For those with ancestral connections to people from the island regions of Denmark: Hovedstaden, Sjælland, and the eastern island of Syddanmark (&#8220;South Denmark&#8221;)—Fyn.</li>



<li>West Jutland: For those with ancestral connections to people from the rugged region of West Jutland, the part of Midtjylland west of the Jutish ridge, ranging from Herning in the south and Løgstør and Thisted in the north.</li>
</ul>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finland">Finland</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Helsinki and Southern Finland: This is for those with ancestral connections to people from the capital of the Helsinki region and Southern Finland.</li>



<li>Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia: For those with ancestral connections to people from the northern half of Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia, regions are known for their distinctive coastal landscapes and deep cultural heritage.</li>



<li>West-Central Coast of Finland: For those with ancestral connections to people from the southwest coast of Finland, ranging from the Gulf of Bothnia to Lakeland in the east and spanning between the southern half of Ostrobothnia and Southwest Finland.</li>



<li>Lapland, Northern Ostrobothnia, and Kainu Region: For those with ancestral connections to people from central and northern Finland, spanning from the southern cities of Lapland in the north and down to the Finnish Lakeland in the south. This region is known for its stark beauty and rugged conditions.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-icelandic-populations">Icelandic Populations</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Northern Iceland: For those with connections to the northern coast of Iceland, the town of Akureyri, and the east coast extending to the north edge of Vatnajökull glacier.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>



<li>Southern Iceland and Reykjavik Region: For those with ancestral connections to people from the southern coastal region of Iceland, stretching from the Reykjanes peninsula to the capital of Reyjavik and out toward the western edge of Iceland&#8217;s largest glacier, Vatnajökull.</li>



<li>Western Iceland: For those with ancestral connections to people from the western peninsula of Iceland, an area of rugged mountainous and coastal fjords known as the Westfjords.</li>
</ul>



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



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Southern Norwegian Coastal Plains: For those with connections to people from southern Norway, extending from the coastal plains bordering the Skagerrak strait inland to the Setesdalsheiene mountains.</li>



<li>Oslofjord Lowlands: For those with connections to people from eastern lowlands of Norway, from Oslofjord in the south extending to the southeastern foothills of the Scandinavian Mountains. Called Østlandet in Norwegian, the region is home to Norway&#8217;s capital city, Oslo.</li>



<li>Northwestern Norwegian Fjords: For those with connections to people from Norway&#8217;s northwestern coastal fjords and surrounding lowlands.</li>



<li>Arctic Norway: For those with connections to people from the far northern tundra of Norway, stretching up to where Norway shares its only border with Finland.</li>



<li>Boknafjord Lowlands: For those with ancestral connections to people from the lands surrounding Boknafjord, a large fjord on the southwestern coast of Norway.</li>



<li>Trondheim Fjord Region:&nbsp; For those with ancestral connections to people from the northern coastal region of Norway surrounding Trondheim Fjord.</li>



<li>Western Fjords: For those with ancestral connections to people from the central western coast of Norway, stretching from the majestic Sognefjord—Norway&#8217;s longest and deepest fjord—in the north to Hardangerfjord in the south.</li>
</ul>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweden">Sweden</h6>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Eastern Norrland: For those with ancestral connection from northeastern Sweden, primarily in the Ångermanland, Västerbotten, and Norrbotten historical provinces along the Gulf of Bothnia in the Baltic Sea.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Western Svealand: For those with ancestral connection from Värmland and Örebro counties, a region in west-central Sweden between Lake Siljan to the north, Lake Vänern—Sweden&#8217;s largest lake—to the south, and Örebro to the east.</li>



<li>Central Götaland: For those with ancestral connection from the southeastern historical provinces of Halland, Östergötland, Småland, and Södermanland, extending from Stockholm in the northeast to the southern coastal regions and spanning across the country from the Kattegat Strait in the west to the Baltic Sea in the east.</li>



<li>Northwest Götaland: For those with an ancestral connection to people from Västra Götaland, a large county in southwest Sweden home to Gothenburg, the second largest city and a major modern port.</li>



<li>Eastern Svealand and southern Norrland: For those with an ancestral connection to people from east—central Sweden in the historic regions of Svealand and Norrland, which ranges from the modern Gävleborg county in the north to Stockholm, Uppsala, and Västmanland counties in the south.</li>



<li>Skåneland: For those with ancestral connection from east-central Sweden in the historic regions of Svealand and Norrland, which ranges from the modern Gävleborg county in the north to Stockholm, Uppsala, and Västmanland counties in the south.</li>



<li>Eastern Svealand and southern Norrland: These are for those with ancestral connections to the southern part of Sweden (sometimes referred to as &#8220;Skåneland&#8221;), which includes the modern counties of Blekinge, Kronoberg, and Skåne.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-find-out-more">Find out more</h2>



23andMe customers can see their<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/"> Ancestry Composition</a>.&nbsp;



Are you still waiting to be a customer? Find out more about 23andMe&#8217;s<a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">&nbsp; Ancestry Service and other services</a>.

Japan and Scandinavia Genetic Groups Update

<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38658749/">A new ancient DNA study</a> sheds light on the social structure of the ancient Avars, a medieval population that dominated the Carpathian Basin between the 6th and 9th centuries. 



The Avars ruled in what is now Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia, and Serbia until they were overpowered by the Franks in attacks led by Charlemagne.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="634" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-1024x634.jpeg" alt="Examples of Avar Treasure that include gold and silver chalices and plates." class="wp-image-33235" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-1024x634.jpeg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-300x186.jpeg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-768x476.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-880x545.jpeg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure-1180x731.jpeg 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Avar-Treasure.jpeg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-avar-period">The Avar Period </h2>



In the study, researchers sequenced the genomes of 424 individuals from four different cemeteries dating to the Avar period (567–822 CE). 



They discovered that each cemetery contained groups of closely related individuals. They reconstructed a family tree from individuals in one cemetery that spanned nine generations and connected 146 individuals, primarily via male lineages. 



This confirmed that, like many nomadic people of the Eurasian Steppe, the Avars were a patrilocal society, meaning that adult females relocated to reside with their male partners and their families. They also found evidence that the Avars practiced levirate unions, whereby the men would marry the widows of their deceased male relatives. 



This tradition is still practiced today in some parts of the world. The researchers even discovered one case where an Avar woman had children with four related men.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mixed-ancestry">Mixed Ancestry</h2>



They also found that the Avars had mixed ancestry, with substantial ancestry tracing to northeast Asia. 



This is consistent with claims that they originally descended from members of the Rouran Khaganate, a tribal confederation that spanned parts of what is now Mongolia, Kazakhstan, eastern Siberia, and northwestern China during the 4th–6th centuries. Most of the Avars also possessed West Eurasian ancestry, some of which may have been acquired before the arrival of the Avars in the Carpathian Basin. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more">Learn More</h2>



In celebration of these exciting new discoveries, we’ve added 26 of the Avars whose genomes were published as part of this study to Historical MatchesSM, our new <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ PremiumTM</a> membership feature so that you can find out if you share a genetic connection to them.

Examples of Avar Treasure that include gold and silver chalices and plates.

New Historical Matches Could Connect You to the Medieval Avars

Historical Matches has quickly become one of the most popular features of our 23andMe+ membership.



We&#8217;re excited to offer a sneak peek into this feature in the first of a series of expert-led discussions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-expert-guide">Your Expert Guide</h2>



This first expert session video features our most knowledgeable scientist on ancient DNA: Éadaoin Harney, PhD.



Dr. Harney has been instrumental in developing <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmes-historic-matches">Historical Matches</a> and other advanced ancestry features and can provide insight into how to make the most of Historical Matches. Dr. Harney explains how the technology works to identify DNA segments inherited from your ancestors that you may share with these historical and ancient individuals and offers tips on what else you can learn from these connections to the past.



Let this expert guide you and help you understand your connections to these historical individuals. Here&#8217;s a little taste of what is covered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-it-mean-to-have-historical-matches">What does it mean to have Historical Matches?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
 <iframe loading="lazy" title="23andMe Expert Sessions: What does it Mean to Have a Historical Match? (Full Video)" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9pKN4WGvLq4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-ancient-dna">What is Ancient DNA?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="23andMe Expert Sessions: What is Ancient DNA? And Process from Archaeology to Product" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pMDmyzSAJlk?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jurassic-park-amp-ancient-dna">Jurassic Park &amp; Ancient DNA</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="23andMe Expert Sessions: Jurassic Park and Ancient DNA" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sczBs3ZcrE0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-about-beethoven">What About Beethoven?</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="23andMe Expert Sessions: Beethoven" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1eQAx5ImnX8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



Access to Historical Matches is among the many compelling reasons to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">join 23andMe+ Premium</a>.



<a href="https://you.23andme.com/historical-matches/">Join 23andMe+</a> (requires 23andMe account)

An illustration showing strand of DNA and a connection between a person and Beethoven

Learn about An Additional Benefit to 23andMe+ Premium Membership

Simply saying one has German ancestry doesn&#8217;t capture how diverse the cultural, linguistic, and historical differences are within the country of more than 80 million people.



Germany has over 16 administrative districts and at least a dozen distinct dialects. Someone from the North along the Baltic Sea who speaks what is called Plattdeutsch might have difficulty understanding someone from part of Bavaria who speaks Schwäbisch, for instance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-distinct-populations">Distinct Populations</h2>



Beyond Germany, there are also distinct populations within Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg, and France with Germanic ethnolinguistic roots. 



To better reflect those differences and improve the granularity of 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service, 23andMe added 49 different genetic populations in Germanic Europe. Those include 20 in Germany, 10 in Switzerland, eight in the Netherlands, 10 in Austria, and one in Luxembourg. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="797" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-1024x797.png" alt="A map of the area around Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavarian Swabia that is part of the Ancestry Composition for people with Germanic ancestry from that area." class="wp-image-33143" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-1024x797.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-300x233.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-768x598.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-880x685.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups-1180x918.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/AC-Germanic-Grojups.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Example results of a customer with matches to new Germanic Genetic Groups.



This update closely follows the recent addition of 36 Genetic Groups in France and Belgium, offering those with roots that trace back to these regions of Europe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-germanic-europe">Germanic Europe</h2>



To better understand this Germanic Europe update, it&#8217;s helpful to understand the origins of modern-day Germanic peoples of Western Europe. They are descended from ancient Alpine-Celtic and Germanic populations and inhabit an area extending from the Netherlands to Austria—roughly corresponding to the extent of<a href="https://www.dhm.de/en/exhibitions/permanent-exhibition/middle-ages/"> Charlemagne&#8217;s Frankish Kingdom</a> in the Middle Ages.



Genetically and geographically, Germanic peoples are at the heart of Europe.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="936" height="396" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FrenchGerman-Ancestry-Comp-Map-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33142" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FrenchGerman-Ancestry-Comp-Map-1.jpg 936w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FrenchGerman-Ancestry-Comp-Map-1-300x127.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FrenchGerman-Ancestry-Comp-Map-1-768x325.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FrenchGerman-Ancestry-Comp-Map-1-880x372.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 936px) 100vw, 936px" /></figure>



Map showing the ancient, broad ethnic groups that influenced modern Germanic ancestry.



Germanic people have lived at a crossroads in human migration for millennia, and their genetics reflect that history. Celtic languages and culture first appeared in Central Europe, extending from the British Isles to the Black Sea by the Third century BCE. However, the rise of the Roman Empire spelled the downfall of a Celtic-speaking Europe, and today, Celtic languages are only spoken along the far western periphery of their former territory.



With the decline of the Western Roman Empire, Germanic tribes conquered vast territories from the North Sea to North Africa. Although Germanic languages did not replace the Latin-based languages spoken in what is now France and Belgium, recent studies found evidence that the migrations of Germanic peoples from the 4th to the 6th centuries had a more significant impact on Europe&#8217;s DNA than did the earlier expansion of the Roman Empire.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancestry-composition-update">Ancestry Composition update</h2>



The update is part of our continuing work to improve 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service reports and features. This new update allows customers with ancestry tracing to one of these countries to see their genetic connections to these communities.&nbsp;



23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Composition report is a living analysis that improves as we add new reference data. Underlying our Ancestry reports are powerful algorithms and analytical tools developed by 23andMe population geneticists and engineers to offer our customers more insights into their ancestral origins.



Over the last few years, we&#8217;ve updated results to allow our customers to see more detail about their connections to specific geographic regions that correspond to cultural and linguistic regions.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-find-out-more">Find out more</h2>



23andMe customers can see their<a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/"> Ancestry Composition</a>.&nbsp;



Not yet a customer? Find out more about<a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/"> 23andMe&#8217;s Ancestry Service and other services</a>.



Regions in Germanic Europe covered in this update



Below is the list of 23andMe&#8217;s 49 Germanic Genetic Groups:



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-germany">Germany</h2>



Eastern Bavarian Highlands &#8211; People from southeastern Germany, particularly near the Thuringian and Bohemian Forest, extend down to the foothills of the Bavarian Alps. For centuries, the Bohemian Forest acted as a natural border between Bavaria and Bohemia (now Czechia, or the Czech Republic), which helped shape the distinct cultural identities of these regions. Some people in this Genetic Group say their recent ancestors spoke Bavarian or Eastern Franconian, distinct German dialects standard in southern and northern Bavaria.



Southeastern Bavaria&#8211;&nbsp; People from southeastern Germany, particularly around the Isar and Danube Rivers, between the Bavarian Alps and the Bohemian Forest.



Upper and Middle Franconia —This genetic group includes people from east-central Germany, mainly Upper and Middle Franconia. However, some report ancestors from the foothills of the Fichtel and Ore Mountains further east.



Lower Franconia &#8211; People from central Germany, particularly in Lower Franconia near the foothills of the Rhön Mountains.



Saxony and the Thuringian Basin &#8211; People from eastern and central Germany, particularly between the Harz and Ore Mountains.



Baden-Württemberg and Bavarian Swabia &#8211; People from southwestern Germany, ranging from the Rhine River valley to the Black Forest to the Swabian Alps. Many people in this Genetic Group say their recent ancestors spoke Swabian, a distinct German dialect known for its unique vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar. 



Greater Allgäu &#8211; People from south central Germany between Lake Constance, the headwaters of the Danube River, and the Lech River.



Black Forest &#8211; People from southwest Germany in and around the Black Forest.



Central Swabia &#8211; People from central Swabia, mainly north of the Swabian Jura mountain range in Baden-Württemberg. Historically, this region was influenced by ancient kingdoms such as the Alemanni (part of the Suebi Germanic peoples, from which the region gets its name) and later the Duchy of Swabia, which have left a lasting imprint on its cultural landscape.&nbsp;



Main River Basin &#8211; People from the center of Germany, along or near the course of the Main River, from northwestern Bavaria to its confluence with the Rhine River near Mainz.



Rhine-Main region &#8211; People from southwestern Germany, particularly from the Rhine-Main metropolitan region, centered around the confluence of the Rhine and Main rivers near the foothills of the Rhön Mountains.



Eastern German Plains &#8211; People from the eastern plains of Germany, ranging from the Harz Mountains in the southwest to Poland and the Baltic Sea in the east and northeast.



Rhineland &#8211; People from western Germany, particularly on the west side of the Rhine River, a region historically referred to as the Rhineland or Rhinelands.



Rhine-Ruhr Region &#8211; People from central west Germany, particularly near Cologne (Köln), Düsseldorf, and the &#8220;Ruhrgebiet&#8221; — a large urban region that includes Dortmund, Essen, and Duisburg, among other cities.



The Ruhrgebiet, Teutoburg Forest and the Westphalian Highlands &#8211; People from the Sauerland and Siegerland regions of the Westphalian highlands, the Teutoburg Forest in eastern Westphalia, and the &#8220;Ruhrgebiet&#8221; — a densely populated urban zone encompassing cities such as Dortmund and Essen.



Northwestern German Plain &#8211; People from the northwestern plains of Germany, spanning parts of the western portions of Lower Saxony and North-Rhine Westphalia, roughly between the Ems River in the west and the Weser River in the east.



Northern Germany &#8211; People from northern Germany, particularly the southern part of the Jutland Peninsula and around the Elbe and Weser Rivers.



Elbe-Weser Triangle &#8211; People from northwestern Germany, particularly from Bremen and the Elbe-Weser Triangle — a region between the Elbe and Weser Rivers near the North Sea.



German Jutland &#8211; People from the southern part of the Jutland Peninsula, particularly north of the Elbe River. This region was long disputed between Denmark and Germany.&nbsp;



Westphalian Lowlands &#8211; People from the Westphalian Lowlands of western Germany, north of the Rothaar Mountains.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-luxembourg">Luxembourg</h2>



Guttland &#8211; People from Guttland or Bon Pays (&#8220;Good Land&#8221;) – Luxembourg&#8217;s southern and central region, nestled between France and Belgium to the south and west and the Moselle River and Germany to the east. Guttland contains most of the country&#8217;s population and is the economic powerhouse of Luxembourg.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-switzerland">Switzerland</h2>



Bernese Alps and Central Swiss Plateau &#8211; People from the central region of the Swiss Plateau, including the canton of Bern. Known as the Mittelland, the Swiss plateau stretches from the southern slopes of the Jura mountains to the northern tip of the Berner Oberland (or Bernese Highlands), which is home to the breathtaking waterfalls of Lauterbrunnen Valley and the highest peaks in the Bern canton, including the iconic trio of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau.



Northeastern Aare Basin &#8211; People from the northeastern portion of the Aare River basin, centered on the present-day Swiss canton of Aargau (meaning &#8220;Aare province&#8221;) and extending toward Zürich to the west.



Eastern Jura Mountains &#8211; People from the eastern region of the Jura Mountains — where the borders of Switzerland, France, and Germany meet — including the present-day Swiss city of Basel.



Ticino and Grisons &#8211; People from the Italian- and Romansh-speaking regions of Switzerland and northern Italy — particularly the southeastern cantons of Ticino and Grisons — although some also report ancestors in the northwest Swiss canton of Jura.



Limmat Valley and Schaffhausen &#8211; People from Zürich and the surrounding Limmat River Valley, as well as from the northern Swiss canton of Schaffhausen.



Lucerne, Kleine Emme Valley, and Seetal &#8211; People from central Switzerland, particularly the canton of Lucerne.



Muota Valley &#8211; People from the Alpine foothills that surround Lake Lucerne, including the Muota Valley (Muotathal) and extend into the modern-day cantons of Zug, Schwyz, Uri, Nidwalden, and Obwalden.



Pennine Alps &#8211; People from the foothills of the Pennine Alps in southern Romandie (French-speaking western Switzerland), in the modern Swiss canton of Valais, situated on the border with France and Italy.



Thur Valley and Appenzell &#8211; People from the Thur Valley in northeastern Switzerland, stretching from Walensee (Lake Walen) at the southern border of St. Gallen canton to Bodensee (Lake Constance) along the northern Swiss border and extending into neighboring Austria, Lichtenstein, and Germany.



Western Swiss Plateau &#8211; People from the western Swiss Plateau, centered on Vaud canton in the French-speaking Romandie region of western Switzerland and stretching from Lac de Neuchâtel in the north to Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) in the south.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-netherlands">The Netherlands</h2>



Utrecht and Gelderland — People from the central Netherlands, from Arnhem in the east to Amsterdam in the west, with Utrecht at its heart. Connected by a section of the lower Rhine and the Amsterdam-Rhine canal (the world&#8217;s most heavily trafficked artificial waterway), this region includes the northeastern edge of the Randstad — a densely populated crescent-shaped urban belt — and parts of western Gelderland.&nbsp;



Friesland and western Groningen — People from Friesland span from the Ijsselmeer (Lake IJssel) to western Groningen in the northern Netherlands. Frisian, a West Germanic language natively spoken by most of this region&#8217;s population, is closely related to English and is recognized as an official language in the Netherlands alongside Dutch.



Zuidvleugel and Groene Hart—People from Groene Hart and the neighboring Zuidvleugel—the &#8220;south wing&#8221; of a region known as the Randstad, a densely populated, crescent-shaped urban belt spanning from Rotterdam to Amsterdam and beyond in the western Netherlands.



Groningen and northern Drenthe — People from Groningen and northern Drenthe in the northeastern Netherlands, spanning parts of the ancient Germanic Frisian and Frankish Kingdoms. Notably, this region is home to almost all of the Netherlands&#8217; megalithic archaeological sites, in particular the &lt;i&gt;hunebedden&lt;/i&gt; or dolmens — large burial monuments composed of massive boulders that were constructed by the Funnelbeaker people who lived here around 5,000 years ago.



Noord-Brabant and Limburg &#8211; People from the Dutch states of Limburg and Noord-Brabant in the southeastern Netherlands, south of the Netherlands&#8217; three major rivers (the Maas, Waal, and Rhine). Researchers have found a distinct genetic border roughly separating Noord-Brabant and Limburg from the rest of the Netherlands.



North Holland Peninsula &#8211; People from the North Holland peninsula, primarily between Haarlem and Amsterdam in the south to Den Helder in the north.



Central East Netherlands &#8211; People from Overijssel, southern Drenthe, and northern Gelderland in the eastern Netherlands.



Zeeland and South Holland &#8211; People from Zeeland and parts of South Holland near the Rhine-Meuse and Scheldt deltas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-austria-amp-germanic-peoples-in-slovenia">Austria &amp; Germanic Peoples in Slovenia</h2>



Greater Güssing — People from southern Burgenland along Austria&#8217;s border with Hungary, particularly the town of Güssing.



Carnic and Gailtal Alps — People from southern Austria, centered on the Carnic and Gailtal Alps along the border with Italy and stretching east into the Karawanks along the border with Slovenia, in what is now the Austrian state of Carinthia (Kärnten).



Oberösterreich and the Danube Valley &#8211; People from northern Austria, stretching from the western border with Germany through the modern state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) and encompassing parts of the Danube River valley.



Eastern Austrian plains—People from the eastern plains of Austria, including parts of the modern-day states of Lower Austria, Vienna, Burgenland, and Styria. This region stretches from Vienna—Austria&#8217;s culturally vibrant capital city—to Graz, Austria&#8217;s second-largest city, situated along the Mur River in Styria.



Western Austrian Alps &#8211; People from western Austria, stretching from Lichtenstein and eastern Switzerland through the Austrian states of Vorarlberg and Tyrol.



Karawanks &#8211; People from southern Austria and northern Slovenia, centered on the Karawanks and the southern Austrian city of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee.



Ljubljana Basin &#8211; People from the Ljubljana Basin in central Slovenia.



Mur Valley and Salzburg—People from central Austria centered on the Mur Valley in Styria, stretching from Salzburg near the border with Germany to Wolfsburg in the south.



Rinza Valley &#8211; People from southern Slovenia and northern Croatia, especially the Rinza Valley, including the Slovenian town of Ko?evje.Vienna and Northeast Austria &#8211; People from northeastern Austria, extending from Vienna west into Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) and south into the Mürz River Valley.

Germanic Europe Genetic Groups

(Editor&#8217;s note 7/8/2024: This post has been edited and updated since it first posted in 2019.) This new <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">ancestry breakdown</a> in Central and South Asia is currently available to customers on the latest version of our genotyping platform who are signed up for our Beta Program. This update significantly advances Asian DNA testing, offering more detailed and accurate results. 
South Asian people represent around a quarter of the world’s population but are severely underrepresented in global genetic studies. This makes it difficult for companies like 23andMe to build granular genetic ancestry prediction models for their South Asian customers. However, thanks to ongoing feedback from 23andMe customers with South Asian ancestry and outreach efforts such as our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/global-genetics/">Global Genetics Project</a>, we are now testing an extensive update to our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry">Ancestry Composition</a> feature that dramatically improves results for customers with Central and South Asian ancestry.
If you have genetic ancestry from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or Nepal, your 23andMe <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">Ancestry Composition</a> results may have looked something like this:
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26955 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-1024x432.png" alt="23andMe Ancestry Composition Update - Map of Central and South Asia" width="1024" height="432" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-1024x432.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-300x127.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-768x324.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-880x371.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.48-AM-1180x498.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
But now, 23andMe’s updated Ancestry Composition report (currently in beta testing with customers)  breaks down Central &amp; South Asia into seven populations:
<ol>
<li>Central Asian (Afghan, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Pashtun, Pakistani from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Tajik, Uzbek, Turkmen)</li>
<li>Bangladeshi &amp; Northeast Indian (Assamese, Bangladeshi)</li>
<li>Central &amp; Southern Indian (name of group TBD)</li>
<li>Gujarati Patel</li>
<li>Kannadiga, Tamil, Telugu &amp; Sri Lankan</li>
<li>Malayali</li>
<li>North Indian &amp; South Pakistani (Bihari, Burusho, Chhattisgarhi, Goan, Gujarati, Haryanvi, Kashmiri, Madhya Pradeshi, Maharashtrian, Odia, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Sindhi, Uttarakhandi, Uttar Pradeshi).</li>
</ol>
Here is a sample report with updated results. This individual has ancestry from three of the seven populations highlighted on the map.
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26954 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-1024x589.png" alt="23andMe Genetic Clustering Techniques for Central and South Asia" width="1024" height="589" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-1024x589.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-300x173.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-768x442.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-880x506.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-14-at-10.44.04-AM-1180x679.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></h6>
<h2>How did we identify these new genetic regions in Central &amp; South Asia?</h2>
The first step toward increasing the granularity of Ancestry Composition in Central &amp; South Asia and enhancing the precision of our Asian ancestry test was to build a reference dataset from populations within the regions.
We started with publicly available datasets, including the 1000 Genomes Project (Bangladeshis, Gujaratis, Punjabis, Tamils, and Telugu-speakers) and the Human Genome Diversity Project (Burusho and Sindhi). Next, we added research-consented customers who reported that all four of their grandparents were from a country in Central or South Asia. This effort significantly enhances the accuracy of Asian DNA testing by expanding the reference panel used in Ancestry Composition. Previously, the panel included 1,022 South Asian individuals, but this update more than doubles the size of the panel to 2,696, of which 2,164 are 23andMe customers.
After assembling this group of Central and South Asian individuals, we used genetic clustering techniques to identify distinguishable populations. These techniques allow us to generate two-dimensional plots wherein each individual is represented by a single point. Points corresponding to individuals who are genetically similar to one another generally appear close to one another in these plots, forming clouds, or “clusters,” of points.
To figure out which individuals defined each cluster, we colored each data point by the locations, ethnicities, or languages of their ancestors.
Sometimes, a cluster’s label is pretty easy to figure out: for example, here’s an older scatter plot of our European reference individuals (you can find the whole plot with a legend in our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry-composition-guide/">Ancestry Composition Guide</a>), in which we observed that Sardinians form a distinct genetic cluster. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26952 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-1024x739.png" alt="23andMe Genetic Clusters - Scatter Plot of Central and South Asian Populations" width="1024" height="739" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-1024x739.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-300x217.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-768x555.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-880x635.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM-1180x852.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-15-at-12.53.17-PM.png 1986w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
<h2>What about Population Clusters in Central &amp; South Asia?</h2>
In a <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/423632v1">recent study</a>, the authors of a group at McGill University in Montreal identified distinct genetic clusters in South Asia.
In this figure (modified from reference 1), we have removed populations from other world regions for clarity. Note that there are two distinct clusters composed of people who say their ancestors were born in Gujarat. Who are these Gujaratis? And what makes them different from other Gujaratis?
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-26953 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-1024x670.png" alt="23andMe Genetic Clusters - Scatter Plot of Central and South Asian Populations" width="1024" height="670" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-1024x670.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-300x196.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-768x503.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-880x576.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM-1180x772.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Screen-Shot-2019-03-19-at-4.51.08-PM.png 1375w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />
23andMe also identified this distinct group of Gujaratis. Through further analyses, surveys, and confirmation from Beta testers, we determined that most individuals have the last name Patel. The Patels of Gujarat are a large community from western India that primarily descends from agricultural and merchant classes. (The name “Patel” is derived from the name “Patidar,” which means “landowner.”)
One reason this group might be so different from other populations in Gujarat is that a distinctive genetic heritage developed over the centuries as Patels favored marriage within their community. The practice of marrying within a small cultural, religious, or otherwise closely-knit community is called “endogamy,” and distinct genetic populations that form as the result of endogamy are found all around the world (including French Canadian, Armenian, and Ashkenazi Jewish populations among many others).
<h2>What else did we find?</h2>
Another cluster we identified comprises people from Kerala—the southwestern-most state on the Indian mainland. These individuals were genetically distinguishable from the residents of neighboring states in southern India, like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Other groups, like “Central Asian,” “North Indian &amp; Pakistani,” “Bangladeshi &amp; Northeast Indian,” and “Kannadiga, Telugu, Tamil &amp; Sri Lankan,” were more geographically broad. Still, individual customers may be able to see additional granularity in their <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition/broadly_south_asian/">Ancestry Detail Reports</a> (see sample report, below, of a customer with known ancestry from Karnataka).
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-26951 aligncenter" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/AC-39-Sample-Report.png" alt="" width="650" height="338" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/AC-39-Sample-Report.png 512w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/AC-39-Sample-Report-300x156.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" />Finally, there’s a group we’re calling “Central &amp; Southern Indian.” We know they’re genetically distinct, and we have a hypothesis about what makes them distinct. Still, we need our customers’ help to learn more about how people with this genetic ancestry might identify. That’s why our Beta testers’ feedback is so important to us. Your feedback helps us identify solutions, enact them, and make 23andMe features even better for all customers.
It is important to remember that people with ancestry from regions where these populations overlap may see population mixtures in their results. For example, many people from Afghanistan have a combination of “Central Asian,” “North Indian &amp; Pakistani,” and “Western Asian” DNA based on the reference populations chosen for this analysis.
We hope that some of these new genetic populations are now easier to interpret and that you learned something fun about genetic analysis along the way.
At the end of the day, identity is determined by many things, and each customer’s experience is unique when they explore their Ancestry Composition results. With this in mind, we invite you to share your thoughts with us, either through the feedback survey in the Central &amp; South Asian Beta report, or by commenting on the forums.
<h2>Reference:</h2>
<ol>
<li>Diaz-Papkovich A et al. (2018). “Revealing multi-scale population structure in large cohorts.” bioRxiv preprint. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/423632.</li>
</ol>

23andMe Tests New Asian DNA Test Ancestry Breakdown in Central and South Asia

Each year on July 7th, we celebrate World Swahili Language Day, which honors the importance of the Swahili language in unifying African countries during their struggles for independence in the 20th century. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-medieval-swahili-coast">Medieval Swahili Coast</h2>



In celebration, 23andMe is adding a new historical group to our new 23andMe+ Premium™ membership feature, which may genetically connect you to one or more of hundreds of historical people worldwide. 



The new Medieval Swahili Coast historical group consists of 15 historical individuals who lived along the Swahili Coast between the 13th and 20th centuries CE. 



During the 11th-16th centuries, the Swahili civilization flourished along a 2,000-mile-long stretch of coast spanning parts of present-day Kenya, Tanzania, northern Mozambique, southern Somalia, Comoros islands, and northern Madagascar. The Swahili coast served as a center for medieval trade between peoples of African, South Asian, Arabic, and Persian origin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-impact-of-trade-on-language">The Impact of Trade on Language</h2>



These long-distance connections played a critical role in the origins of the Swahili language, also known by its local name, Kiswahili. The Swahili language belongs to the Bantu language family, which consists of approximately 600 different languages spoken across Central, Southern, and Eastern Africa. However, Swahili is notable for having many loanwords borrowed from other languages, particularly Arabic, which comprises over 15 percent of the vocabulary. 



While the impact of medieval long-distance trading connections on the Swahili language is clear, the extent to which these foreign traders impacted the genetics of the medieval Swahili people has long been debated. 



In 2023, researchers sequenced the genomes of 80 historical individuals from sites in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05754-w">six medieval towns along the Swahili coast</a>. This study revealed that prior to 1500 CE, the ancient inhabitants of these coastal towns had a mixture of African and Asian ancestry. 



Further, this mixed ancestry was primarily inherited from female ancestors with African ancestry and male ancestors with Asian (primarily Persian) ancestry. After 1500 CE, the people of the Swahili coast acquired more Arabian-like ancestry, reflecting growing interactions with people from southern Arabia. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more">Learn More</h2>



Through 23andMe&#8217;s Historical Matches feature, which is available to all <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ Premium members</a>, you can find out if you share a genetic connection to 15 of the individuals whose genomes were sequenced as part of this study and learn more about the Medieval Swahili Coast.



Discover <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">all that 23andMe offers here</a>.

An image of a traditional sailing vessel on the coast of Africa.

Do you know about the origins of the Swahili Language?

Editor&#8217;s note: (June 4, 2024) This post has been changed since it was first published.
The Royal House of Habsburg, one of the most powerful dynasties of Medieval and Renaissance Europe, reigned over much of Europe for centuries. But genetic inheritance and the perils of inbreeding may explain their demise.
Like <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/researchers-discover-the-true-identity-of-the-royal-disease">many royal families</a>, their expansion and hold on power came about in part through inter-family marriages. But over time, generation after generation of inbreeding helped contribute to some of the physical ailments that often plagued the family and the distinctive look with their big lower lips, long noses, and the unique “Habsburg jaw.” Research published in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03014460.2019.1687752?scroll=top&amp;needAccess=true&amp;">Annals of Human Biology</a> describes how this inbreeding likely doomed the dynasty.
(We can&#8217;t tell you if you&#8217;re a royal, but you can learn more about your ancestry and family tree with 23andMe&#8217;s DNA Ancestry service or sign up for a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">membership</a> for advanced ancestry reports and features.)<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-27824 size-medium" title="Habsburg Inbreeding" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-236x300.png" alt=" Charles II of Spain, showing the Habsburg jaw, a result of inbreeding
" width="236" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-236x300.png 236w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-768x974.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-807x1024.png 807w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-694x880.png 694w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs-930x1180.png 930w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Habsburgs.png 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 236px) 100vw, 236px" />
<h2>Understanding Consanguinity: Inbreeding&#8217;s Role in Genetic Disorders</h2>
Inbreeding is when two closely related individuals, who inherited some identical segments of DNA from the same ancestor(s), have children. The term genetic counselors typically use for inbreeding is “consanguinity,” which means “of the same blood” and is pronounced, “con-san-gwinity.”
The degree of relationship between the two individuals matters a lot. Children of parents who are brother and sister are more consanguineous (“con-sang-win-us”) than the children of two people who are first cousins. For similar reasons, consanguinity within the same family over multiple generations increases the risk for hereditary disorders in more than one isolated instance of a consanguineous union in a family tree.
Beginning in the early 12th century, they quickly expanded their realm. They did this through a series of strategically executed marriages, from the mountains of Switzerland to a territory that included swaths of Austria, Hungary, Italy, France, and Spain. The Spanish branch of the Habsburg dynasty helped create an empire that reached its apex in the 16th and 17th centuries. They controlled land from the Philippines to the Americas.
Yet the Habsburgs are known not only for controlling vast tracts of Europe but also for maintaining control by rarely marrying outside the dynasty.   
<h2>Habsburg Inbreeding</h2>
By the end of the 17th century, the results of their marital practices had become apparent. Family members had distinctive protruding lips, a high rate of infant mortality and a host of other health problems.
Could the same marital practices that helped bring the Habsburg dynasty to power also have led to its demise?
In <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0005174" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">PLoS One</a>, scientists from Spain&#8217;s University of Santiago de Compostela argue it did. They said that inbreeding so incapacitated the Habsburgs that by the death of King Charles II of Spain in 1700, they were virtually unable to reproduce.
From 1516 to 1700, it has been estimated that over 80% of marriages within the Spanish branch of the Habsburg dynasty were consanguineous. In other words, they were marriages between close blood relatives. These unions often took the form of marriages between first cousins, double-first cousins, and uncles/nieces.   Infant and child mortality rose to 50% among Spanish Habsburgs, much higher than the average for the period.
<h2>The Tragic Reign of Charles II: A Victim of Inbreeding?</h2>
However, the final Habsburg king of Spain, Charles II, was perhaps the most unfortunate result of these unions.   Also known as &#8220;El Hechizado&#8221; (&#8220;The Hexed&#8221;), Charles was severely deformed.   The so-called &#8220;Habsburg Lip&#8221;, a form of mandibular prognathism often seen among members of the Habsburg Dynasty, was so pronounced in Charles&#8217; case. So much so that it was difficult for him to speak.   An enlarged tongue, gastrointestinal problems, mental retardation, and possible growth problems meant that Charles was raised almost as an infant until the age of 10.   Even as he grew older, he was never able to govern effectively.   His rule saw the rapid decline of the Empire, only exacerbated by his death in 1700.
However, there has been little scientific research for all the speculation and anecdotal evidence of the negative impact of inbreeding on the House of Habsburg. So, there is no hard evidence of whether inbreeding actually played a role in the demise of the Hapsburg line.   The authors of this study sought to achieve this goal by examining genealogical information. To do that, they looked at family pedigrees for the eight royal families connected with the Habsburg dynasty.
<h2>Quantifying Royal Inbreeding: The Habsburg Family Tree Analysis</h2>
They analyzed the family pedigrees of over 3,000 individuals spanning 16 generations. They then used this information to calculate the inbreeding coefficient for each family member. The inbreeding coefficient is simply a measure of the chance that someone will receive identical genes from both parents.
Unsurprisingly, the authors found elevated inbreeding coefficients for many Habsburgs.   In fact, the levels increase consistently from the earliest Spanish Habsburgs. This goes from King Philip I (1478-1506) to the last Spanish Habsburg king Charles II.   Some of the Habsburgs &#8211; notably Charles II &#8211; had an inbreeding coefficient nearly twice what one would expect, given the level of relatedness between his mother and father.   In other words, although Charles&#8217; parents were related to each other as uncle and niece, his inbreeding coefficient fell at the same level as someone whose parents were brother and sister.
These unexpectedly high levels indicate consanguineous marriages, like that of Charles&#8217; parents. These unions had been happening along the Habsburg line for hundreds of years. This practice came to a head with the birth of Charles, whose inbreeding coefficient was the highest of all the Spanish Habsburgs. His physical deformities were also the most severe.
Further, the authors argue that Charles&#8217; ill health directly resulted from centuries of consanguineous unions. Expressly, they point to a growth hormone deficiency and severe renal tubular acidosis. These may have accounted for his short stature and many physical deformities and ailments.   These diseases are pretty rare in the general population. But the fact that so many of Charles&#8217; ancestors were related to each other would have increased his chances of inheriting the genes associated with them.   Whether Charles suffered from these specific diseases is still open to interpretation. However, his physical and mental difficulties prevented him from fathering any heirs to the throne.
The Habsburg dynasty in Spain ended when Charles passed away in 1700, a few days shy of his 39th birthday.
<h2>Genetics and Personalized Health in the 21st Century</h2>
The Habsburg dynasty&#8217;s story highlights genetics&#8217; profound impact on health and well-being, a reality that resonates even more strongly in the 21st century. Today, advancements in genetic research have opened up a new frontier in personalized healthcare.
Understanding one&#8217;s genetic makeup can provide insights into potential health risks, carrier status for certain conditions, and how individuals might respond to different medications. This knowledge empowers individuals to make informed decisions about their health, from lifestyle choices to proactive screenings and treatments.
23andMe, at the forefront of personal genetics, provides individuals with access to this valuable information. While rooted in the past, the Habsburg narrative serves as a compelling reminder of the power of genetics in shaping health outcomes.
Find out if your <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/genetic-health/?_gl=1*1xgbpjj*_ga*MTczMTM3NTg5LjE3MTY0MjQ4MzE.*_ga_G330GF3ZFF*MTcxNjQ0OTk1Ny40LjEuMTcxNjQ1MDA2MC4wLjAuMA..">genetics</a> might Increase your risk for any health conditions with 23andMe.

Ancestry Service — Page 6