We often hear about the &#8220;nature versus nurture&#8221; debate, framing it as a battle between our genes and our environment. But in many cases it&#8217;s not a battle at all, it&#8217;s a partnership. The way our genes impact our health and traits may change depending on our environment.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="684" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-981323210-1024x684.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-30209" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-981323210-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-981323210-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-981323210-768x513.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-981323210-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/GettyImages-981323210-1180x788.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Understanding both &#8220;nature&#8221; and &#8220;nurture&#8221; is especially important when we consider complex skills critical to success in life, like reading. Thanks to the contribution of over a million 23andMe® research participants, a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40991152/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new study</a>, led by scientists from the University of Edinburgh, is helping to untangle how both genes and environment work to shape literacy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-reading-puzzle-nbsp">The Reading Puzzle&nbsp;</h2>



Literacy is a powerful predictor of life outcomes, from education level to income. For decades, researchers have tried to understand the roles genetics and environment play in why some people learn to read and spell more easily than others.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="425" height="282" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/twins.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-392" style="width:309px;height:auto" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/twins.jpg 425w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/twins-300x199.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px" /></figure>



Several <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23725549/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studies</a> of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19076484/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">twins</a> in the United States suggested an interaction between genes and environment. In these studies, how much influence genetics had on reading skills seemed to be higher in families with a higher socioeconomic status. In other words, genetics appeared to have a bigger impact on a child&#8217;s reading ability when they were in a more advantaged environment. This idea is called a gene-by-environment interaction.



However, the evidence of this gene-by-environment interaction was mixed in studies conducted in the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19296213/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Kingdom</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28832969/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Australia</a>. This puzzle led researchers to ask: can we use modern genetic data to test this theory in large, diverse populations?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-approach">A New Approach</h2>



Researchers utilized summary statistics from a 2022 <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/study-identifies-genetic-links-to-dyslexia" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genome-wide association study (GWAS) on dyslexia</a> to construct a polygenic score—a way of estimating someone’s genetic tendency toward a trait by adding up the small effects of thousands of DNA differences.



The team then applied this polygenic score to two large groups of children and adolescents in Australia and the United Kingdom to see if the score&#8217;s effect on reading and spelling skills was moderated by their family&#8217;s socioeconomic status. Socioeconomic status was used as a broad measure of environmental advantage, capturing factors like parental education level and household income.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-was-discovered-two-parallel-paths">What Was Discovered: Two Parallel Paths</h2>



Both the dyslexia polygenic score (nature) and socioeconomic status (nurture) were significant predictors of reading and spelling performance. Together, demographic, genetic, and socioeconomic factors explained between 8% and 11.6% of the variation in reading skills.



However, the study found no interaction effect. Nature and nurture were both important, but they worked in parallel.



This means the influence of a person&#8217;s genetic predisposition was the same, regardless of their family&#8217;s socioeconomic background. In these groups, a higher genetic predisposition for reading provided a similar boost to children from all socioeconomic backgrounds.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-bigger-picture">The Bigger Picture</h2>



This finding is an important reminder to scientists to consider different environments when looking for gene-by-environment interactions. While some earlier US-based studies suggested an interaction, the different environments in these large UK and Australian groups showed a different outcome. Suggesting that both our genes and our environment make their own distinct contributions to the development of this fundamental skill.



Of course, every study has its limitations. The 23andMe research participants who contributed to the original GWAS are a self-selecting group and may not be perfectly representative of the general population. Additionally, only about 5% of 23andMe research participants said they had dyslexia, which is on the lower end of the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18652545/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">commonly cited 5–10% range</a>.



Even so, this large-scale study provides a crucial piece of the puzzle, emphasizing how vital it is to test scientific findings in diverse environments to get the full story.

Nature and Nurture: A New Look at the Genetics of Reading Ability

This week the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) is having its <a href="https://meetings.ashg.org/event/ASHG25/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">annual meeting</a> in Boston. Attending the ASHG annual meeting is about more than just presenting our work, it&#8217;s one way we are working to ensure that the 23andMe® Research Institute contributes to a healthier future for everyone.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Amplifying impact: Sharing our discoveries with a global audience helps our work reach those who can build upon it, accelerating the path from discovery to clinic.</li>



<li>Fostering collaboration: It&#8217;s where we connect with the brightest minds in the field. These conversations spark new ideas and forge partnerships that are essential for tackling complex diseases.</li>



<li>Staying on the cutting edge: Exposure to the latest technologies and unpublished data keeps our research relevant and innovative.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-23andme-research-institute-at-ashg">23andMe Research Institute at ASHG</h2>



For those attending, stop by our posters in the following sessions:



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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15TH 2:30 &#8211; 4:30 PM (Posters; Board #2004W) Sustaining Research Ethics in Times of Change: A Framework from the 23andMe Research Program



presented by Emily DelloRusso, Principal Regulatory Science Manager
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16TH 2:30 &#8211; 4:30 PM (Posters; Board #2035T) Explore23: a privacy-forward, secure, extensible, and easy-to-use web application for exploration of a large genomic research cohort



presented by Julie Granka, Director, Statistical Genetics
</div>



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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17TH 2:30 &#8211; 4:30 PM (Posters; Board #3014F) Learning about a genetic predisposition to depression is psychologically well tolerated among those with high polygenic risk scores



presented by Rebecca Berns, Sr. Product Scientist I, Genomic Health and Sciences
</div>



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Interested in reading more? 23andMe has contributed to <a href="https://research.23andme.com/publications/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more than 300 research publications</a>.

23andMe Research Institute Attending ASHG 2025

Cannabis is already one of the most widely used drugs globally, and its use will likely grow even more as it becomes more socially accepted and legally available. For many the recreational use of cannabis poses few problems, but for as many as a third of users, it becomes problematic developing into an addiction or what scientists call cannabis use disorder. Research suggests that genetics may explain why.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-searching-the-genome-for-clues">Searching the Genome for Clues</h2>



In collaboration with 23andMe Research Institute, researchers at the University of California, San Diego <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-025-03219-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published a study</a> today that found genetic links to cannabis use as well as links to psychiatric, cognitive, and physical health. The researchers used data from more than 130,000 people who consented to participate in 23andMe research. Participants answered survey questions on whether they had ever used cannabis (“lifetime use”) and, for those who had, how often they used it during their heaviest 30-day period (“frequency of use”). The team then conducted genome-wide association studies searching for genetic variants linked to ever trying cannabis and how often people used the drug.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-data-revealed">What the Data Revealed</h2>



Researchers found that having ever used cannabis was associated with two genetic regions: CADM2—a gene <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/scientists-identify-genes-associated-with-cannabis-use" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previously linked</a> to cannabis and other substance use, impulsivity, and risk-taking—and GRM3. While GRM3 has been tied to alcohol use, schizophrenia, and certain personality traits, this is the first time it’s been linked to cannabis use. How often someone used cannabis was associated with a different variant also near CADM2, strengthening this gene’s role in cannabis behaviors. Both having ever used cannabis and how frequently someone used cannabis were genetically linked to other substance use, pain, and psychiatric conditions like depression. Researchers also created polygenic scores—which tally the effects of many different genetic variants—to estimate both the likelihood of ever having used cannabis and the frequency of cannabis use. These polygenic scores were able to replicate associations between cannabis use and substance use and mood disorders in two other independent research datasets (All of Us and BioVU). The researchers also uncovered novel associations with anxiety, celiac disease, HIV, and viral hepatitis.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-this-research-matters">Why This Research Matters</h2>



Most genetic research on cannabis has focused on two points in the spectrum: first use and cannabis use disorder. But the stages in between—like how often someone uses cannabis—are just as important. Studying these “pre-addiction” traits may help determine who is more likely to progress from a casual user to someone with cannabis use disorder. This study was one of the first genome wide association studies to look at traits that may lead to cannabis use disorder.&nbsp;



Traits like frequency of cannabis use can reveal genetic factors that shape vulnerability before addiction develops. Understanding these factors could eventually help predict risk for cannabis use disorder and related health conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-than-just-dna">More Than Just DNA</h2>



Like all research there are some important considerations to keep in mind for this study:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>While this research focused on genetics, many non-genetic factors may also play a significant role in a person&#8217;s likelihood of using cannabis or developing cannabis use disorder.</li>



<li>The study was conducted in people of European descent (based on an analysis of their local genetic ancestry), so the findings may not fully apply to people of other ancestries.</li>



<li>The measure of frequency (use days in a 30-day window) of using cannabis doesn’t capture full patterns such as the duration of regular use or quantity consumed.</li>



<li>While GRM3 is a promising lead, more work is needed to understand how the genetic variant in this region affects cannabis use biology.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-road-ahead">The Road Ahead</h2>



Future research will need to expand to larger and more diverse cohorts and include other cannabis-related traits such as craving, withdrawal, and response to cannabis. Combining genetic insights from multiple stages of cannabis use could:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Improve the discovery of new genetic variants</li>



<li>Help build predictive models for problematic use</li>



<li>Clarify how cannabis genetics intersect with physical and mental health</li>
</ul>



Takeaway: Studying genetic influences on early cannabis use behaviors could eventually help predict risk for cannabis use disorder and related health conditions, and may help shed light on who is most at risk for cannabis use disorder.&nbsp; These findings mark an important step toward understanding the genetics of cannabis use and its health consequences.

New Genetic Insights Into Cannabis Use

<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-study-may-help-identify-and-more-quickly-help-the-60-of-people-with-major-depression-who-do-not-get-relief-from-their-initial-treatments">A new study may help identify and more quickly help the 60% of people with major depression who do not get relief from their initial treatments. </h6>



It is estimated that 60% of patients with major depressive disorder don&#8217;t find relief from their first medication, and as many as one-third develop <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10503923/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treatment-resistant depression</a>, which is often defined as still experiencing symptoms after trying at least two antidepressants.



Researchers at Johnson &amp; Johnson and the 23andMe Research Institute used advanced machine learning techniques to accurately identify those at most risk for treatment-resistant depression, a massive breakthrough for those suffering with this condition.



The groundbreaking research, published this week in the journal <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41028019/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>, used only self-reported information from about 23,000 people who consented to participate in 23andMe research. The model included a total of 101 predictive factors, including such things as age, symptoms that persist between episodes of depression, the duration of episodes of depression, stress levels, and suicidal thoughts. 



Using this predictive model, researchers were able to accurately predict those at the highest risk for treatment-resistant depression 78% of the time, according to the study.&nbsp;



The predictive model did not use either genetics or lab results, just questions that can be easily assessed by a clinician.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why This Matters</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="508" height="531" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/drug-bottle.png" alt="" class="wp-image-34304" style="width:161px;height:auto" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/drug-bottle.png 508w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/drug-bottle-287x300.png 287w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 508px) 100vw, 508px" /></figure>



Typically, antidepressants used to treat major depression take a little time to work, up to a month or a month and a half. When a treatment does not work, clinicians often prescribe an alternative medication. When someone with depression fails to respond to at least two different medications, they are deemed to have treatment-resistant depression. In many cases, it can take around a year for someone to finally be diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression.



That long delay in finding effective treatment has a cost, not just in the time it takes to identify treatment but in the prolonged suffering for those in the throes of depression, unable to get relief.&nbsp;



The promise of the kind of predictive modeling described in this new study is that it would give both people with depression and clinicians who treat them a tool to flag those who might not respond to standard therapies.



Instead of waiting to see if initial treatments are effective, it may accelerate the process of finding alternatives. Additionally, this predictive model only utilizes patient-reported information; no expensive testing is required.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">More About the Predictive Model</h2>



The model identified eight primary factors that predict treatment resistance, as reported by research participants. Each offers different dimensions of their depression.



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Participants reported on the different symptoms that persisted between the episodes of depression. They reported on how long each episode of depression lasted, and how many years they&#8217;d experienced these periodic episodes. Also included in the self-reported data were levels of stress, or whether they had recurring post-traumatic stress, and two critical factors that looked at more external stressors and life events. Also factored into the modeling was a participant&#8217;s age and whether they had suicidal thoughts. Finally, the model included the self-reported timing between episodes of depression, which was significant when the time between episodes was shorter.



Using these factors and advanced machine learning the researchers were able to accurately distinguish between those who were treatment-resistant and those who responded to treatment. An accurate way to identify if someone will or will not respond to treatment could translate into meaningful clinical benefits. It could mean the difference between waiting months for effective treatment instead of years.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">More Personalized Depression Care</h2>



This research represents a crucial step toward more personalized mental health treatment and a move away from a &#8220;one-size-fits-all&#8221; approach to treatment of depression.&nbsp;



For the millions of people living with depression, this work represents a path toward precision care, shortening the time to effective treatment and improving quality of life.



The future of depression treatment lies not just in developing new medications, but in better understanding who needs what treatment when. This predictive model brings us measurably closer to that goal, promising a world where effective depression treatment is not a matter of luck, but of precision.



If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, please reach out to a mental health professional. The <a href="https://988lifeline.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Suicide Prevention Lifeline</a> (988) provides 24/7 support for those in crisis.

Predicting Treatment-Resistant Depression Using the 23andMe Survey Data

Every year on the third Saturday in October, the world celebrates International Archaeology Day, recognizing the important contributions archaeological research makes to society. This year, to celebrate, we&#8217;re spotlighting one of our favorite archaeological mysteries in the <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmes-historic-matches" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Historical Matches</a>SM feature—the skeletons of Roopkund Lake.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-about-roopkund-lake">About Roopkund Lake</h2>



Roopkund Lake is a small glacial lake located over 5,000 meters (over 16,000 ft) above sea level in the Nanda Devi National Park, in the Indian Himalayas. In 1942, a forest ranger patrolling the park stumbled upon a chilling scene: hundreds of skeletal remains strewn around the lake. The site has captivated researchers and locals alike ever since.



The mystery of who these individuals were, how they died, and why they were in such a remote and inhospitable location has sparked decades of speculation. Some early researchers proposed that the remains belonged to an army that had lost its way in the mountains, while others suggested they might have been traders following a trans-Himalayan route that had since vanished. A few archaeologists posited that they were pilgrims traveling to nearby shrines, possibly part of the ancient Nanda Devi Raj Jat, a religious procession spanning ~290 kilometers (~180 miles) that is still undertaken in the region every 12 years.



The identification of women and children among the dead, however, made some of the proposed explanations less plausible–especially the claim that they may have been members of an army. Without weapons, trade goods, or written records, no single theory could fully account for the diversity and composition of the group. Local folklore offered its own interpretation: a king, his family, and attendants on a pilgrimage to honor the mountain goddess Nanda Devi had violated sacred protocol and were struck down by a deadly hailstorm in divine retribution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-exciting-23andme-connection">An exciting 23andMe connection</h2>



<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31431628/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">In 2019</a>, scientists sequenced the genomes of 38 individuals from Roopkund Lake in an effort to better understand the origins of the mysterious remains. But instead of resolving this longstanding mystery, their findings uncovered an even more complex puzzle. 



So what makes this story one of 23andMe’s favorite archaeological mysteries? That 2019 research study was actually led by our very own Dr. Éadaoin Harney—a Scientist on the Population Genetics R&amp;D Team and 23andMe’s “resident ancient DNA expert.” She worked on this study during her PhD at Harvard University where she was a member of Prof. David Reich’s ancient DNA laboratories–one of the largest ancient DNA research laboratories in the world.



“When I first started working with the Roopkund ancient DNA data, I thought that genetics would be a simple and straightforward way to finally help solve the mystery of who they were,” said Dr. Harney. But she was in for a big surprise! “The first hint that this wasn’t going to be as simple as I initially thought was when we discovered how ancestrally diverse the Roopkund individuals were. Then we learned that they didn’t all die at the same time, as had previously been believed. Instead radiocarbon dates generated from the bones spanned over 1,000 years.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-dna-adds-to-the-mystery">How DNA adds to the mystery</h2>



The 2019 genetic analysis showed that the individuals fell into three distinct genetic groups, with ancestries from across the globe.



The largest group (which we’ll refer to as Roopkund A) consisted of 23 individuals who died between the 7th and 10th centuries CE, likely during multiple distinct events. Genetically, all appeared South Asian, but with remarkably diverse ancestries–each individual appeared most closely related to different present-day South Asian populations. This finding suggests that they may have traveled to the lake from multiple locations across the subcontinent. Although the exact purpose of their journey to Roopkund Lake remains uncertain, some researchers speculate that they may have been early participants in the Nanda Devi Raj Jat, a traditional pilgrimage that still passes by the lake every 12 years.



The other two groups were even more surprising. One group (Roopkund B) consisted of 14 individuals whose DNA connected them to present-day populations from the eastern Mediterranean—particularly populations in Greece and neighboring regions. The third group (Roopkund C) was represented by a single individual with genetic ancestry most similar to Southeast Asian populations. Radiocarbon dating revealed that these individuals likely died in a single event some time between the 17th and 20th centuries. Why people with ancestry from such distant regions were traveling together in one of the most remote parts of the Himalayas remains a mystery to this day.



Dr. Harney joined 23andMe in 2020 with the goal of creating an approach to identify direct genetic connections between historical and living people. She and her colleagues on the Population Genetics R&amp;D Team succeeded! This technology was first described in their <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10958645/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2023 study of African Americans from Catoctin Furnace</a>, which was published in (and featured on the cover of) Science. She then helped spearhead the creation of the 23andMe Historical Matches feature, enabling customers to learn how they connect to different historical and ancient individuals.



Over the last five years, one of her secret ambitions was to use this technology to try and finally solve the mystery of the Roopkund individuals&#8217; identities. Could identifying any close genetic relatives of the Roopkund individuals in the 23andMe genetic database help us learn about their identities and answer what brought them to Roopkund?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-did-we-solve-the-mystery">Did we solve the mystery?</h2>



We compared the Roopkund individuals to over 11 million research consenting participants in the 23andMe genetic database. While we were hoping this analysis would reveal a number of close genetic relatives, unfortunately, the mystery of Roopkund Lake lives on.



We found that only about 1,240 research participants—less than 0.011% of the individuals included in our analysis—share any sort of genetic connection to the Roopkund individuals. And of those participants, we can count the number of individuals who share over 30 cM of DNA (what we label a “significant genetic connection” in the Historical Matches feature) on just one hand. In fact, we found so few &#8220;significant relatives” that the chances any of those connections trace back to a recent shared common ancestor on a genealogical family tree are extremely slim.



(Although if you happen to be one of those lucky individuals who sees a “significant connection” listed to one of the Roopkund individuals in your 23andMe report, please <a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/requests/new" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reach out to us</a>, as we’d love to learn more!)



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-else-did-we-discover">What else did we discover?</h2>



So, we didn’t solve the mystery of who the Roopkund individuals were, but we did gather fascinating data about their connections to the present day.



First, here is a breakdown of the 17 Roopkund individuals whose DNA was well preserved enough to include in our analyses:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>8 from Roopkund A (South Asian ancestry)</li>



<li>8 from Roopkund B (Eastern Mediterranean ancestry)</li>



<li>1 from Roopkund C (Southeast Asian ancestry)</li>
</ul>



As we mentioned, about 1,240 23andMe research participants shared a genetic connection to the Roopkund individuals. The figure below shows the number of matches each Roopkund group received and highlights the amount of DNA shared. As you can see, the vast majority of the connections we discovered involve less than 20 cM of DNA, meaning that they likely trace back to a shared common ancestor who lived long before any of the Roopkund individuals.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="411" height="252" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-34359" style="width:625px;height:auto" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-3.png 411w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-3-300x184.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 411px) 100vw, 411px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This figure shows the distribution of total shared DNA that we detected between 23andMe research participants and each of the Roopkund groups (A, B and C). It shows that the vast majority of the connections we identified are to individuals in the Roopkund B group, and the DNA segments they share are shorter than 15 cM. In order to protect participant privacy, all counts less than or equal to 5 are masked and appear equal to 5. </figcaption></figure>



Of those who share a genetic connection, the majority (~1,160) shared a connection to one or more individuals in the Roopkund B group—the one with Eastern Mediterranean-related ancestry. This didn&#8217;t surprise us, since the majority of 23andMe research participants have European ancestry, making them more likely to be related to the Roopkund B individuals.



In addition to occurring more frequently, the Roopkund B individuals also shared some of the strongest genetic connections to 23andMe research participants, as shown in the figure below which depicts the maximum amount of DNA that each Roopkund individual shared with a research participant.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="643" height="448" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-34360" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-4.png 643w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-4-300x209.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 643px) 100vw, 643px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This figure shows the maximum amount of shared DNA that we detected between 23andMe research participants and each of the Roopkund individuals. The individuals are arranged along the x-axis by when they lived, as measured by radiocarbon dating. We masked this result for Roopkund individuals who shared DNA with 5 or fewer 23andMe research participants in order to protect participant privacy, and reported maximum DNA sharing as equal to 0.</figcaption></figure>



We decided to see what Genetic Groups the Roopkund individuals could be connected to, using the same approach that we use to connect customers to these Genetic Groups.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Many of the Roopkund B individuals received matches to Genetic Groups in south eastern Europe, with the strongest connections to groups in Greece and Crete–exactly mirroring the findings of the original study!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="849" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_b_2-1024x849.png" alt="" class="wp-image-34352" style="width:575px" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_b_2-1024x849.png 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_b_2-300x249.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_b_2-768x636.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_b_2-880x729.png 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_b_2-1180x978.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This map shows the location of the different Genetic Groups that we compared the Roopkund B individuals to. Groups shown in darker colors shared the strongest genetic matches to one or more of the Roopkund B individuals.</figcaption></figure>



Since the Roopkund A and Roopkund C individuals shared far fewer genetic connections to 23andMe research participants, it was hard to localize their ancestry in the same way. But we were able to connect the Roopkund C individual to a single Genetic Group, located in China. This finding is generally consistent with the original study, where this individual exhibited connections to populations in East and Southeast Asia.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="874" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_c_2-1024x874.png" alt="" class="wp-image-34353" style="width:592px;height:auto" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_c_2-1024x874.png 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_c_2-300x256.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_c_2-768x655.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_c_2-880x751.png 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/roopkund_c_2-1180x1007.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">This map shows the location of the different Genetic Groups that we compared the Roopkund C individual to. Groups shown in darker colors shared the strongest genetic matches to the Roopkund C individual.</figcaption></figure>



We couldn’t connect the Roopkund A individuals to any of the Genetic Groups that we have identified. That doesn’t mean they aren’t genetically related to any of these groups. Instead it is likely just because the original research team was only able to sequence a small amount of DNA from these individuals, making it harder to connect them to research participants in the 23andMe database.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next">What’s Next?</h2>



So for now, all we can say is that the mystery of Roopkund Lake continues. But we promise this archaeological site is one that is close to our hearts. If we have any updates in the future, we’ll be sure to let you know.



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



Want to see if you share a genetic connection with any of the individuals who died at Roopkund Lake—or hundreds of other historical people? The Historical Matches feature is available to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">23andMe+ Premium</a>™ members.



And if you are interested in finding ways to celebrate International Archaeology Day, check out organizations like the Archaeological Institute of America, which has an exciting <a href="https://www.archaeological.org/events/category/international-archaeology-day/list/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">calendar of Archaeology-related events</a>.

New Historical Matches Could Connect You to the Mysterious Skeletons of Roopkund Lake

This update is currently available to all eligible customers on the latest, V5, genotyping chip. 



The 23andMe Ancestry Team has been working hard on <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/a-major-update-to-ancestry-composition-is-coming-soon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a major update to the Ancestry Composition report</a>, and results are now available! Our goal is to provide the most accurate and meaningful genetic ancestry results in the industry. We ground our models in rigorous science, guided by established population genetics research, to ensure your results are consistent, reliable, and can help guide your personal journey of discovery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-changes-you-ll-see">What changes you&#8217;ll see</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>New granularity in your ancestry percentages: 33 new populations in Europe and 6 in the Americas to explore. Plus we&#8217;ve updated our algorithm to eliminate “Broadly” and “Unassigned” categories in the default results view.&nbsp;</li>



<li>More accurate results: A new state-of-the-art DNA phasing pipeline reduces errors and gives a more accurate estimate of your percentages, even if your ancestry isn&#8217;t from Europe or the Americas.&nbsp;</li>



<li>New features: A new “Version History” section lets you compare your new results to your previous result, and <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">23andMe+ Premium</a>™ members can also access all previous versions of their results at different confidence thresholds.</li>
</ul>



This update powers your Ancestry Composition, Ancestry Timeline, Parental Inheritance, DNA Painting, and more.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-our-focus-for-this-update">Our focus for this update</h2>



For this update we focused on improving the entire Ancestry Composition pipeline integrating the latest research. Throughout the rounds of development we look at two major metrics: precision and recall. Precision lets us know how often we correctly predict that a piece of DNA is from a specific population. Recall tells us how much DNA from a specific population we can correctly identify. Working to maximize both precision and recall is critical to making Ancestry Composition and other ancestry features as accurate as possible.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="366" height="368" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AC78_wheel.png" alt="" class="wp-image-34276" style="width:170px;height:auto" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AC78_wheel.png 366w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AC78_wheel-298x300.png 298w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AC78_wheel-150x150.png 150w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/AC78_wheel-271x271.png 271w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 366px) 100vw, 366px" /></figure>



The final models in this update had good precision and recall across the new populations, ensuring the accuracy of the ancestry breakdown predictions while also expanding the specificity and granularity of the populations. One example of the improvements gained by this update is the reduced amount of North Asian ancestry predicted for some Indigenous North American customers. You can learn more about the development process and see precision and recall metrics for each population in the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry-composition-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ancestry Composition Guide</a>.



While this update focused on increasing granularity in Europe and the Americas, customers from other parts of the world will still benefit thanks to the improvements to the science and the removal of broadly and unassigned ancestry.



<a href="https://you.23andme.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sign in</a> and check out your new results.&nbsp;



Not yet a 23andMe member? Learn more about what <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">23andMe has to offer</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-questions-you-might-be-wondering-about">Some questions you might be wondering about</h2>



Why are certain populations combined?



To define the 78 Ancestry Composition populations, we analyzed the reference datasets, chose candidate populations that appeared to cluster together, and then evaluated whether we can distinguish those groups in practice. Some populations tend to cluster on their own, but most country-level populations overlap to some degree. In these cases, we experiment with different groupings of country-level populations to find combinations that we can distinguish with high confidence. Check out the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry-composition-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ancestry Composition Guide</a> to learn more.



Does this mean that the people in those groups are the same? No. Each group has its own history, culture, and often different languages. These groupings are a reflection of our current genetic understanding and scientific methods, not a statement about cultural identity.



Does this mean DNA that is assigned to these populations is from all groups? Not necessarily. For example, DNA assigned to the Belarusian, Polish &amp; Ukrainian group might mean your ancestors were from one, two, or all three of those country-level populations. Sometimes other information from your DNA, such as your Genetic Groups, might help you identify more specific locations your ancestors may have come from.&nbsp;



Why are some reference panels smaller than before?



A reference panel, or a reference population or reference dataset, is a collection of DNA samples from people with some common connection. We compare your DNA to these reference panels to determine which ancestry most closely corresponds to your DNA. We often use 23andMe research participants who tell us they have four grandparents all born in the same country for reference panels.



However, sometimes when we look at the ancestry prediction for individuals in a reference panel for a specific population a few individuals don&#8217;t end up being predicted to have a reasonably large percentage of their DNA from that population. These individuals are considered outliers. As part of this update we systematically reviewed our reference panels around the world to remove these outliers. But don&#8217;t worry; even though some reference panels might be smaller, we still check that the models perform as well as (or better than) before for people with ancestry from these regions.&nbsp;



Why is there no Indigenous Caribbean population?



To define a new ancestry population we need reference panels made up of individuals who have deep genetic roots from one place. However, many individuals from the Caribbean are highly admixed (“admixture” refers to places where there was mixing of previously separate populations). This makes it incredibly difficult to identify a sufficient number of individuals with primarily indigenous DNA from the Caribbean. The reference panels for the new Indigenous American populations are almost entirely unadmixed, which is why we are able to provide ancestry percentages for these populations.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="502" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/avg_ancestry_caribbean-1024x502.png" alt="" class="wp-image-27359" style="width:371px;height:auto" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/avg_ancestry_caribbean-1024x502.png 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/avg_ancestry_caribbean-300x147.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/avg_ancestry_caribbean-768x376.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/avg_ancestry_caribbean-880x431.png 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/avg_ancestry_caribbean-1180x578.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



So where does Indigenous Caribbean ancestry show up? We tend to see that Indigenous American ancestry in individuals from the Caribbean is spread among several of the new Indigenous American populations (especially North American, Southern Mesoamerican, Central Andean &amp; Amazonian, and Northern Andean).



Does this mean Indigenous Caribbean ancestors came from those places? Not necessarily. It simply means that of the options available today, those populations are the closest genetic match.&nbsp;



Why weren&#8217;t other parts of the world updated?



While we would love to be able to make major updates around the world more frequently, each new population requires new reference data and major updates in the prediction models. Throughout the years we have increased the number of populations across the rest of the world; however, we have not updated the populations in Europe since 2012. This update was an important opportunity to provide more detail in Europe and the Americas.



We will continue to work towards providing more specificity and granularity around the world in your ancestry percentages as well as Genetic Groups (keep an eye out over the next few months for new Genetic Groups in Africa), <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmes-historic-matches" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Historical Matches</a>SM, and other features.



Why did the colors change?



Adding 39 new colors to the color palette was quite the task for the 23andMe Design Team. The team took this opportunity to think about the colors holistically, coming up with a new system that provides a gradient across the world, allowing for nearby populations that are closer together geographically to be represented by more similar colors, while at the same time providing a system that can work for more populations in the future.



Who will get this update?



All customers genotyped on the current (V5) chip and with access to the ancestry service will see this update. A genotyping chip (or array) tests for a fixed set of genetic variants (SNPs) across the genome. Different chip versions (V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, etc.) test for different sets of SNPs. More recent chips often include better coverage for certain populations, recently discovered variants, or better genetic markers that help improve ancestry?composition algorithms or detect health?associated variants.



Ancestry Composition is trained on specific genotyping chip versions, and these latest models were only trained on the latest chip version. The models are incompatible with data from older genotyping chips, as older chips don’t include most of the genetic markers used by these new ancestry models. More recent chip versions are also designed with better coverage for diverse populations. If you&#8217;re on an older chip version (or not sure which chip version you have) learn about chip upgrades <a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025014494-How-Do-I-Upgrade-My-Genotyping-Chip" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.



What happens if my family deleted data and I want to connect with them?



When you connect with a biological parent through Your Connections, we use the additional information we learn from your parents&#8217; DNA to improve the resolution of your Ancestry Composition results. You will also be able to see the proportions of each ancestry that you inherited from each parent in the Parental Inheritance section in your Ancestry Composition report. If a family member has deleted their account they will need to purchase a new kit and create a new account before you can connect with them.

It’s Finally Here: A New Version of Ancestry Composition

Each year from September 15–October 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of people from Spain, Latin America, and other Spanish-speaking communities. To mark the occasion, we’re highlighting a remarkable ancient DNA study from Las Gobas, a medieval site in northern Spain that sheds new light on life in early Iberia, which comprises present-day Spain and Portugal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-setting-the-scene-iberia-in-the-early-medieval-period">Setting the Scene: Iberia in the Early Medieval Period</h2>



From the 5th to 8th centuries CE, Iberia was ruled by the Visigoths, a Germanic people who established power after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. In 711 CE, their kingdom collapsed after the Umayyads—an Islamic dynasty with roots in Arabia and North Africa—invaded and established the Emirate (and later the Caliphate) of Córdoba. This new state controlled much of Iberia, along with the Balearic Islands and parts of North Africa.



In the mountainous north, however, many communities retained their independence and Christian traditions, even as the rest of the Iberian peninsula underwent profound cultural and political change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-at-las-gobas">Life at Las Gobas</h2>



Las Gobas, located in today’s province of Burgos in northern Spain, consists of 13 rock-cut caves and several freestanding structures. Beginning in the 7th century, it served as a mixed-use settlement with homes, a Christian church, and a cemetery. By the late 9th century, the residential area was abandoned, but the site continued to be used as a burial ground and place of worship until the 11th century.



<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39196943/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">In 2024</a>, researchers analyzed DNA from 33 individuals buried at Las Gobas. They discovered that the community’s ancestry remained surprisingly stable over the centuries, with little evidence of genetic influence from the Islamic expansion that reshaped much of Iberia.



Why was Las Gobas different? Their DNA offered a clue. Many individuals carried stretches of identical DNA inherited from both parents—patterns that often occur in small, insular populations with limited outside contact. This genetic isolation likely helped shield the community from broader population shifts happening elsewhere.



The study also revealed striking details about life at Las Gobas:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Inbreeding: The DNA of several individuals showed evidence that their parents were close relatives; likely first cousins or closer.</li>



<li>Disease: DNA evidence showed infections from multiple pathogens, including what may be one of the earliest documented cases of smallpox in northern Iberia.</li>



<li>Violence: Skeletal remains showed signs of traumatic injuries, likely from swords—evidence of interpersonal conflict or warfare.</li>
</ul>



Taken together, the findings paint a vivid—and sometimes harsh—picture of life more than a thousand years ago in a small, tightly knit community in northern Spain.



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



Want to see if you share a genetic connection with these newly added individuals from Las Gobas—or hundreds of other historical people? The <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andmes-historic-matches" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Historical Matches</a>SM feature is available to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">23andMe+ Premium</a>™ members.

New Historical Matches Could Connect You to the Medieval Iberian Site of Las Gobas

<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/ancestry-composition-version-7-is-here" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">This update</a> is currently available to all eligible customers on the latest, V5, genotyping chip.



23andMe’s flagship Ancestry Composition algorithm was last updated in 2022, when three new reference populations were added in China. Since then, the 23andMe Ancestry Team has focused on improving the specificity of reference populations and updating the methods underlying this state-of-the art algorithm. The result? More specificity and accuracy in the ancestry breakdowns we provide.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="508" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ac-omega-map-correc-1024x508.png" alt="" class="wp-image-34246" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ac-omega-map-correc-1024x508.png 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ac-omega-map-correc-300x149.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ac-omega-map-correc-768x381.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ac-omega-map-correc-880x437.png 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Ac-omega-map-correc-1180x585.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



The project, Version 7 of Ancestry Composition, is the most significant update to the feature ever.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-improved-algorithm-expanded-populations-better-results">Improved algorithm, expanded populations, better results</h2>



Over the last few months, we’ve been hard at work finalizing the details on this major update to your favorite report: Ancestry Composition.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="499" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-3-1024x499.png" alt="" class="wp-image-34237" style="width:537px;height:auto" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-3-1024x499.png 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-3-300x146.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-3-768x374.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-3-880x429.png 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-3-1180x575.png 1180w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-3.png 1600w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Here’s what we&#8217;ve been working on:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Better breakdowns in Europe and the Americas: Thanks mainly to consented 23andMe research participants we&#8217;ve been able to expand the number of unique populations in our reference datasets. Reference datasets are collections of DNA samples from people with deep roots in a specific part of the world. It&#8217;s what is needed to compare each piece of your DNA to in order to determine where in the world that DNA most likely came from. What this means is we’re launching with nearly four times the resolution in Europe and six new populations in the Americas. We also took the opportunity to refine reference datasets from around the world, making them more specific to each global population.</li>



<li>Enhanced Accuracy: The accuracy of these new ancestry results are greatly improved by using our <a href="https://www.cell.com/hgg-advances/fulltext/S2666-2477(25)00082-X" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recently published</a>, state-of-the-art DNA phasing method. You could think of phasing as sorting which DNA you inherited from each parent. Reducing errors in phasing means a more accurate estimate of your ancestry percentages and better <a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/212860507-Chromosome-Painting-23andMe-Ancestry-Results" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DNA Painting</a>.&nbsp;</li>



<li>Elimination of Broadly and Unassigned DNA: We are updating our algorithm to report the most likely assignment for a given stretch of DNA rather than at a fixed confidence threshold. This will have the benefit of eliminating &#8220;Broadly&#8221; and &#8220;Unassigned&#8221; categories in the default results view. You will still be able to view your results at different confidence thresholds in the Version History section.</li>



<li>Better Error Detection: We&#8217;ve upgraded our smoother to better filter out erroneous trace ancestries between two larger blocks of ancestry. See our <a href="https://www.23andme.com/ancestry-composition-guide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ancestry Composition Guide</a> for more information about the current smoother.</li>



<li>Version History: Compare your new results to your old ones in a new &#8220;Version History&#8221; section. <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">23andMe+ Premium</a>™ members will also be able to access previous versions at different confidence settings.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-new-reference-populations-nbsp">What are the new reference populations?&nbsp;</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>33 new ancestry populations in Europe are coming: Albanian &amp; Macedonian; Andalusian, Asturian &amp; Castilian; Aragonese &amp; Catalan; Austrian &amp; Southern German; Basque; Belarusian, Polish &amp; Ukrainian; Belgian, Rhinelander &amp; Southern Dutch; Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin &amp; Serbian; Bulgarian, Moldovan &amp; Romanian; Canary Islander; Czech, Hungarian, Slovak &amp; Southern Polish; Danish; Dutch &amp; Northern German; English; Estonian; Finnish; French; Greek; Icelandic; Irish; Kosovar &amp; Northern Albanian; Latvian; Lithuanian; Maltese; Northern Italian; Norwegian; Portuguese &amp; Galician; Russian; Sardinian; Scottish; Slovenian; Southern Italian; Swedish; Swiss, Southwestern German &amp; Western Austrian; Welsh</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="840" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/europe_map-1024x840.png" alt="" class="wp-image-34262" style="width:523px;height:auto" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/europe_map-1024x840.png 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/europe_map-300x246.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/europe_map-768x630.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/europe_map-880x722.png 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/europe_map.png 1101w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Indigenous American will be broken into 6 new ancestry populations: Arctic North American, Central Andean &amp; Amazonian, North American, Northern Andean, Southern Mesoamerican, and Western North American</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="562" height="393" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-34236" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-2.png 562w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/image-2-300x210.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 562px) 100vw, 562px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-dna-story-now-clearer-across-time-place-and-family">Your DNA story, now clearer across time, place, and family</h2>



These updates, drawn from sharper science and richer data, power everything you use to explore your ancestry, including Ancestry Timeline, Parental Inheritance, DNA Painting, and more. This builds on the world’s most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market with over 4,000 regions, helping you experience the life-changing power of DNA by tracing where your ancestors lived and what they passed on to you.



Ancestry Composition, Version 7. More precision. More connection. More you.



This is a massive project for us and a chance to get back to our roots by digging deeper into yours. We’re thrilled you’re as excited as we are.



The 23andMe Ancestry Team

A Major Update to Ancestry Composition

National Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month: Highlighting Customer Stories

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/All-the-siblings-1024x768.jpg" alt="Image of Jenn and her three half siblings" class="wp-image-33542" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/All-the-siblings-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/All-the-siblings-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/All-the-siblings-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/All-the-siblings-880x660.jpg 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/All-the-siblings.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jenn (far left) and her half siblings (from left) Joe, Mechele &#038; Lisa</figcaption></figure>



They were strangers to Jenn, so as she prepared for her first in-person meeting with her newly found brother and two sisters, her anxiety rose.



“Of course, I was nervous,” said Jenn, a 46-year-old who works in a New York real estate office. “I went over everything that can go wrong, you know, especially because of what happened when I reached out to my birth mother.”



That was in 2019. The state of New York had just opened adoption records. Jenn found the identity of her birth mother, carefully crafted a letter to her, and included photos of herself as a child and another one of her as an adult. Jenn didn’t want anything from her birth mother; she just wanted to connect. Instead of an embrace, she got the kind of response many adoptees fear the most.



“She doesn’t want to have anything to do with me,” Jenn said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-you-have-daddy-s-eyes">‘You Have Daddy’s Eyes’</h2>



So, five years later, after connecting through 23andMe to three half-siblings on her birth father’s side, Jenn was all butterflies. Then she walked into the pizza parlor where she’d be meeting Joe, Lisa, and Mechele. She heard Lisa say, “Welcome baby sister,” and she then got her first group hug.



“Sometimes when you meet someone for the first time, you’re nervous and you hold something of yourself back,” Jenn said. “There was none of that. It’s crazy how easily we got along.”



At one point, one of her siblings said, “You have daddy’s eyes.”



One minute, they were four strangers meeting for the first time; the next, they were family.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="360" height="480" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jenn-and-sister-.jpg" alt="Jenn and half-sister Mechele" class="wp-image-33543" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jenn-and-sister-.jpg 360w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jenn-and-sister--225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 360px) 100vw, 360px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jenn and Mechele</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creating-family-memories">Creating Family Memories</h2>



That was on January 26th, 2024, the 30th anniversary of their father’s death. Their bonds with each other have only grown since then, including a bigger family reunion in August and plans to gather again for the holidays this year.



“I am looking forward to creating memories with my family and learning more and more about our father,” said Jenn. “23andMe was a blessing, and we are so very grateful for the opportunity to make our family complete.”



Getting to the point where she could sit at this much, much bigger family table this holiday season wasn’t easy. It was 46 years in the making.



Jenn, and her brother, were adopted from different families, but they always felt lucky to have a mom that loved them unconditionally.



“When I say, ‘my mom,’ I mean the woman who raised me,” Jenn said. “She is my mother.”



That’s never going to change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-losing-mom">Losing Mom</h2>



When, as young kids, she and her brother learned that they’d been adopted, they didn’t tell their mom.



“I couldn&#8217;t even think about looking for (my birth parents) while she was here because it would have broken her,” Jenn said. “I would not do that.”



For Jenn, being adopted felt special. She believed that unlike other kids who just get the parents they’re born to, she and her brother had been chosen by their parents, and they won the parent lottery with their mom.



“She was my world,” Jenn said, her voice filled with emotion.



When their mom died in 1997, Jenn was devastated. She was 19.



It would be a long time before she’d start searching for where she came from and who her birth parents might have been. It wasn’t so much to make a connection but more about trying to understand herself and her story.



“I wanted to know where I came from and who I was,” she said.



She loved her mom and loves her brother, but she also felt different.



“Growing up, my mom was very quiet, very calm, cool, and collected,” Jenn said. “My brother is also like that, and here I come along and I’m loud, I&#8217;m fresh. I’m the person at the party saying &#8216;let&#8217;s dance.’ I wanted to know why I was that way.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taking-a-chance-at-finding-family">Taking a Chance at Finding Family</h2>



Her first quest in 2019 started with getting ahold of her adoption records in New York and ended in rejection. She thought that was the end to her search for family.



“I closed the book on all that,” she said.



In 2017 she used 23andMe, but it wasn’t to find her family. She wanted to learn more about her ethnicity. She learned she was mostly British and Irish and had some German ancestry. She had some very distant cousins that popped up, but she didn’t really think about family connections. Then she got an email in December of 2023 notifying her that a relative had messaged her on 23andMe.



It was a message from Joe.



She scrolled down, saw his photo and that he was predicted to be a half-brother.



“I dropped my phone,” she said.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="240" height="320" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jenn-and-Joe.jpg" alt="Jenn and half-sibling Joe" class="wp-image-33544" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jenn-and-Joe.jpg 240w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Jenn-and-Joe-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jenn and Joe</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meeting-for-the-first-time">Meeting for the First Time</h2>



They feverishly began exchanging messages. Joe was as eager as she was to learn more. He eventually asked if he could loop in his sisters. Jenn thought, “Wait, I have sisters.” Then using Facebook, she was able to put more faces to names.



Along with Joe, there was Mechele and Lisa. They all had questions for her as well. Their dad had divorced from their mom in the early 1970s, and afterward he dated for a while. That’s when Jenn had been conceived, but the three siblings believe their father didn’t know anything about Jenn.



“He had no idea about me,” Jenn said. “Everyone swears that if he knew, he one hundred percent would have looked for me, would have found me, and would have been a part of my life.”



But he never got that chance, and then he died of a heart attack in 1994.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-versus-nurture">Nature Versus Nurture</h2>



Now Jenn is learning about her birth father from her siblings. She’s learning that they all share the same kind of boisterous personality as she does, and odd little things.



“Okay. So here&#8217;s one thing that happened when,” Jenn said offering one example. “We took a picture, all four of us for the first time and we&#8217;re all joking and just kind of sitting there living in the moment. And my sister Mechele goes, ‘Put a leg up!’”



She kicked her leg up and her sister grabbed it for the photo.



“I stopped for a second and she said, ‘Wait, what happened?’” Jenn said. “They all stopped and looked at me.”



That’s something she’s always doing for photos.



“I looked over at my boyfriend and we&#8217;ve been together for 20 years, and he just shook his head, (because) I do that all the time. I say, ‘Put a leg up!’ and you throw a leg up in the picture.”



It’s such an odd thing to imagine that could be something genetically shared, but it was also so distinctive like something she has always done.



“I was baffled, it’s so weird, but cool, in a cool way,” Jenn said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-people">Your People</h2>



&nbsp;As she gets closer to visiting again with her newfound family for the holidays, Jenn also marvels at how fortunate she has been.



“It’s beautiful, this is my family, and I finally get like, I get it all. I get sisters. I get an extra brother. I don’t know how it was so perfect or how I’m so lucky. But I am. I’m the luckiest person in the world.”



There is no question that they are going to stay in each other’s lives. The family is just bigger now.



Her brother, who she was raised with, saw it too.



“He’s my brother. We’re not blood related, but we were raised together. And he said to me when he saw the photos of that first meeting, he said, ‘Jennifer, those are your people.’”

Image of Jenn and her three half siblings

New Family Gathering This Holiday Season

Bella doesn’t know how it started, but genetics has fascinated her since she was little.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="228" height="300" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bella-Photo-228x300.jpg" alt="A photo of Bella." class="wp-image-33300" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bella-Photo-228x300.jpg 228w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bella-Photo-768x1009.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bella-Photo-779x1024.jpg 779w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bella-Photo-670x880.jpg 670w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bella-Photo-898x1180.jpg 898w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Bella-Photo.jpg 1080w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 228px) 100vw, 228px" /></figure>



“I don’t know what triggered it; it just appealed to me,” said Bella, a 22-year-old college student with a passion for biology.



For Bella, genetics is like a giant puzzle, with scientists still trying to piece it together to reveal something about us as humans or why some people get sick, and others don’t. 



During the pandemic, she devoured details of how scientists used a small piece of messenger RNA, mRNA, to create a vaccine that would produce an immune response and antibodies against COVID-19. She also contemplates what might be possible in the future; as most people know, certain genetic variants can dramatically increase one’s risk for a disease. But Bella likes to imagine discovering genetic variants that might do the opposite and protect one against disease.



“There’s still so much more to discover,” she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-gift-of-knowledge">A Gift of Knowledge</h2>



She soon learned that the same was true about her own genetics. Her mom gifted her a 23andMe Health + Ancestry kit for Christmas one year. Bella thought it was a perfect choice.



“It’s really easy to use and super detailed,” she said.



She was interested in her ancestry because she never knew much about her family tree. It turns out that she’s Turkish, Iranian and Italian. She was also interested in her health reports. She opted in to view the reports, went through a short tutorial, and opened up her reports, including her Cystic Fibrosis Carrier Status Report.*



“I found out I was a carrier of cystic fibrosis,” Bella said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-it-means-to-be-a-carrier">What it Means to Be a Carrier</h2>



Being a carrier does not typically impact your health, and it’s not unusual; depending on ethnicity, between one in 25 and one in 100 people in the United States are carriers for cystic fibrosis. But there is a chance that if you are a carrier and your partner is a carrier, you could have a<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/carrier/cystic-fibrosis/"> child with cystic fibrosis</a>. P



eople with cystic fibrosis inherit variants in the CFTR gene from both parents. It is relatively rare; about 35,000 people in the United States have<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cystic-fibrosis/about/"> cystic fibrosis, according to the CDC</a>. It’s a very serious condition affecting breathing and digestion. There is no cure, but new treatments have helped people with the disease live longer.  



Learning that she was a carrier initially was a big surprise and a little scary. But it triggered some essential family conversations. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planning-ahead">Planning Ahead</h2>



Bella talked to her mom and then contacted her dad to find out if there was any family history of cystic fibrosis. Then she spoke to her older brother and then a cousin. She thought this would be important information for them to know since they might be considering having children.



Her mom told her she was glad she used 23andMe.



“’Now you know,’” Bella’s mom told her.



Knowing meant she could plan ahead if she decided to have children. It would be essential to know if her partner was also a carrier.



&#8220;Knowledge is power!&#8221; Bella said more than once.&nbsp;



&nbsp;She continues to stress the importance of genetic testing and planning for the future.



Learn More



<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/">23andMe Health &amp; Ancestry</a>, <a href="https://www.23andme.com/membership/">23andMe+ Premium</a>, and <a href="https://www.23andme.com/total-health/">23andMe+ Total Health </a>customers can all <a href="https://you.23andme.com/health/carrier_status/">learn about their carrier status here</a>. 



Not yet a customer? Find out more about <a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">all that 23andMe offers here</a>.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-note">Note:</h2>



*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults to report carrier status and reporting and interpreting genetic health risks. The relevance of each report may vary based on ethnicity. 



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’s risk of developing a particular disease later in life. We provide a single report for certain conditions that includes information on carrier status and genetic health risk. 



The Cystic Fibrosis Carrier Status report is indicated for detecting 29 variants in the CFTR gene and is most relevant for people of Ashkenazi Jewish, European, and Hispanic/Latino descent.

Bella Learns About Her Carrier Status

Lillian Newman decided to use 23andMe in part because she wanted to learn about her grandfather, who was from Cuba and had some Sephardic ancestry, but she thought testing could reveal so much more than that.



&#8220;The reason I chose 23andMe is that (it has) a focus not only on the ancestry side but on how your DNA relates to your health,&#8221; Lillian said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-i-know-now">What I Know Now</h2>



<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/2024/08/IMG_3775-225x300.jpg" alt="A photo of Lillian Neuman" class="wp-image-33205" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_3775-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_3775-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_3775-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_3775-885x1180.jpg 885w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/IMG_3775-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" /></figure>



Little did she know that her 23andMe health reports would help her profoundly. She shared her story because she thought it might help others. Lillian believes that she&#8217;s not the only one who didn&#8217;t know that genetics affects how one&#8217;s body processes many commonly prescribed medications.* Despite this, clinical guidelines rarely call for testing people before prescribing those medications.



&#8220;I wish I had known then what I know now,&#8221; Lillian said. &#8220;Using 23andMe+ Premium and finding out about the SLCO1B1 gene was huge. Huge.&#8221;



Her reference to the SLCO1B1 gene refers to how different genetic variants in SLCO1B1 can affect how you process certain medications.&nbsp; Like millions of Americans, Lillian Newman has high cholesterol, which, left untreated, can lead to a whole host of issues, including heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. She learned about her high cholesterol after a routine blood test in 2018. To address the problem, Lillian&#8217;s doctor prescribed a statin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-statins-save-lives">Statins Save Lives</h2>



Statins are among the most prescribed medications in the United States. According to the CDC, an estimated one in four adults in the U.S. takes a cholesterol-lowering medication, and the vast majority of those are statins.



Statins work by inhibiting an enzyme in the liver so the liver makes less cholesterol but pulls in more cholesterol from the bloodstream. That lowers the amount of bad cholesterol in the blood, stabilizing any plaques along the artery&#8217;s walls, and preventing even more plaque from building up. That, in turn, reduces the chances of a stroke or heart attack. Statins have proven<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5126440/"> mostly safe and effective</a> in lowering cholesterol and thus have helped to prevent heart attacks and strokes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-side-effects">Side Effects</h2>



But there are some side effects from taking statins — headache, brain fog, fatigue, and sometimes intense muscle cramping and pain. Sometimes, these side effects are related to a person&#8217;s genetics, which can affect how they process medications. In turn, the side effects sometimes lead people to either change how they take their medication or stop taking it altogether, which in turn can lead to poor health outcomes.



For Lillian, the side effects — severe muscle pain — began after her doctor increased the dose of the statin she was taking. Within a few weeks, the muscles in her legs started cramping. At one point, she had such crushing chest pain that she thought she was having a heart attack and was rushed to the ER. After a cardiologist determined it wasn&#8217;t her heart, her doctor told her that sometimes people experience cramping as a side effect of taking statins but that the benefits of taking the statin outweigh the pain.



&#8220;I remember I went home feeling despondent,&#8221; Lillian said.



Lillian said no one ever mentioned genetics or how using a different statin dose might help. She thought she just had to grit her teeth and bear it. Periodically, the pain was so bad that she&#8217;d go off her medication, something that can be very risky.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-simple-change">A Simple Change</h2>



A person&#8217;s genetics — specifically a genetic variant that affects the function of the <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/new-23andme-report-on-simvastatin">SLCO1B1 transporter protein</a>, which in turn affects how a person&#8217;s body processes the statin known as simvastatin — plays a role in side effects like muscle pain in some people. Other non-genetic factors also play a role, but very few people are tested to see if they have a genetic marker that might impact how they process a drug. Lillian didn&#8217;t know anything about what&#8217;s known as <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-granted-the-first-and-only-fda-authorization-for-direct-to-consumer-pharmacogenetics-reports">pharmacogenetics</a> or how DNA variants influence the body&#8217;s ability to process medication.



&#8220;In the five years of dealing with cholesterol issues, no one tested me for SLC01B1,&#8221; Lillian said.



Although she had been a customer of 23andMe for years, last year, she decided to upgrade to 23andMe+ Premium, which includes pharmacogenetic reports. When she opened the report on SLCO1B1 Drug Transport, specifically looking at the medication insights for simvastatin, it felt personal to her experience.



&#8220;It provided me with critical information to discuss with my doctor,&#8221; Lillian said.



Her doctor lowered her statin dosage, and that small change made a huge difference in her life, allowing her to continue to manage her cholesterol but without the debilitating pain.&nbsp;



&#8220;Now, I wanted to tell you that doing the 23andMe+ membership is the best (money) I spent this year,&#8221; Lillian said. &#8220;I am deeply grateful to 23andMe. You truly made a difference for me by having that test available. I think everyone should know about this.&#8221;&nbsp;



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-note">Note:</h2>



*23andMe PGS Pharmacogenetics reports: The 23andMe test uses qualitative genotyping to detect 3 variants in the CYP2C19 gene, 2 variants in the DPYD gene, and 1 variant in the SLCO1B1 gene in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva to report and interpret information about the processing of certain therapeutics to inform discussions with a healthcare professional. It does not describe if a person will or will not respond to a particular therapeutic and does not describe the association between detected variants and any specific therapeutic. 



Our CYP2C19 Pharmacogenetics report provides certain information about variants associated with metabolism of some therapeutics and provides interpretive drug information regarding the potential effect of citalopram and clopidogrel therapy. Results for SLCO1B1 and DPYD and certain CYP2C19 results should be confirmed by an independent genetic test prescribed by your own healthcare provider before taking any medical action. Warning: Test information should not be used to start, stop, or change any course of treatment and does not test for all possible variants that may affect metabolism or protein function. The PGS test is not a substitute for visits to a healthcare professional. Making changes to your current regimen can lead to harmful side effects or reduced intended benefits of your medication, therefore consult with your healthcare professional before taking any medical action. For important information and limitations regarding Pharmacogenetics reports, visit <a href="http://23andme.com/test-info/pharmacogenetics/">23andme.com/test-info/pharmacogenetics/</a>

Customer Learns Her Genetics Impacts How She Processes Statins

The opioid crisis presents a public health emergency without clear solutions. One key to unraveling the problem is understanding not just the causes of addiction, but understanding the steps taken leading people toward addiction.
A new genetic study by a team of scientists at UC San Diego School of Medicine proposed a cost-effective approach for studying the genetic basis of opioid addiction — termed “opioid use disorder” in the study — in large population-based cohorts instead of clinical cohorts.
Published in the journal<a href="https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41380-021-01335-3&amp;t=OTRiN2RkZjZkNzY4MmI1NTliNDE0N2JmZDRiOTUxOTE0YTNhNTZhYSwwUFJVaEliQw%3D%3D&amp;b=t%3AP0Uz1DUMutRMdlhoe0mDtg&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fucsdhealthsciences.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F666758608951934976%2Fgenetic-signals-linked-to-problematic-opioid-use&amp;m=0&amp;ts=1635872583"> Molecular Psychiatry</a>, the study was led by Sandra Sanchez Roige, Ph.D., and Abraham Palmer, Ph.D.
Using data from more than 132,000 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research, the study is important because it focused on the opioid misuse that can lead to opioid use disorder. In past decades opioid addiction started with heroin, but in this new era more than 80 percent of opioid addiction begins with the use of a prescription pain reliever, according to the study.
So, for this study, the researchers performed a genome-wide association study looking simply at participants reporting that&nbsp; they had ‘ever taken prescription painkillers not as prescribed.’ Essentially the researchers identified those in the first step toward from use to misuse of opioids, as a way to study the genetic underpinnings of the condition.
“Our results show that this single question captured a genetic signal that is correlated with signals from well-characterized cohorts that have been clinically diagnosed with (opioid use disorder.)”
The UC San Diego team discovered novel genomic regions that influenced using opiate drugs not as prescribed. They also identified strong genetic correlations with other substance use traits, including opioid use disorder.
Read the full study in<a href="https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41380-021-01335-3&amp;t=OTRiN2RkZjZkNzY4MmI1NTliNDE0N2JmZDRiOTUxOTE0YTNhNTZhYSwwUFJVaEliQw%3D%3D&amp;b=t%3AP0Uz1DUMutRMdlhoe0mDtg&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fucsdhealthsciences.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F666758608951934976%2Fgenetic-signals-linked-to-problematic-opioid-use&amp;m=0&amp;ts=1635872583"> Molecular Psychiatry</a>.

Understanding Opioid Use Disorder

Some of the same genes that influence a person’s propensity toward impulsiveness also affect whether or not he or she will use drugs, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
&nbsp;
Published today in the <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/lookup/doi/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2662-18.2019">Journal of Neuroscience</a>, the study is another in a series of studies done by researchers looking at the genetic underpinnings of behavior, addiction, and psychological disorders. For this work the scientists used data from more than 20,000 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research, making it the largest genetic study of impulsive behavior to date.
<h6>Behavior</h6>
“By studying the genetic basis of normal variation in behavior, we can learn about the role of genetics in complex psychiatric disorders like drug abuse,” said lead author of the study <a href="http://profiles.ucsd.edu/abraham.palmer">Abraham Palmer, Ph.D</a>., a professor of psychiatry and vice chair for basic research at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. “Additional studies of younger and more diverse populations could provide additional insights into the genetics and consequences of impulsiveness.”
<div id="attachment_25919" style="width: 209px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-25919" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-199x300.jpg" alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-25919" width="199" height="300" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-199x300.jpg 199w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-768x1156.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-680x1024.jpg 680w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-585x880.jpg 585w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo-784x1180.jpg 784w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Abraham-Palmer-photo.jpg 1063w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px" />Prof. Abraham Palmer</div>
For this work, and a study Palmer and his team did last year that also looked at another measure of impulsivity called <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/wait-new-genetic-research-impulsivity/">“delay discounting,”</a> the researchers compared genetic data with survey responses on impulsivity and a history of drug use from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. The genome-wide association study found variants in the gene CADM2 — previously implicated in risk-taking, alcohol consumption, and cannabis use — associated with impulsivity and drug use. The team also identified an association with a variant in a gene previously implicated in schizophrenia risk — CACNA1I. They also saw an association with something called “negative urgency”— a tendency to act impulsively in the face of adversity.
&nbsp;
<h6>Big Data</h6>
These findings demonstrate how an individual’s genetic makeup may predispose them to engage in risky behavior, including drug use and abuse. Additional studies of younger and more diverse populations could provide further insights into the genetics and consequences of impulsive personality traits, the researchers said.
&nbsp;
The study also shows the potential of large datasets like 23andMe.
&nbsp;
&#8220;Data shared by 23andMe research participants helped make this work possible &#8212; and this is one of several recent publications we&#8217;ve worked on related to personality, behavior and psychiatric conditions,” said Sarah Elson, PhD, Senior Scientist, 23andMe.
“These findings may have potentially significant effects on how we interpret the relationships between genetics and mental health; and, in the future, predict and treat some of these hard-to-understand conditions.&#8221;

Genetic Study of Impulsiveness Reveals Associations with Drug Use

A new genetic study looking at smoking and drinking has confirmed much of what we already know about their impact on your health, but the study also found genetic associations that offer new insights into alcohol and tobacco use, as well as addiction.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-300x201.jpg" alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26841" width="300" height="201" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-300x201.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-768x514.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-1024x685.jpg 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-880x589.jpg 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2-1180x790.jpg 1180w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Smoking-image-2.jpg 1252w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Published this week in the journal<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41588-018-0307-5"> Nature Genetics</a>, the study is one of the largest genome-wide association studies to date, using data from more than 1.2 million people. Researchers working on this study found more than 500 genetic variants associated with smoking and alcohol use, including newly identified genetic associations that link alcohol and tobacco use with the release of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine plays an essential role in reward-based behavior, and the finding may help researchers better understand why quitting smoking or problem drinking is more difficult for some than it is for others.
<h6>Smoking, Drinking and Disease</h6>
The study also showed that tobacco use was closely associated with a range of diseases — not just lung cancer. While that was not unexpected, the researchers were surprised that social drinkers — those who drank a moderate amount of alcohol each week — had fewer illnesses. This adds more fodder to the debate around whether moderate drinking may be beneficial to one’s health. Of course, there may be other explanations for this; for example, individuals who are more open and extraverted may be more likely to be social drinkers, and individuals with outgoing personalities may have better outcomes than those who are more anxious and less social, who in turn may be less likely to drink.
Much of the data for this study came from 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research and answered survey questions about smoking and drinking. The remaining data came from more than two-dozen other study cohorts. Led by researchers at the University of Minnesota, the work on this study also involved contributions from dozens of other scientists from institutions that are part of<a href="https://gscan.sph.umich.edu/"> GWAS &amp; Sequencing Consortium of Alcohol and Nicotine Us (GSCAN)</a>.
<h6>Other Studies</h6>
This is one of several genetic studies published in the last few months to look at addictive behavior, including alcohol and nicotine use. In November, a team of researchers<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/new-research-shows-shared-genetic-link-between-alcohol-dependence-and-psychiatric-disorders/"> found shared genetic influences</a> between alcohol dependence and depression, ADHD, and schizophrenia. They also looked at genetic correlations between alcohol dependence and individual traits, like nicotine addiction, depression, and BMI. That study also found a distinct difference between casual alcohol consumption and heavier alcohol use, suggesting that social drinking is not associated with depression, but problem drinking and alcoholism are.
Another study on<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/the-genetics-of-alcoholism/"> alcohol dependence</a> published last fall also found genetic associations that overlapped with increased genetic risk for major depression, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
The GSCAN study published this week adds to these previous findings, offering more information to better understand the genetics of substance use and addiction.
You can find the paper in<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41588-018-0307-5"> Nature Genetics</a>.

Genetic Study of Nicotine and Alcohol Use Offers Insight into Addiction

The latest episodes of<a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spit-29676456/"> Spit</a>, iHeartRadio’s podcast with 23andMe, includes more intelligent and raw conversations with artists, thinkers, and scientists across a variety of topics. This next batch of episodes take a different turn looking at the influence of genetics and personal experiences around emotional wellbeing, addiction, and family.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-26715" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Spit-Podcast-300x168.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="168" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Spit-Podcast-300x168.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Spit-Podcast.jpg 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Hosted by the writer, comedian and cultural critic,<a href="http://baratunde.com/"> Baratunde Thurston</a>, the podcast continues to probe into the ways genetic science is changing how we see the world and the issues many of us wrestle with every day. And the show stays true to its fearless march into difficult territory with conversations that attempt to break the stigma around mental health and addiction.
<div id="attachment_26712" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26712" class="wp-image-26712 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="682" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/0022_WesandAlex_SpitPodcast_NikkiSixx.jpg 2000w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Spit podcast host Baratunde Thurston, left, with addiction specialist Dr. Adi Jaffee, Ph.D., center, and Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx.</div>
<h2>All About Addiction</h2>
Baratunde’s frank discussion<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1422827494"> about addiction</a> with former Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx, and Adi Jaffe, Ph.D., an addiction specialist, and author, gets personal fast. Both men share their own stories of troubled childhoods, and falling into addiction, and they hash out the many ways both nature and nurture contribute to addictions. Sixx kicked a punishing addiction to heroin while Jaffe, who also lectures at UCLA, once had drug problems of his own.
While the first part of the conversation touches on the science, Baratunde takes things deeper into the biology of addiction during the second part of this podcast by engaging with two academics from UC San Diego, School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry —<a href="https://profiles.ucsd.edu/Abraham.Palmer"> Abraham Palmer</a>, Ph.D., and Sandra Roige, Ph.D. Palmer and Roige have recently published papers using data from 23andMe that offered insight into addiction, most recently on<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/the-genetics-of-alcoholism/"> alcoholism</a>, and before that on something called<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/wait-new-genetic-research-impulsivity/"> “delay discounting”</a> — a tendency to overvalue immediate rewards over future ones, which is also associated with impulsivity and addiction. The researchers emphasize that genetics is not deterministic and environment plays a critical role in addiction, but genetics matters too. It matters not just in one’s tendency toward addiction, but also in how someone’s body reacts to alcohol or drugs, or a person’s tolerance or their inability to quit.
<h2>Mental Health Awareness</h2>
For the podcast on mental health, Baratunde sits down with<a href="https://drgailsaltz.com/"> Gail Saltz, Ph.D</a>., a professor of psychiatry and a psychoanalyst, and singer and songwriter<a href="http://www.mikeshinoda.com/"> Mike Shinoda</a> of the band<a href="https://linkinpark.com/"> Linkin Park</a>. Shinoda has become an advocate for mental health awareness after the death of his close friend and Linkin Park bandmate Chester Bennington, who died last year of an apparent suicide. Shinoda poignantly asks Dr. Saltz:
“Is there more we can do? And if so, how?”
<div id="attachment_26710" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26710" class="wp-image-26710 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-1024x688.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="688" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-1024x688.jpg 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-300x202.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-768x516.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-880x591.jpg 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/5A5A8705-1180x793.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />On the left, Professor Gail Saltz, PhD, with Baratunde Thurston, center, and Mike Shinoda of the band Linkin Park.</div>
During their conversation with Baratunde, Saltz and Shinoda talk about combating the stigma of mental illness, and resources for those battling depression or helping others in a mental health crisis. Together they explore some of the genetic and environmental factors that influence anxiety, depression and other behavioral issues. 23andMe has been working on a study on the genetics of<a href="https://www.23andme.com/depression-bipolar/"> major depression and bipolar disorder</a>. In August of 2016, researchers from 23andMe, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Pfizer, published<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/08/01/large-dna-study-using-23andme-data-finds-15-sites-linked-to-depression/"> a landmark study</a> on the genetic connection between genetics and depression. The study, the largest of its kind to date, identified 15 genetic regions that were linked to depression, but the work is ongoing.
<h2>We Are Family</h2>
In the podcast on family, the conversation takes a lighter turn as Baratunde poses the question of whether people would be more unified if they understood we are all “related.”
<div id="attachment_26711" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26711" class="wp-image-26711 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-1024x683.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/KatherineTyler_DarrenCriss_SpitPodcast_2018-8831.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />From left to right Darren Criss, his brother Chuck, writer AJ Jacobs and Spit podcast host Baratunde Thurston. Photo: Katherine Tyler for iHeartRadio</div>
For this discussion he sat down with<a href="https://ajjacobs.com/"> AJ Jacobs</a>, a humorist and the author of the book “It’s All Relative,” along with the brothers Darren and Chuck Criss of the band Computer Games. Jacobs, who is a friend of 23andMe, talked about trying to create a global family tree to illustrate how we are all related. A few years ago he helped organize a “global family reunion,” and he talked about what he saw as the talked about one moment during the event when everyone at the event and those tuning in online started singing the song, “We Are Family.”
“It was quite moving,” he said.
The Criss brothers talked about their own family, and not really connecting with their distant relatives until they were older. But they also talk about how they feel family-like connections to many of those with whom they work, connections that have nothing to do with genetics.
“We are surrounded by people in our lives we consider cousins,” said Darren. “They feel closer to us than blood family.”
You can find these or any of the<a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spit-29676456/"> Spit</a>, podcasts at <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-spit-29676456/">iHeart</a>, or on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/spit/id1422827494?mt=2">iTunes</a>.

Spit, The Next Installment

By Amick B.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-18399 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/mug_drinking.png" alt="" width="507" height="407" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/mug_drinking.png 507w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/mug_drinking-300x241.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 507px) 100vw, 507px" />
There are many studies that look at the health impacts of drinking coffee, but you’d be forgiven if you weren’t clear about whether it’s good for you.
Research has found consuming coffee could potentially prevent heart disease, type-2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and liver cancer, but the results are often conflicting. Beyond that, other variables can potentially negate any benefits from drinking a cup of Joe.
<h6>Variables</h6>
Whether you like your coffee black or with a bit of cream and sugar, for example, makes a difference for your health.
How much you drink and even the kinds of filters you use to make coffee could also have an impact.
All the conflicting information is enough to keep non-coffee drinkers from lining up at Starbucks, while those who indulge are left scratching their heads about whether they need to cut back or keep on imbibing.
<h6>Love Coffee</h6>
But there’s one area where the science seems certain:   Some of us are just more genetically wired to like coffee. A number of studies have identified certain genetic variants associated with <a href="http://www.23andme.com/topics/wellness/caffeine-consumption/">caffeine consumption</a> and metabolism, which helps us know why some of us choose coffee, and others don’t.
Recently, a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21876539" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">new study</a> found some additional genetic variants associated with a tendency toward java enjoyment, including one near NRCAM, a gene implicated in vulnerability to addiction.   The study looked at nearly 8,000 Caucasian coffee drinkers and found significant evidence of gene association at the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) near NRCAM.
Using coffee consumption as a model, this new research may help scientists better understand genetic problems with addiction and how to treat them.
<h6>Metabolizing Caffeine</h6>
The recent study also looked at two SNPs that lie in the region between CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 genes — CYP1A1 is known to metabolize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are important constituents of coffee, whereas caffeine is primarily metabolized by CYP1A2. The study confirmed previous studies and added a new SNP, to the list of those associated with consumption of coffee and metabolism of caffeine.
23andMe looks at a variant that affects how quickly a person  metabolizes caffeine based on preliminary research of the SNP. People with and the slower version of the CYP1A2 enzyme who also drank at least two to three cups of coffee per day had a significantly increased risk of a non-fatal heart attack, according to the research, while, according to the study, fast metabolizers could actually reduce their heart attack risk by drinking coffee.
<h6>A Look Back</h6>
Additionally, in a 2011 blog post, 23andMe discussed <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/snpwatch/coffee-i-must-have-coffee/">two studies</a> that found an association between coffee and caffeine consumption and SNP variants near the CYP1A1 and AHR genes, helping us know which genes influence the amount of coffee people consume.   One study found the SNP near CYP1A1 had a fairly consistent effect – people with the T version were prone to drink about a quarter cup more of coffee a day — and the other showed that people with two copies of a T at near the AHR gene drank  about a third of a cup of coffee more each day than those without any copies.
To find out whether genetic variants influence their caffeine consumption, 23andMe customers can look up their data for and using the Browse Raw Data feature.
Amick Boone is a freelance writer who&#8217;s written about health and life sciences for nearly 10 years.  When she&#8217;s not at her computer, she&#8217;s usually in motion &#8211; doing yoga, riding her bike or traveling.

Craving Coffee Might be Genetic

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-4551" title="iStock_000005457151XSmall" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/iStock_000005457151XSmall.jpg" alt="iStock_000005457151XSmall" width="346" height="229" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/iStock_000005457151XSmall.jpg 425w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/iStock_000005457151XSmall-300x199.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 346px) 100vw, 346px" />
Although environment plays a major part in addiction – you can&#8217;t get hooked on something you&#8217;ve never tried – genetics plays a substantial role in determining whether a person who does use a drug will become addicted to it.
A few DNA variations have been identified that seem to increase the odds a person will become addicted to a specific drug. But <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10401514" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">twin studies suggest</a> that there might be genes influencing addiction in general.
Xiang Chen and colleagues at Yale and Princeton set out to find some of these genes by analyzing the genetic data from several cohorts of people previously studied for addictions. &nbsp; The researchers&#8217; approach was to look for variations found more frequently in people addicted to at least two out of six categories of substances: nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, opiates and other drugs. &nbsp; Their results, published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal a significant association between addiction and variations in a gene, PKNOX2, previously associated with alcohol dependence in mice.
The strongest signal was seen with in white women was found at a SNP inthe PKNOX2 gene and was associated with a higher risk for addition. The association of with addiction did not hold when the researchers looked at individual substances separately.
&#8220;This suggests that substance dependence or addiction as a whole has different risk genes compared to any single addiction outcome,&#8221; the authors write.
The authors admit that there are weaknesses in their study. &nbsp; For example, people addicted to two or more substances might just have more access to drugs – not a biological predisposition to addiction. &nbsp; Moe research in this area will definitely be needed.
SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that reason it is important to remember that like all information we provide, the studies we describe in SNPwatch are for research and educational purposes only. SNPwatch is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice; you should always seek the advice of your physician or other appropriate healthcare professional with any questions you may have regarding diagnosis, cure, treatment or prevention of any disease or other medical condition.
&nbsp;

Genetic Variation Associated With Addiction In Caucasian Women

23andMe has added finer detail for customers with roots that trace back to Spain and Portugal.



This update is part of our continuing work to improve our Ancestry reports and features. It will also allow customers with ancestry from those regions to see connections back to 43 genetic groups. These groups include 29 in Spain (including the Canary and Balearic archipelagos). In addition there are another 14 in Portugal (including the Azores and Madeira archipelagos). The update will affect about 10 percent of our customers who tested on our <a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/218392668-Upgrading-to-23andMe-s-Newest-Chip-Version">latest genotyping chip</a>. 



Spain and Portugal&#8217;s long colonial history means that many individuals with roots in the Americas may also see how those trace back to the Iberian Peninsula. Spain and Portugal have distinct and rich cultures and histories, but their histories also intertwine. Part of that history includes centuries of exploration, colonization, and trade, including the slave trade.&nbsp;



Iberian Peninsula



Bordering the Atlantic and at the mouth of the Mediterranean, the history of the people of the Iberian Peninsula is marked by their ocean-going explorations and influences from North Africa. The Moors ruled the peninsula for almost 800 years, and this influence can still be seen in both Spain and Portugal. But even older influences from the Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans, are apparent. Each of these cultures have left a distinct imprint on the culture and history of the Iberian peninsula.&nbsp;



Ancestry Composition Update



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 for people with <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/ancestry-reports/indigenous-genetic-ancestry/">Indigenous American ancestry</a>, and <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/caribbean-latin-american/">Latinx ancestry</a>, for instance. Customers may already see evidence of recent ancestry from the Iberian Peninsula. However, this update and these genetic groups represent improvements in accuracy. They are also more reflective of the distinct regional populations and customers&#8217; ancestry.



Regions in Spain and Portugal



In this update, the new methodology and algorithms use data from groups of people of Spanish or Portuguese ancestry with grandparents from specific regions in the Iberian Peninsula, and some of these regions overlap. Using this method we can connect customers with Portuguese or Spanish ancestry to those regional genetic groups through their shared DNA.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="926" height="422" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Spanish-Portuguese-percents.png" alt="" class="wp-image-31125" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Spanish-Portuguese-percents.png 926w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Spanish-Portuguese-percents-300x137.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Spanish-Portuguese-percents-768x350.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Spanish-Portuguese-percents-880x401.png 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 926px) 100vw, 926px" /></figure>



For 23andMe customers with Portuguese ancestry, the update most commonly includes matches to the regions of Porto, Minho, and Via Real, as well as Central and Southern Portugal and Madeira. The least common regions for matching are Terceira, Santa Maria and Flores, Corvo, and Graciosa in the Azores.



For customers with Spanish ancestry the most common matches will be to Western Andalusia (near Huelva, Seville, and Badajoz). Also customers with Spanish ancestry will more commonly see Southern Andalusia (near Cadiz), as well as to the Canary Islands matches. The least common regions are Galician and Basque associated regions in northern Spain. 



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-on-matching">More on Matching</h6>



Among customers on the <a href="https://customercare.23andme.com/hc/en-us/articles/218392668-Upgrading-to-23andMe-s-Newest-Chip-Version">latest genotyping chip</a>, V5, who have more than 95 percent of their ancestry from the Iberian peninsula, around 40 percent will match with at least one Portuguese genetic group. Similarly, for customers on the latest chip with over 75 percent of their ancestry from the Iberian peninsula, approximately 40 percent will be matched to at least one Spanish genetic group.



Matching to one of these genetic groups means that you share a high genetic similarity with people in that group. Some regions overlap. But we&#8217;ve distinguished each geographically and descriptively. The names of these genetic groups also attempt to indicate the geographic regions.



Customers may receive a likely or highly likely match to one of these genetic groups. However, this update does not provide more breakdowns for customers&#8217; Spanish and Portuguese ancestry percentages. 



Your ancestry matters for your health



Many people find value in learning about their cultural roots but understanding your ancestry can also help you better understand your health. Your health and your likelihood of developing certain conditions involves several factors. These factors include your environment, family history and lifestyle. However, your genetics also plays an important role.



In some cases, that can be specific to the unique history of our ancestral groups.&nbsp;



So, for example, V30M, a genetic variant associated with<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/hereditary-amyloidosis/"> TTR-related hereditary amyloidosis</a> is more common among people of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12832749/#:~:text=Portuguese%2Dtype%20amyloidosis%20(transthyretin%20amyloidosis%2C%20ATTR%20V30M)%20is,inherited%20in%20autosomal%20dominant%20mode.">Portuguese ancestry</a>. It&#8217;s also common in people of Northern Swedish and Japanese ancestry. The condition causes a buildup of a protein called transthyretin (TTR) in the body&#8217;s tissues and organs. That build up can damage the nerves, the heart, or other organs in the body. 



People of Iberian descent have a higher likelihood of having one of the genetic variants linked to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/health-predispositions/alpha-1-antitrypsin-deficiency/">alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency</a>. Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic condition that can lead to lung and liver disease



Find out more



23andMe customers who want to learn more about their Ancestry Composition can go <a href="https://you.23andme.com/reports/ancestry_composition_hd/">here</a>. 



Not yet a customer? 



Find out more about 23andMe’s Ancestry service and other services offered to customers here.

A map of Spain and Portugal noting the 43 new genetic groups in Iberia.

23andMe Adds More Detail for Spanish and Portuguese Ancestry

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-2467" title="strait_of_gibraltar" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/strait_of_gibraltar.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="310" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/strait_of_gibraltar.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/strait_of_gibraltar-290x300.jpg 290w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Less than eight nautical miles wide, the Strait of Gibraltar is an easily surmountable barrier between northwest Africa and Spain. Military invaders such as Hannibal of Carthage and the caliphs of the Islamic Empire have had no trouble traversing this sliver of sea in the process of invading Europe.
But in addition to those legendary military campaigns, countless unsung migrants have also crossed between the two continents via the so-called “Pillars of Hercules.” In fact, archaeologists have long speculated that people have been moving across the Strait — in both directions — for thousands of years.   Recently, genetics has also supported a prehistoric connection between the two continents.
Though most scientists who study North African genetics have focused their attention on connections to the Near East, recent studies have shown that the majority of North African genetic types, or haplogroups, suggest European ancestry.   The most recent evidence comes from a team of geneticists on both sides of the Mediterranean who collected samples from from more than 300 people living throughout Tunisia and analyzed their mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Passed directly by mothers to their offspring, mtDNA traces ancestry back thousands of years along an exclusively maternal line.

The researchers were especially interested in so-called ‘Andalusians,&#8217; who are descended from Spanish Muslims, or Moors, who were expelled from Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries after the <a id="sq8x" title="Reconquista" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconquista">Reconquista</a> and <a id="db1q" title="Inquisition" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition">Inquisition</a>.   Because the ancestors of the Andalusians came to Spain from North Africa with the Muslim invasions of the 8th century, only to return to North Africa 900 years later, the researchers hoped their mtDNA might reveal a very interesting pattern of genetic ancestry.
After analyzing the mtDNA samples, the authors noticed some very interesting results indeed. Most of the samples belonged to the very diverse and distinctly European haplogroup H.   In some Tunisian communities nearly 45% of individuals belonged to that haplogroup.
Because haplogroup H is so diverse and widespread across Europe, the authors wanted to dig a bit deeper to find out if they could pinpoint the origin of the Tunisian haplogroup H lineages. They found that the most common sub-groups of haplogroup H in Tunisia were most commonly found in Western Europe, specifically Spain and Portugal. The sub-groups of H most often found in Eastern Europe and the Near East, on the other hand, were quite rare. Further analysis showed that people bearing these sub-H groups almost certainly entered North Africa via the Strait of Gibraltar.
The authors speculate that the migration occurred after the end of the Ice Age, perhaps 10,000 years ago. At that time, people began streaming out of the Iberian peninsula, where they had been confined for millennia by the mile-thick sheet of ice that covered northern and central Europe. These results show that — even before invading armies crossed the Strait of Gibraltar heading north, people carrying the H haplogroup passed through in the opposite direction.
But what about the Andalusians?   Does their mtDNA distinguish them from other Tunisians?   Can we see any genetic footprints of their recent expulsion from Iberia? Even after examining the mtDNA of Andalusians in fine detail, the authors were unable to distinguish them from other North African communities. It appears that the majority of the European influence on the genetics of North Africans occurred many thousands of years ago, when glaciers began to retreat and people expanded from Spain; both north into the heart of Europe, and south into Africa.

Prehistoric Connection between Iberia and North Africa

Just in time for family gatherings this holiday season, 23andMe launched a new Records &amp; ArchivesSM feature that promises to make family tree building more accessible for its 23andMe+ Premium members customers.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/How-to-build-image@2x-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33470" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/How-to-build-image@2x-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/How-to-build-image@2x-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/How-to-build-image@2x-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/How-to-build-image@2x-1-880x495.jpg 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/How-to-build-image@2x-1-1180x664.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-branches-on-the-family-tree">New Branches on the Family Tree</h2>



This easy-to-use tool leverages census records from the United States, Canada, and the UK and death records from the US. Enter a relative’s name and birthdate, and Records &amp; Archives will search through historical documents to find a match and new information via ‘hints.’ While not yet a comprehensive records search, the new feature can help identify possible relatives in your family tree. We hope to add new functionality in the months ahead.



These hints may also uncover unknown family members, helping you create a fuller picture of your heritage.&nbsp;



The tool takes some of the work out of building a simple family tree. It can help those looking to add names, dates, and hometowns to their family tree and map out relationships along the branches of that tree.



With this new feature, users can go beyond genetic testing and learn more about relatives who never had the chance to submit DNA samples, enriching their family tree with new names, dates, and relationships.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="803" height="1024" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/records_archives_01-803x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-33471" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/records_archives_01-803x1024.png 803w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/records_archives_01-235x300.png 235w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/records_archives_01-768x980.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/records_archives_01-690x880.png 690w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/records_archives_01-925x1180.png 925w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/records_archives_01.png 1537w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px" /></figure>



The hints from 23andMe&#8217;s Records &amp; Archives help users fill in the gaps, uncover lost branches of their family history, and add depth to the information they&#8217;ve already gathered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-few-clicks-to-build-new-connections">A Few Clicks to Build New Connections</h2>



The new Records &amp; Archives feature makes genealogical research more accessible and efficient.



It&#8217;s a simple but powerful way for customers to go beyond their DNA relatives and fill out their family trees using historical records. With just a few clicks, 23andMe+ Premium customers can now discover long-lost connections, solve a puzzle in their family history, or deepen their understanding of their heritage.



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



All customers can add to their Family Tree and see if there are record matches, but only 23andMe+ Premium customers in the United States, Canada, and the UK can see details of those record matches and save them to their tree.&nbsp;&nbsp;



23andMe Ancestry Service or Health + Ancestry Service customers can go <a href="https://you.23andme.com/chip-upgrade/">here to upgrade</a> to 23andMe+ Premium to use Records &amp; Archives.



Not yet a customer? Learn more about<a href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/"> all that 23andMe offers here</a>.

Records and Archives

Some types of close relatives, like aunt, uncle, half-sibling, nephew, niece, grandparent, and grandchild have very similar patterns of shared DNA, making predicting those relationships from DNA alone difficult. That’s why some customers might see someone incorrectly labeled as one of these relationships. To help improve detection of these relationships, 23andMe is now using a new technique that analyzes DNA from full siblings.



23andMe, like other companies, uses shared segments of DNA to detect customers’ relationships to each other. But unlike other companies, we also combine information from every pair of relatives using 23andMe’s <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/large-human-pedigrees/">Bonsai software</a>. In addition to <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/ancestry-reports/23andmes-latest-feature-automates-genetic-family-trees/">building your 23andMe Family Tree</a>, Bonsai uses segments from multiple pairs of relatives at once, allowing it to make a better prediction than if we only analyzed you and each of your relatives one by one.&nbsp;



Still, no way of estimating relationships from DNA is perfect, and that’s true even for close relatives.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Relationship</td><td>Amount of DNA shared (95% confidence interval)*</td><td>Age distribution 23andMe uses (95% confidence interval)</td></tr><tr><td>Half-sibling</td><td>~19.8-30.2%</td><td><style>
span:after {
content: "\2264";}
</style>
<style>
span:after {
content: "\2264";}
</style> 17.4 year age difference</td></tr><tr><td>Avuncular (aunt/uncle- nephew/niece)</td><td>~20.3-29.7%</td><td>17.5 &#8211; 39.3 year age difference</td></tr><tr><td>Grandparental</td><td>~18.7-31.3%</td><td>45.3 &#8211; 67.7 year age difference</td></tr></tbody></table><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">* Calculated using shared segments from the autosomes (i.e., excluding the X and Y chromosomes) from <a href="https://github.com/williamslab/ped-sim">simulated relatives</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Using ages or shared parents to distinguish relative types</h6>



Telling these relative types apart is especially difficult because the amount of DNA each type shares is almost identical (see the above table). Because of this similarity, Bonsai relies on customers’ self-reported ages to make a decision about their relationships.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Even though general age differences exist between these relative types—half-siblings are typically closer in age than aunt-nephew or uncle-niece relatives—there are always families that don’t follow these trends. In such families, Bonsai is prone to making mistakes. For example, as shown in the above table, Bonsai will often consider half-siblings who were born 20 years apart as avuncular or it will confuse a grandmother for an aunt if the grandmother is less than 40 years older than her grandchild.



It’s worth noting that if the parent who links two half-siblings, a grandparent and grandchild, or an aunt/uncle and niece/nephew is a 23andMe customer, Bonsai would detect this and get the relationship right in nearly all cases.&nbsp;



For example, in the figure below, if we had data for Ava and Beau’s parents, Bonsai would almost always infer their mystery relative correctly as the aunt of the two siblings. Still, not all families have these parents or other informative relatives tested, and in the end, Bonsai predicts a significant fraction of half-sibling and avuncular relatives (aunt/uncle or niece and nephews) incorrectly when it relies on age data alone to distinguish between them (see the table near the end of this post).



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Mystery-Relative.png" alt="" class="wp-image-31115" width="650" height="410" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Mystery-Relative.png 856w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Mystery-Relative-300x189.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Mystery-Relative-768x484.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">On average, people share ~25 percent of their DNA with half-siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandparents, or grandchildren. Based only on a DNA comparison of a pair of relatives, it is difficult to distinguish between these relationships and pinpoint the correct one.&nbsp; But there&#8217;s a simple trick to help narrow down the correct relationship when one person in the pair has a full sibling: If—at the same location in their genomes—a pair of siblings share identical segments of DNA with another relative, and those siblings do not share any DNA at those locations with each other, this often means that the relative is an aunt or an uncle to the siblings. Having more than 90 cM of such locations almost always means the relative is an aunt or uncle.</figcaption></figure>



A new approach for distinguishing aunts and uncles from other relative types



The ambiguities between these relationships would be impossible to fully resolve except for the fact that information from shared DNA segments can be combined and their positions analyzed across multiple relatives.&nbsp;



In the case of distinguishing avuncular from half-sibling or grandparental relationship types, we can leverage information carried by DNA segments that are shared between full siblings. Full siblings are related through both of their parents, and this leads them to have a somewhat unique pattern of sharing: an average of 25 percent of their DNA is contained in fully identical segments. This is roughly 880 centiMorgans in 23andMe customers. (<a href="https://isogg.org/wiki/CentiMorgan">CentiMorgans</a>, or “cM,” are a unit of measuring lengths of DNA.) In other words, full siblings have certain sections of their chromosomes where they each inherited a matching segment of DNA from their mom and, at the same location, a matching segment of DNA from their dad. With such high fully identical sharing rates, genetic relationship prediction methods rarely make mistakes when labeling full siblings.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">A Technique for Detecting Aunts and Uncles</h6>



Researchers at Cornell University used this signature of fully identical segments from full siblings to build <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002929718301691">a technique for detecting aunts and uncles</a> of a pair of siblings even if their parent has not had their DNA tested. 



The idea is to find places where the shared segments between siblings Ava and Beau and their aunt or uncle indicate that the siblings’ parent has a fully identical segment with the aunt or uncle. If this recovers a lot of fully identical shared segments, we can be quite confident that the aunt or uncle is an aunt or uncle and not a half-sibling, niece, nephew, grandparent, or grandchild.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Full siblings </h6>



Consider the figure below that again shows DNA from the full siblings Ava and Beau, their father Tom, and the father&#8217;s full sister, Maria. In the highlighted regions, Ava and Beau inherited DNA from different copies of their father’s chromosomes: Ava inherited DNA from their father’s mom and Beau from their father’s dad. Because of this (and because they inherited DNA from different copies of their mother’s chromosomes), Ava and Beau have no shared segments with each other in the chromosomal region with a box around it. 



This fact allows us to reason about whether, in the boxed region, the untested father had a fully identical segment with Maria (the potential aunt). Sure enough, in this location, Maria is fully identical to Tom (has the same DNA as him) and has a shared segment to each of the siblings. All this allows us to conclude that, in this region, the father does have a fully identical segment to Maria, and, with enough of these present, the updated version of Bonsai would conclude that Maria is Ava and Beau’s aunt and not any of the other relationship types with similar amounts of shared segments.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="776" height="1024" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Fully-Identical-Graphic-Explainer-776x1024.png" alt="" class="wp-image-31116" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Fully-Identical-Graphic-Explainer-776x1024.png 776w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Fully-Identical-Graphic-Explainer-227x300.png 227w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Fully-Identical-Graphic-Explainer-768x1013.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Fully-Identical-Graphic-Explainer-667x880.png 667w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Fully-Identical-Graphic-Explainer-894x1180.png 894w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Fully-Identical-Graphic-Explainer.png 952w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 776px) 100vw, 776px" /></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Can other close relatives have this pattern of shared DNA?</h6>



Importantly, neither a grandparent, grandchild, half-sibling, niece, or nephew is expected to have fully identical sharing with Ava and Beau’s parent, or with the parent of any pair of siblings. The key reason is that fully identical regions occur at places where two people inherited the same DNA from both their parents.&nbsp;



Because full siblings share the same two parents, fully identical regions arise most frequently between them. You can see this above by looking at Ava and Beau’s parent Tom and his full sibling Maria. A half-sister of Ava and Beau through Tom should not share fully identical segments with Tom because she would have inherited only one chromosome from him—and the other from her mother. That mother will typically be unrelated to Tom and so will not share DNA with him. Similarly, Ava’s grandson would inherit Ava’s DNA, but only on one of his chromosomes, making fully identical sharing with Ava’s father Tom impossible in nearly all cases. By the same token, Ava’s grandmother (Tom’s mother) shares DNA with Tom on only one chromosome, and Ava and Beau’s nephew, being Tom’s grandchild, could only inherit DNA from one of Tom’s chromosomes at any location.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Fully Identical Segments</h6>



Even though this technique&nbsp; is designed to detect aunts and uncles, when a half-sibling does not have these implied fully identical segments, that provides evidence that they are half-siblings, and this can override the age-based relationship detection in Bonsai.&nbsp;



For example, if two full siblings had a half-sister that is &gt;20 years older than each of them, the old version of Bonsai would predict the half-sister as the aunt of the two full siblings (assuming other close relatives such as the shared parent had not done a 23andMe test). However, the latest Bonsai version would look for implied fully identical segments, and, finding few or none of these, it would conclude that a half-sibling relationship is more likely than aunt. Therefore ages have less influence on the Bonsai relationship prediction for these classes of relationships (half-sibling, avuncular, and grandparent-grandchild) than before this new release.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Incorporating this technique into Bonsai greatly improves relative prediction accuracy</h6>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Relationship to full sibling pair</td><td>Percent correct without IBD011</td><td>Percent correct with IBD011</td></tr><tr><td>Aunt/uncle</td><td>98.7%</td><td>~100%</td></tr><tr><td>Half-sibling</td><td>75.6%</td><td>83.8%</td></tr><tr><td>Grandparent</td><td>97.9%</td><td>98.6%</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



We have incorporated this technique (which researchers called IBD011 for reasons described in the summary figure below) into the latest version of Bonsai. The table above shows the percent of relatives that Bonsai correctly infers both without the IBD011 signal and with it. Bonsai does very well in both settings, but always much better when using IBD011, so it now works better at telling apart half-sibling, avuncular, and grandparent-grandchild relatives.&nbsp;



<h6 class="wp-block-heading">Here’s how you can apply this updated Bonsai method to your relative predictions:</h6>



You can use this updated Bonsai method by rebuilding your family tree. To do this, you can request a recalculation of your tree through a link in the DNA Relatives FAQ page, in the question called “<a href="https://you.23andme.com/tools/relatives/faq/#how_do_i_recalculate">How do I recalculate my tree?</a>”&nbsp;



The 23andMe database currently includes over 2 million customers who could be affected by this update, which translates to many thousands of relationships potentially changed. For those of you with a full sibling and a predicted half-sibling, aunt, or uncle, the updated Bonsai may produce a different (and more trustworthy) tree.&nbsp;



Keep in mind that unfortunately your tree annotations don’t carry over when you rerun Bonsai. Still, some of you will see changes and the predictions Bonsai now makes are much more reliable for the close relationship types discussed here.



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-ibd011">What is IBD011?</h6>



On average, people share ~25% of their DNA with their half-siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, grandparents, or grandchildren, among a few other less common relationship types.&nbsp;



Based only on a DNA comparison of a pair of relatives, it can be very difficult to distinguish between these relationships and pinpoint the correct one.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="756" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IBD011-Image-1024x756.png" alt="" class="wp-image-31117" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IBD011-Image-1024x756.png 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IBD011-Image-300x221.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IBD011-Image-768x567.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IBD011-Image-880x650.png 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IBD011-Image-1180x871.png 1180w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/IBD011-Image.png 1390w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



But there&#8217;s a simple trick to help narrow down the correct relationship when one person in the pair has a full sibling: If — at the same location in their genomes — siblings share identical segments of DNA with a relative, and those siblings do not share any DNA at those locations with each other, this almost always means that the relative is an aunt or an uncle.&nbsp;

New Algorithm Cleans Up 23andMe Family Trees

In genetics, pedigrees are essential for many more reasons than you might think.
It is not just about creating family trees or seeing how family members are related. Pedigrees are also helpful for studying diseases and understanding broader questions about family structure and how people marry and migrate. They can also be used to discover facts about long-dead ancestors, such as their phenotypic traits and where they came from.
<h2>A New Method Called Bonsai</h2>
Researchers at 23andMe recently created a new method for inferring large human pedigrees. The American Journal of Human Genetics published this new method, dubbed Bonsai, which uses a new algorithm to build very large pedigrees. These new methods can quickly and efficiently assemble small pedigrees into a larger family tree that shows degrees of separation between individuals.
<div id="attachment_29249" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29249" class="wp-image-29249 size-large" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/F1.large_-1024x434.jpg" alt="An illustration of some of what goes into the Bonsai method for creating very large human pedigrees." width="1024" height="434" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/F1.large_-1024x434.jpg 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/F1.large_-300x127.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/F1.large_-768x325.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/F1.large_-880x373.jpg 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/F1.large_-1180x500.jpg 1180w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/F1.large_.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />An illustration of some of what goes into the Bonsai method for creating very large human pedigrees.</div>
These pedigrees can also help in studying the link between genetics and disease. Pedigrees can be helpful, especially when a disease is rare. In Genome-Wide Association Studies — a common method for discovering the genetic factors related to a common phenotype or disease — scientists must thin their sample to remove close relatives. Or they must leverage known relationships to increase the number of subjects that can be included, thus the statistical power for detecting associations. If full pedigrees are known, it opens the door for using a broader range of statistical methods. This, in turn, can be used to detect disease association and discover so-called de novo mutations that occurred for the first time in a family member.
<h2>Bridging Gaps</h2>
The ability to construct extensive pedigrees is also helpful for genealogy. In particular, the ability to use genetic data to infer pedigrees can help
<div id="attachment_29247" style="width: 228px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29247" class="wp-image-29247 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ethan-Jewett3385-218x300.jpg" alt="" width="218" height="300" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ethan-Jewett3385-218x300.jpg 218w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ethan-Jewett3385-768x1056.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ethan-Jewett3385-745x1024.jpg 745w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ethan-Jewett3385-640x880.jpg 640w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ethan-Jewett3385-858x1180.jpg 858w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Ethan-Jewett3385-scaled.jpg 1862w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px" />Ethan Jewett, Ph.D., a 23andMe population geneticist.</div>
bridge gaps in historical records and help detect places where the records may be inaccurate. Using the reverse rules of Mendelian inheritance makes it possible to assign present-day alleles to the ancestors from whom they came, thus revealing the genotypes carried by long-dead ancestors. When these alleles are associated with phenotypes or ancestry from a particular population, it&#8217;s possible to make educated guesses about the physical traits of ancestors. One could use the same method to find out where they came from.
23andMe’s new Bonsai method improves existing methods for building extensive pedigrees and opens up other possibilities, said Ethan Jewett, Ph. D., a 23andMe population geneticist working on probabilistic methods and lead author of the paper.
“Big pedigrees make it possible to explore questions about family structure,&#8221; Ethan said. &#8220;For instance, how common a certain type of relationship is in a given population, like double cousins.”
<h2>Large Pedigrees</h2>
Pedigrees inferred from DNA allow researchers to examine other issues. They could help determine how often a self-reported pedigree agrees with an inferred pedigree. In other words, they can tell us how well people know their family trees. The paper found several instances of self-reported family trees with at least one misidentified relationship.
There are other larger population-level insights researchers can learn from these large pedigrees. For example, the method allows researchers to determine the ancestry composition of the average pedigree in the United States, traced back several generations. Another example of the process could help answer questions like how often people have kids with people outside of their cultural or ancestral group. This work can also help improve our understanding of the age distributions for different types of relationships, such as parent-child, or grandparent-grandchild, or first cousins. That ultimately can help in 23andMe’s ability to predict relationships. Understanding those relationships can also offer insights into human history and disease.
This new method improves the efficiency and accuracy of building large and complex human pedigrees.
You can read more about the method <a href="https://www.cell.com/ajhg/fulltext/S0002-9297(21)00349-9">here</a>.

A New Method for Creating Large Human Pedigrees

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://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Tree-Overview-e1582841796172-300x183.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/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. 
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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.
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23andMe’s Latest Feature Automates Genetic Family Trees

Already among the most comprehensive DNA ancestry tests on the market, 23andMe is updating its ancestry offerings, adding new populations in South Asia, North Africa, and Western Asia, and an innovative new Family Tree.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-27439" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/35ffff6dd8c2445dd3115a1601aa3c079f4e7361-2-300x219.png" alt="" width="300" height="219" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/35ffff6dd8c2445dd3115a1601aa3c079f4e7361-2-300x219.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/35ffff6dd8c2445dd3115a1601aa3c079f4e7361-2-768x561.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/35ffff6dd8c2445dd3115a1601aa3c079f4e7361-2.png 822w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
This update expands the number of regions covered worldwide to more than 1,500 and introduces a new Family Tree builder that is automatically assembled based on a customer’s DNA. The update will also eventually include more than 30 trait reports for Ancestry Service customers at no additional cost.
“This is another step in our constant push to improve the granularity of ancestry results, as well as folding in even more engaging tools and content for our customers, said Hilary Vance, a 23andMe Ancestry Service product manager.”

<h2>Ancestry Composition Update</h2>
This is 23andMe’s second major update to its Ancestry Composition tool in less than a year, layering additional detail into the tremendous offerings already available to customers.
This new data will give a more granular breakdown of Ancestry Composition results for customers with Central Asian, South Asian, Western Asian, and North African ancestry, breaking those regions into more than a dozen new populations. To provide these more specific results and improve our research, we’ve undertaken a number of programs to diversify the 23andMe database. Data from one of our most recent initiatives, the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/global-genetics/">Global Genetics Project</a>, is now being used to update reference populations in the new regions.
<h2>More Regions</h2>
For example, what was previously the “Broadly South Asian” population will now be broken into seven more granular populations: Central Asian, Northern Indian &amp; Pakistani, Bengali &amp; Northeastern Indian, Gujarati Patidar, Southern Indian Subgroup, Southern Indian &amp; Sri Lankan, and Malayali Subgroup.
We are also expanding the number of populations in North Africa and Western Asia to eight: Peninsular Arab, Levantine, Egyptian, Coptic Egyptian, North African, Cypriot, Anatolian, and an Iranian, Caucasian &amp; Mesopotamian population. 

We previewed these changes in our beta testing program earlier this year, previously on the blog, but we’ve adjusted that beta version based on feedback from some of the customers who tested it.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27436 size-full" title="Iranian, Caucasia and Mesopotamian Ancestry in Detail" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/8f0e765ac20106a2c2356056fd75850aa0b19708-e1568058586174.png" alt="" width="1409" height="1518" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/8f0e765ac20106a2c2356056fd75850aa0b19708-e1568058586174.png 1409w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/8f0e765ac20106a2c2356056fd75850aa0b19708-e1568058586174-278x300.png 278w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/8f0e765ac20106a2c2356056fd75850aa0b19708-e1568058586174-768x827.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/8f0e765ac20106a2c2356056fd75850aa0b19708-e1568058586174-950x1024.png 950w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/8f0e765ac20106a2c2356056fd75850aa0b19708-e1568058586174-817x880.png 817w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/8f0e765ac20106a2c2356056fd75850aa0b19708-e1568058586174-1095x1180.png 1095w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1409px) 100vw, 1409px" />
Now, customers may also see more granularity in their Ancestry Detail Reports, which look at where your more recent ancestors may have lived within the last 200 years — down to state, county, or even city. That information is displayed on interactive maps near the top of the Ancestry Detail reports.
For example, a customer with Indian ancestry could see evidence of recent ancestry from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, or Delhi in Northern India.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-27438" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/df9a63d7103585019dba744e23ce538a0ffc573e.png" alt="" width="2266" height="885" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/df9a63d7103585019dba744e23ce538a0ffc573e.png 2266w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/df9a63d7103585019dba744e23ce538a0ffc573e-300x117.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/df9a63d7103585019dba744e23ce538a0ffc573e-768x300.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/df9a63d7103585019dba744e23ce538a0ffc573e-1024x400.png 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/df9a63d7103585019dba744e23ce538a0ffc573e-880x344.png 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/df9a63d7103585019dba744e23ce538a0ffc573e-1180x461.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2266px) 100vw, 2266px" />Beyond this latest update, 23andMe has also been busy adding in more detail and features to its ancestry offerings. Over the last year or so, we’ve added recent ancestral locations, additional African and East Asian populations, and new interactive maps. In addition, we designed a new Ancestry Overview page to help customers more easily explore and access their reports.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27553 size-large" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Replacement-No-Indian-953x1024.jpg" alt="" width="953" height="1024" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Replacement-No-Indian-953x1024.jpg 953w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Replacement-No-Indian-279x300.jpg 279w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Replacement-No-Indian-768x826.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Replacement-No-Indian-819x880.jpg 819w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Replacement-No-Indian-1098x1180.jpg 1098w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Replacement-No-Indian.jpg 1146w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 953px) 100vw, 953px" />
These pages offer customers an opportunity to not only connect with their own heritage, but also to explore other cultures around the world. 
<h2>Family Tree</h2>
Your family tree is written in your DNA, and 23andMe researchers have developed an algorithm to help you read it.
Instead of relying on customers to painstakingly enter names and dates—or track down records—just to get started, 23andMe&#8217;s new Family Tree does it for you using your genetic connections and DNA Relatives.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-27444" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/for_comms@1x.png" alt="" width="3525" height="2580" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/for_comms@1x.png 3525w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/for_comms@1x-300x220.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/for_comms@1x-768x562.png 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/for_comms@1x-1024x749.png 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/for_comms@1x-880x644.png 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/for_comms@1x-1180x864.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 3525px) 100vw, 3525px" />
With the click of a button, your genetic family tree is built automatically by an algorithm that predicts relationships based the DNA shared between you and your DNA Relatives. The size of your family tree depends on how many connections and DNA Relatives you have close relationships with in the 23andMe database. Participating in 23andMe’s DNA Relatives tool helps improve the experience. Customers will also be able to add names of relatives, or ancestors, to the family tree whether or not those individuals are on 23andMe. As the 23andMe database grows, customers may see their trees expand.
We created this new feature because we heard from customers who want to understand their recent family history, but don’t want the hassle of building a traditional family tree from scratch. The team is also working on additional functionality, such as the ability to edit your predicted relationships, which is expected to roll out in the coming weeks. 23andMe’s Family Tree offers a simple friction-free option, and a beautiful way to visualize how you connect with DNA Relatives.
<h2>Traits</h2>
DNA enhances our knowledge of our ancestry and family connections. It can also tell us more about the genetic underpinnings of our traits. Those include traits that affect our appearance, or our senses, or our behaviors.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-27455 size-full" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Traits.png" alt="" width="820" height="352" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Traits.png 820w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Traits-300x129.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Traits-768x330.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" />
With this latest update, 23andMe is now folding in more than 30 trait reports as part of our ancestry offerings. All Ancestry Service customers will have access to these trait reports in the coming months. These reports — including your genetic likelihood of disliking cilantro, your likelihood of having a dimple or preferring chocolate over vanilla ice cream — offer up a fun way to explore what else you can learn through your DNA.
Your traits are also intricately connected to family, passed down over the generations from your parents and grandparents and often shared with siblings and cousins. So, understanding your traits gives you another dimension to understanding your family connections.
It’s also a great introduction to how lifestyle, environment, and genetics work together to influence who we are.
<h2>Exploring Your Ancestry with 23andMe</h2>
<a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">23andMe’s genetic ancestry</a> offerings open the door to exploring your genetics.
With innovative and scientifically robust features, more than 1,500 geographic regions to connect with, more than 30 trait reports, and an innovative genetic Family Tree, 23andMe offers more specificity, more interactivity, and more to explore. 
23andMe customers can go to their<a href="https://you.23andme.com/ancestry/"> Ancestry Overview</a> to start exploring. Not yet a customer? Find out more about 23andMe’s ancestry offerings <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/"> here</a>.

23andMe Adds More Diversity to Ancestry Features

Earlier this month Joanna Mountain, 23andMe’s senior director of research, spoke during a panel discussion at the annual Genealogy Jamboree hosted by the <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-21119 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Joanna_and_Blaine_Bettinger-e1402696162448-300x288.jpg" alt="Joanna_and_Blaine_Bettinger" width="300" height="288" />
Starting in 2013, the four-day conference has included a day devoted to the use of genetic testing to inform the search for family history and ancestry.
This year, Joanna participated in a discussion about what the future might hold.
“People are going to start seeing how they’re related to one another,” Joanna said, and then looking around at the audience she added, “Maybe at one of these conferences, they’ll put up on the screen how all attendees are related.”
<h6>More Commonplace</h6>
Most of the other panelists –  which included Bennett Greenspan, the president and CEO of FamilyTree DNA, Jake Byrnes, of AncestryDNA, and the genetic genealogist, Diahan Southard – agreed. As more and more people are tested, as genetic databases grow, tracing relationships between people will become more commonplace.
Moderator <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-5404 size-medium" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Picture-208-300x225.png" alt="Don't just settle for two branches of your family tree..." width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Picture-208-300x225.png 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Picture-208.png 408w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
“It could be terribly convenient for those of us who are studying genealogy,” said Blaine.
<h6>World Family Tree</h6>
While a world family tree isn’t necessary for the effective use of genetic genealogy, it is a way to merge genetic information with information from <a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/ancestry/family-tree/">family trees</a> and research documents to inform people about their family history.
“I see a universal world tree emerging from the combined efforts of everyone in this room and at companies,” Joanna said in Burbank. “It’s already happening to some extent – kind of a crowd-sourcing effort.”
<h6>Sharing</h6>
This is happening because individuals are sharing information, but also because companies like 23andMe are allowing developers to create APIs that will offer consumers more tools to use in their searches.
But Joanna also reminded those in the audience that people test for many reasons. They might want to know about their family’s or their own risk for disease, or see traits they might pass onto their children, but in testing they might learn something they didn’t know about their ancestry. 23andMe is trying to allow consumers to explore their DNA through all those facets, she said. They might also learn that their ancestry makes them more or less prone to certain health conditions.
“We’re looking for ways to integrate both the health side and the ancestry/genealogy side (because those) go hand-in-hand,” she said.

The Future of Genetic Genealogy

Ah, summer vacation. A chance to set your status to “out of office,” grab that book you’ve been meaning to finish, and set off on a new adventure.
But how – and where – should you spend your precious days off? To help you finalize your summer travel plans, we’ve compiled a list of destinations influenced by your DNA and backed by 23andMe research.
Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast with a fear of heights or a beach lover who’s genetically predisposed to get a lot of mosquito bites, we have a destination that may pair well with your genes.

<h6> Summer Sans Bite</h6>
Summer marks the return of many simple pleasures – barbecues, beach trips, long days, warm nights, and time outside. But it also marks the return of a buzzing menace: the mosquito.
If you seem to have more itchy red welts on your ankles than the people around you, your DNA may play a role. 23andMe researchers found<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/itching-to-see-23andmes-new-trait-reports/"> 285 genetic variants</a> associated with mosquito bite frequency, size, and itchiness. These markers and other non-genetic factors such as birth sex may explain why mosquitoes find some people so attractive.
For the mosquito magnets among us, we recommend heading north to an urban location with cooler temperatures like Seattle, Washington. Seattle’s<a href="https://www.kuow.org/stories/why-are-there-so-few-mosquitos-seattle"> temperate climate</a> helps keep mosquito populations <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/zika/pdfs/Zika-mosquito-maps.pdf">in check</a> because there is less heat, humidity, and standing water that they need to survive and reproduce. With its lively art and food scene and proximity to Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, Seattle is buzzing in all the right ways.

<h6>Finding Balance</h6>
For those who suffer from<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/traits/motion-sickness/"> motion sickness</a>, the mere thought of a summer road trip may trigger a desire to stock up on motion sickness relief medicine.
Motion sickness may happen when there’s sensory conflict, or a mismatch between what your body feels is happening and what your eyes see. And genetics factor in, too. 23andMe researchers pinpointed<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/feeling-woozy-over-23andmes-new-report-on-motion-sickness/"> 413 genetic variants</a> that influence susceptibility to motion sickness. They also saw an<a href="https://academic.oup.com/hmg/article/24/9/2700/2385879?login=false"> association</a> between motion sickness and other conditions like migraines, morning sickness, and vertigo, which confirmed similar observations from previous researchers.
So this summer, ditch the car, skip the open road, and head to one of America’s most<a href="https://www.walkscore.com/NY/New_York"> walkable</a> metropolises: New York City. It’s a pedestrian’s paradise – museum exhibitions, Broadway shows, restaurants, lively neighborhoods, and shopping that can be easily reached on foot. No medication required.

<h6>Don’t Look Down</h6>
Does a precipice cause your heart to race? Does a mountain vista make your knees tremble?
A fear of heights is very common, affecting as many as <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-012-6685-1">one in three</a> people.
The distress may stem from a disruption in optical input and spatial orientation. While standing upright, the brain uses visual cues from surrounding objects to maintain balance. But this process can become muddled when standing at a high elevation relative to your surroundings.
There’s also a<a href="https://www.23andme.com/topics/traits/fear-of-heights/"> genetic component</a> at play. Scientists at 23andMe used statistical models and data from consented research participants to identify <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/health-traits/itching-to-see-23andmes-new-trait-reports/">392 genetic markers</a> associated with a fear of heights.
<a href="https://www.nps.gov/bisc/index.htm">Biscayne National Park</a> offers an alternative to the high elevations and heart-stopping views that we usually associate with the National Park system. Biscayne is located off the southeast coast of Florida, the country’s flattest state, and features four different ecosystems that hover close to sea level. The park offers plenty of water activities and several<a href="https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/florida/elliott-key-interpretive-loop"> low-elevation trails</a> that provide an awe-inspiring view of mangrove trees, sand bars, and turquoise water without that woozy, faint feeling.
Pack your bags; your DNA-tailored adventure awaits!

Where You Should Travel This Summer, Based on Your Genetics

Your DNA offers much more than just insights into your origins, it may help you map out your next travel itinerary.
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23andMe and Airbnb are teaming up to offer customers a new way to connect with their heritage, by showcasing homes and <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/#ancestry-airbnb-travel">heritage travel experiences</a> based on a customer’s DNA.
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“We empower 23andMe customers to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">learn about themselves and their ancestry</a> through their unique genetic code,” said 23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki. “Working with Airbnb, a leader who is reimagining travel, provides an exciting opportunity for our customers to connect with their heritage through deeply personal cultural and travel experiences.”

<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AIRbnb-3.jpg" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-27124 size-full" title="Heritage Travel" width="977" height="434" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AIRbnb-3.jpg 977w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AIRbnb-3-300x133.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AIRbnb-3-768x341.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AIRbnb-3-880x391.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 977px) 100vw, 977px" />Heritage Travel</h6>
23andMe’s pioneering Ancestry Composition allows customers to <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry">discover where their DNA is from</a> out of 1000+ regions worldwide, while Airbnb offers travelers a way to immerse themselves in the local communities and cultures through enriching experiences. The collaboration, which allows customers to more easily find homes and experiences inspired by their DNA, also offers users the ability to delve into locales even with which they have no genetic ties.
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The new integration also comes as more and more 23andMe customers use insights from their <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry/">Ancestry Composition</a> to connect to their cultural roots and map out their own Heritage Travel. And this trend goes beyond 23andMe customers. Since 2014, Airbnb has seen a 500 percent increase in the number of guests traveling specifically to explore their heritage.
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In a recent national survey, almost two-thirds of respondents said they thought that heritage based travel offered more valuable experiences. The survey, commissioned by Airbnb, showed that within the last five years 51 percent of those surveyed said they were much more likely to travel to a country of their heritage. And when looking at Airbnb customers that interest jumped to 62 percent. In a recent survey conducted by 23andMe, 53 percent of buyers of genetic kits say they decided to take a test because they want to know information about their ancestry and the ancestry of their family. For those who hadn’t yet taken a test, 73 percent of survey respondents said knowing their heritage by exploring personal DNA made them more likely to take a test.
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“At Airbnb, we believe that authentic travel experiences help you connect with local cultures and create a sense of belonging anywhere in the world &#8212; and what better way to do that than traveling to your roots,” said Joe Gebbia, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer. “We’re proud to team up with 23andMe, the leader in helping people learn about their genes and ancestry, to make it easier for travelers to plan trips as unique as their DNA.”
<h6><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Airbnb-4.jpg" alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-27125 size-full" title="Heritage Travel" width="977" height="433" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Airbnb-4.jpg 977w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Airbnb-4-300x133.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Airbnb-4-768x340.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Airbnb-4-880x390.jpg 880w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 977px) 100vw, 977px" />Finding Inspiration</h6>
Through this collaboration, both 23andMe and Airbnb customers will be able to find inspiration for their next trip based on their heritage. On <a href="http://www.23andme.com/airbnb">23andMe</a>, once a customer receives their ancestry reports, they will be able to click through to their ancestral populations and find Airbnb Homes and Experiences in their native countries. For example, if a 23andMe customer has Southern Italian ancestry, they might be able to find <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/53243">a trullo in Puglia</a> as a home base to explore their heritage. Or someone with Mexican roots could find an <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/166854">experience in Mexico City</a> to learn ancient techniques of natural dye as part of their heritage vacation. Additionally, Airbnb now has <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/heritagetravel">dedicated pages</a> that correspond with 23andMe’s genetic populations, so that travelers coming to Airbnb’s site will be able to easily plan an end-to-end heritage trip. 
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According to 23andMe, some of the top places in which its customers have recent ancestry outside of the United States and Canada are the United Kingdom, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Mainland China, Spain, Nigeria, India and Russia. Most 23andMe customers have at least five populations within their Ancestry Composition report, which presents many opportunities for one to explore heritage travel. 
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But connecting to your roots doesn’t require buying a plane ticket. Through <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/s/experiences">Airbnb Experiences</a>, you can connect with your ancestry by finding culturally specific activities in your hometown. In San Francisco, you could explore a <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/11056">Chinese calligraphy and tea tasting experience</a>, for example, to connect to your Chinese ancestry, or for those with connections to Japan you could learn to make traditional <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/61279?location=Bay%20Area%2C%20CA%2C%20United%20States&#038;currentTab=experience_tab&#038;federatedSearchId=eb974aba-4590-4d73-994a-75a77e4caa3e&#038;searchId=56ae8a06-6861-45a1-9007-b0fa46125e78&#038;sectionId=d3f07bb5-9537-4020-adce-06c951b034ac&#038;source=p2">Japanese ramen noodles</a>.
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Your DNA may offer more than just personal insight but a new way to map out your next journey, and a way to connect to people and cultures with whom you share ancestral origins. 
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Not yet a customer? Take the first step of your heritage trip by exploring <a href="https://www.23andme.com/airbnb">23andMe</a>, and visit Airbnb to find your next adventure.

Travel as unique as your DNA with 23andMe and Airbnb

That urge to explore, to go beyond what we know, is programmed into our DNA — a central part of the story of human history, where people journeyed first out of Africa, and then beyond, to populate the world.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/iStock-522001452-300x200.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-25537 size-medium" width="300" height="200" srcset="https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/iStock-522001452-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/iStock-522001452-768x512.jpg 768w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/iStock-522001452-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/iStock-522001452-880x587.jpg 880w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/iStock-522001452-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://blog.pub.us-west-2.prd.23andme.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/iStock-522001452.jpg 1254w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
And now our DNA doesn’t just compel us to discover new frontiers, it gives us the map of where to go.
Customers at 23andMe have begun to use their DNA test results as a roadmap of sorts. They have created travel itineraries, picked trip destinations from their newfound ancestral lands, and even visited with relatives they met through 23andMe.
“I got my results one day, and I jumped on the map view to see if I had family in any of the places where my ancestry is supposedly from,” said<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-customer-stories/more-deserving/"> Rachel Kilgore</a>, a product manager in Los Angeles. “There was one distant cousin in Norway!”
<h5>Mapping It Out</h5>
Rachel may have been in the vanguard when she used her 23andMe results three years ago to map out a summer vacation, but her story isn’t so unusual now as a steady stream of people have followed her lead and used the discoveries they made with their 23andMe results to help plan their travel.
People have used their 23andMe results to help direct their <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-ancestry">travel to their ancestral roots</a> in Africa, the United Kingdom and Russia, for instance.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Ancestry-Comp-Home-e1498680599352.png" alt="" class="alignright size-full wp-image-24211" width="300" height="190" />
Risa Rubin used her 23andMe results to help her and her brother find members of her mother’s family who they thought had died in the Holocaust. Risa eventually<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-customer-stories/meant-to-be/"> traveled to Israel</a> to meet her newfound cousin Ayelet. Mike Lattimore knew he’d travel to Africa, but he said his results helped push him in the<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-customer-stories/the-keeper-of-memory/"> right direction</a>. For Alyssa, another customer with African ancestry, her results directed a journey to Ghana that turned into an extended stay where she<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-customer-stories/alyssas-23andme-ancestry-story/"> volunteered at an orphanage</a>.
When scientists first mapped the<a href="https://www.genome.gov/glossary/index.cfm?id=106#human_genome_project"> Human Genome</a> in 2003, they knew it would guide scientists studying disease for decades to come. What they didn’t know was that it could help people navigate their own personal journey of discovery.
“I strongly feel that we should invest in finding our ancestry because it really helps us as human beings,” said Mike.
This summer, we are launching the Golden23SM Sweepstakes to send 23 winners on trips around the world based on their DNA. Starting today through August 3, one lucky winner will be chosen each day to embark on an exciting genetic adventure. Travel packages are valued up to $20,000 and include round-trip airfare for two, five nights of accommodations, customized itineraries and more. Learn more and enter <a href="https://23andme.com/dna-travel">HERE</a>.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A purchase will not improve your chances of winning. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and D.C., 18 or older. Sweepstakes ends at 11:59 pm PT on 8/3/17. You must complete the 23andMe Personal Genetic Service™ to qualify to win. Itineraries are not for entire duration of stay. For free entry method and complete details, see <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-travel-rules">Official Rules</a> that govern this Sweepstakes. Sponsor: 23andMe, Inc. Void where prohibited.
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