DNA Sequencing Megathread! Neanderthals, Denisovans and other ancient DNA!

[Maximus]

I've also heard a few people claim Sioux ancestry.

I do find it interesting that the most commonly-claimed ancestral tribe is also one of the best known.  I wonder if there are cases of people with legit ancestry, but from another tribe, but their ancestors ended up forgetting which one so just said 'Cherokee' because in the south, the Cherokee are thought to be OSSUM.

I suspect it's because that knowledge/rumour is passed orally and many people have only heard of a few tribes so those are the ones they attach to.

[Valmy]

The Creeks and Chickasaw considered the Cherokee a bunch of sluts.

I believe the Creek were originally more numerous than the Cherokee, but you want to know why nobody ever claims Creek ancestry?  Because they're gone.  Lots of hicks vacation in the Smokies where one can find the.... Cherokee Reservation (and Casino!  )

I guess if hicks enjoyed vacationing in Oklahoma, more of them might claim Creek ancestry?

I enjoyed reading the account of my wife's greatxsomething grandfather's military experience in the War of 1812 against the Creeks. 'We invaded and were beaten. We ran back to Georgia and re-organized. Then we attacked again. We lost again and ran back to Georgia. Then we re-organized and attacked again. We lost again. Then we heard Andrew Jackson won the war for us. Drinks were served.'

[Caliga]

I suspect it's because that knowledge/rumour is passed orally and many people have only heard of a few tribes so those are the ones they attach to.

Also, legit Cherokee are typically not amused that everyone insists they are cousins to them.  I was on the Cherokee Reservation once and this old lady started telling a dude working a souvenir counter how she was part Cherokee.  He was polite to her but the look on his face was "oh no, not this shit again".

[viper37]

Shocking.  A native Kentuckian who thinks he is part Cherokee.  Ed has that in common with 99% of the hicks who grew up here.

My cousin just discovered his newborn son is part american indian.  They believe it comes from the mother side (and I think so too).

[Caliga]

My cousin just discovered his newborn son is part american indian.  They believe it comes from the mother side (and I think so too).

How'd he discover it?

[Caliga]

I think I just determined that 59% of my DNA came from my mom and 41% came from my dad.

I was able to determine this, assuming my theory is correct, by looking at DNA test results from:

me
my mother
my mother's genetic half-sister*

My mother shares 34 identical DNA segments with her half-sister.  I, on the other hand, share 20 identical DNA segments with her half-sister.

34/20 = 58.8%


* technically her cousin, but her father was an identical twin to her uncle

[Caliga]

Hmmmm.... but now that I think about it, I think you're supposed to receive exactly 50% of your DNA from each parent.

It may just be that that 50% contained more than half of the segments she shares with her half-sister.

[Barrister]

I think I just determined that 59% of my DNA came from my mom and 41% came from my dad.

Isn't that, like, impossible?  Aren't you guaranteed to get 50% of your DNA from each parent?

The DNA testing that is done doesn't give you a complete sequencing of your DNA.  It tests for I don't know how many genetic markers, but not literally every gene in your body.  I suspect what you're seeing is an artifact of that more limited sampling of your DNA.

[Caliga]

Yeah, I realized after I did that that I was mistaken Beeb.

I'd delete my initial post but I ain't got nothing to hide.  Everyone knows I'm not one of the forum geniuses.

[derspiess]

I enjoyed reading the account of my wife's greatxsomething grandfather's military experience in the War of 1812 against the Creeks. 'We invaded and were beaten. We ran back to Georgia and re-organized. Then we attacked again. We lost again and ran back to Georgia. Then we re-organized and attacked again. We lost again. Then we heard Andrew Jackson won the war for us. Drinks were served.'

My great-grandfather's letters home from the Spanish-American War are a hoot.  Seems fairly clear he had never seen a black person before he was deployed to Florida/Cuba

[Maximus]

Hmmmm.... but now that I think about it, I think you're supposed to receive exactly 50% of your DNA from each parent.

It may just be that that 50% contained more than half of the segments she shares with her half-sister.

It could also mean you got 58% of the sequences they use as markers from your Mom. They don't use the entire DNA: the markers are essentially a sampling if I understand the process correctly. I don't know how random marker selection is or how independent of other factors.

[Malthus]

I think I just determined that 59% of my DNA came from my mom and 41% came from my dad.

Isn't that, like, impossible?  Aren't you guaranteed to get 50% of your DNA from each parent?

The DNA testing that is done doesn't give you a complete sequencing of your DNA.  It tests for I don't know how many genetic markers, but not literally every gene in your body.  I suspect what you're seeing is an artifact of that more limited sampling of your DNA.

He's trying out the whole 'so inbred can't tell how much DNA I get from which parent' thing.

Helps him to fit in, now that he lives in Kentucky. 

[Caliga]

There are actually tools you can run your DNA through to tell if your parents are related.  Mine are not.

[Maximus]

There are actually tools you can run your DNA through to tell if your parents are related.  Mine are not.

Which one isn't human?

[Caliga]

Which one isn't human?

The one with all the Mennonite heritage.