The meaning of ancestor has different definitions depending on the field of biology we focus on. From the point of view of genetics, an individual is considered to be an ancestor of another when both have a common genetic origin.
Knowing where we come from and to which geographic regions we can relate our genetics has become one of the services of greatest interest to consumers of genetic tests. Despite the complexity involved in generating this type of results, thanks to the new technologies and methodologies available, it is possible to obtain highly accurate results, broken down into an increasing number of geographic regions.
But how do we know where we come from genetically? To estimate your ancestry, DNA tests use the genetic variants present in the autosomal region of your DNA, commonly known as SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). This fraction of your genetic material is compared with a reference database, which includes individuals from multiple countries and geographic regions. This comparison provides the information needed to trace your geographic origins.
Thousands of users have joined our community to know their ancestral origins during the last years. This has allowed us to make great improvements in our test, culminating in a new calculation algorithm that drastically improves our current service.
What improvements does this new version of the origins test bring?
Our new methodology has allowed us to refine our ancestry estimates and provide more detailed and accurate results. Building new reference populations has allowed us to assign with higher confidence and lower error rate your primary ancestry, as well as a breakdown into more specific regions.
For example, let’s imagine the situation where a Spanish person acquires the ancestry DNA test we offer at tellmeGen. Their ancestry results will show that most of their genetic makeup is assigned to the population described as Iberian, which includes the countries of Spain and Portugal.
But there’s more! With this new version you will be able to know if within the Iberian population, your genetic composition is represented in Spain, Portugal or in both countries, reaching a higher level of detail than the one provided so far.
On the other hand, the improvement of our calculation algorithm has allowed us to greatly reduce statistical deviation errors that caused some users to obtain small percentages, known as residual percentages, in populations that were not really part of their genetic composition.
Finally, in order to help you better understand your results, we have incorporated a new version of the genetic composition map, making it a much more interactive and user-friendly tool. This new feature will allow you to consult your results in a more visual way and to see the geographical distribution of the populations included in your report, as well as a brief description of these populations.
How will this update affect the results of users who have already taken the DNA test?
With this new technology our goal has been to improve the accuracy of the results and the information provided to all our users, making it as complete as possible. Therefore, since we have updated our algorithm and the reference populations used, it is to be expected that your results will undergo slight changes. In general, all of our users will see adjustments to their results. However, those users with European ancestry will be more affected by this update as it is in these populations where the most significant improvement has occurred.
At tellmeGen we understand that changes in results can be confusing, but the methodology behind ancestry analysis is constantly evolving, especially thanks to the advances in population genetics that have occurred in recent years.
I want to know my origins with this new methodology, what do I have to do?
Now, your journey into the past will be more complete and accurate than ever, as our updated origins test is now available in all our DNA kits. All you have to do is follow one of the following procedures:
- If you have already purchased a tellmeGen DNA test, you will be notified shortly that this new information is now available and you will be able to update your old results to the new ones completely free of charge.
- If you have not yet purchased your tellmeGen genetic test, now is the time to join our family! Purchase your DNA test now and get information on how your ancestry is distributed across 53 different ethnic groups.
