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Confessions of Crystal

Discovering my Ancestors Through 23 and Me 

27/3/2017

3 Comments

 
I've always wanted to do an ancestry test and six weeks ago, I finally ordered a kit from 23 and Me.  Before the test, I always said that I was 50% British (my maternal grandpa once traced his ancestry back to the year 1500 in England and Chilcott is a British surname so I presumed that was my paternal grandpa's heritage too), 25% German (from my maternal great-grandparents), 12.5 % Yugoslavian, and 12.5% Czechoslovakian (one great-grandparent from each country.)  While my DNA is consistent with a lot of this, there were some surprises!
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My results show lots of Irish and British, French and German, and Eastern European, which was expected.  Everywhere I travel, people ask me if I'm French.  Looks like I might be a bit French after all! There is more Balkan DNA (modern day countries like Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Montenegro, and Greece) than I would have expected, but that is likely from the Yugoslavian side of the family.  There is also .1% Scandinavian! Maybe, I have a Viking ancestor!  Perhaps most fascinating are the .1% North African and less than .1% East Asian.  I'm curious if my hair comes from the .1% North African DNA.  The East Asian is very unexpected and I wonder how that slipped into my DNA.  Interestingly, both are on Chromosome 6.  I need to do some more research on genetics and ancestry to try to learn more. 
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Okay, the Neanderthal part of this was the most fascinating to me!  My whole life, I've had dreams that I could telepathically communicate with Neanderthals.  I realize that these are very bizarre recurring dreams, but no wonder!  These are my people; I have more Neanderthal DNA than two thirds of the people who have taken a 23 and Me DNA test!  Since the Neanderthal valley was in modern day Germany, and I have German ancestry, I guess it isn't super surprising, but it is cool to know that I have one Neanderthal variant directly influencing my height and had a Neanderthal in my direct line of ancestry!

Overall, I found this ancestry kit very interesting and it provided me with lots of inspiration for writing material! Leave me a comment below if you've ever done an ancestry test!
3 Comments
Cinderella J link
27/3/2017 09:40:44 pm

This is so fascinating Crystal!
I've been intending fon trying it out for a while but have been reluctant due to privacy concerns. What is your view on that? Do you recommend it? X

Reply
Crystal
27/3/2017 10:19:55 pm

Hi Cinderella! I was actually thinking of you when I did this because I knew you have knowledge in the genetics field! There is a way to keep your results private so other users can't see, if you'd like. I recommend it, because it was really interesting! Both my North African and East Asian DNA show up on my Sixth Chromosome. Do you know which traits that chromosome influences or is it more complicated than that? X

Reply
Cinderella J link
29/3/2017 04:36:30 pm

Thank you I am definitely going to give it a go at some point this year :)
That's really cool that you have a North African and East Asian DNA on Chromosome 6. A large proportion of traits are determined by a mixture of genes on various chromosomes and the environment so it's pretty hard to tell I'm afraid! X




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    Crystal Chilcott

    Hi, I’m Crystal!  I love to travel and am currently a graduate student in Scotland. You’ll get all the best tips and insights from my experiences as a former ice-skating coach in Iceland and former study abroad student. Of the 27 countries I have visited, a type 1 diabetes diagnosis has been the strangest land yet.  Type 1 has not slowed down my travels and you'll learn how to take type 1 with you on the road! You can connect with me further on Instagram @CrystalChilcott, or send me ideas of where I should travel next via email: crystalmechilcott@gmail.comHappy Travels, Crystal

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