What 23andMe & Ancestry don't tell you

[kenny]

If you don't care to read it, NPR offers a 12 minute Listen.

Very interesting.

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/28/1172856207/at-home-dna-test-kits-can-tell-you-many-things-race-shouldnt-be-one-of-them

 

[Betty Baguette]

Not completely true, not completely untrue.

For example, home DNA tests are very accurate in identifying Ashkenazi Jews. And genetic testing in this racial group can be very important in identifying potential partners who are carriers of mutations that can lead to catastrophic diseases in offspring:

Guide to Jewish Genetic Diseases – Kveller

Learn more about the most common Jewish genetic diseases.

www.kveller.com

Genetic Testing for Jewish First-Time Parents

Many genetic diseases are preventable. As any first-time-parents know, the first step in preparing for a healthy pregnancy is planning before conception. This means understanding how your own genes...

www.jscreen.org

 

[Lookinagain]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding the article, but I don't think my race was ever noted in my results. Just geographic areas where my DNA was of a similar make up. Or again, am I missing something?

 

[kenny]

I suspect what they are addressing is the fault of the unwashed masses who interpret geographic location X with race Y.
They're wrong, but I suspect this error is is common because people like to hear that they are from a location that they associate with a groovy race, though they'd never admit to it.

 

[Betty Baguette]

Again, there are genes linked to race, or ethnicity if you prefer. Yes, the lines can be fuzzy, but there is a science to it. It isn't all about "racism", as the anthropologist quoted postulates.

Many medical risks are based on small segments of DNA that vary greatly in frequency among the various races/ethnicities. It can be important stuff to know.

People vary, and not just in their opinions and preferences.

 

[LilAlex]

As @Betty Baguette points out, there is a difference between genetic ancestry and geographic ancestry. Most consumers of these products are interested in the latter -- but it can only be inferred from the former.

The distinction between the two is clear for "endogamous" groups like the Ashkenazim who move (or have been moved) all over the place but, until recently, have tended to marry within the group.