Interpreting Your Recent and Ancient Origin Results

By: Katy Rowe-Schurwanz

An overview of the myOrigins and ancientOrigins reports provided by FamilyTreeDNA through autosomal testing.

Editor’s Note: This is part four of a seven-part series about what autosomal DNA is, what autosomal DNA can tell you, and how to apply autosomal DNA results to your genealogy. Continue reading the series here:

The myOrigins section breaks down your inherited estimated ancestral population percentages, commonly referred to as “ethnicity percentages.” We have 90 reference populations your autosomal DNA will be compared to. You will receive a percentage breakdown of your matching populations, be able to view a map of where those populations are from, and are able to read the descriptions of those populations.

How does it work? Building myOrigins and producing results

Population geneticists find groups of people with similar heritage (all four grandparents are from the same place, etc.) and create reference population clusters. Each reference population cluster goes through extensive testing before it is solidified.

In general, DNA testing companies use a combination of academic reference population clusters and those built from their own testing databases to create their core group of reference populations. Because of this, each company will have slightly different estimates for each tester.

Each tester is compared to those reference population clusters and a calculation is given for how much of their DNA matches each cluster.

These results are estimates. On the continental level, or if a tester is from a population that was or still is incredibly isolated, differences are easily divided and determined. Within continents, many population groups over the course of the past thousand years experienced high mobility and interaction and because of that, the genetic differences are minor, so random recombination can play a role in whether a tester’s result matches the region their ancestors are from or a region neighboring it.

Another reason this can vary so much is because it’s looking for the closest estimate to what your DNA matches. When new reference populations are added into the mixture or if you test with a new company that has completely different reference populations or is looking at a different data set of autosomal SNPs, you may end up with a completely different story of where your ancestors came from. While we’re looking for the closest match to your DNA, if your ancestors come from a population that is not represented, we’re going to find the nearest DNA neighbor. It may not be exact, but it’s the closest we could get to exact to get you to 100%.

For myOrigins, we have naming standards for the different regions: Continental Region, Super Population, and Population Cluster. For example:

Europe is the Continental Region
Southern Europe is the Super Population
Italian Peninsula is the Population Cluster

How does it work? What ancestors’ DNA have I inherited?

You inherit half of your autosomal DNA from each parent, and they inherited half from each of their parents, and so on. The approximate percentage of autosomal DNA you have inherited from each of your recent ancestors is displayed in the chart below.

However, autosomal DNA is passed down through random recombination. This means you aren’t inheriting a perfect half of each parent’s ancestral population percentages. Everyone inherits 50% of their DNA from their parents, but not everyone inherits half of each of their ancestors’ DNA from a parent. Sometimes, the child will inherit all of a segment of DNA from an ancestor, and in other cases, the child will inherit none. In some cases, they will inherit half or a portion of the DNA from an ancestor. In reality, the DNA segments are very seldom divided exactly in half.

Compare Origins option

The Compare Origins tab allows you to compare your shared origins with matches who have opted into sharing as well as plot your matches’ earliest known ancestor locations on the map.

You can search the match list for a specific match or filter the match list by the different match levels, by the Family Matching categories, X Matches, or matches that share a common ancestral surname with you.

You can choose to plot the paternal Earliest Known Ancestors or the maternal earliest known ancestors or both on the map. Clicking a pin will allow you to view the information about the match’s earliest known ancestor, view their profile, compare their origins, and pin the marker.

This tool is helpful if you are looking to find ancestors who share a common ancestor from a specific population with you and may help find connections to matches whose ancestors are from similar locations as yours are from.

To enable this feature, opt in to Origins Sharing under the Privacy & Sharing section of your Account Settings.

Chromosome Painter: Tool to visualize segment matches on individual chromosomes

The Chromosome Painting feature shows which segments of your DNA come from which ancestral populations.

You can break down either your continent-level or super-population level origins across your 22 autosomal chromosome pairs. The confidence of associated DNA segments is different for each population and depends upon the history of DNA-sharing between neighboring populations. This exciting tool goes beyond telling you your percentages and reveals where in the world each DNA segment in your ancestry comes from.

In the top left, you can choose to view either Chromosome Painting or Detailed Segments.

Immediately below that option, you can choose between either the Super Populations or Continent-level populations. To the left, you can click Filter to select how to display your chromosomes (either in a portrait or landscape view) and filter which Super Populations, Continents, or Trace Results you want to display.

On the left, you’ll see a breakdown of your myOrigins Super Population or Continent percentages. Each region will be indicated by a specific painted dot, which will also be reflected in the corresponding matching segments on your chromosomes to the right.

On the right, you’ll see a list of your chromosomes, 1-22. Each chromosome has two pairs, and the maternal/paternal copies are painted in an arbitrary order.

To view more information about a specific painted segment, click on that segment. In the box that pops up, you’ll be able to view the:

Population: Super Population the segment is estimated to match.
Chromosome: The chromosome pair (out of 22 autosomes) where the estimated population segment is located. A segment cannot cross chromosomal boundaries.
Shared DNA: The amount of centimorgans in this segment.
Position (Mb): Start and end positions for the estimated population segment, based on build 37 of the human reference genome.

If you click over to the Detailed Segments view, you’ll be presented with the painted information in a table.

The different columns will show you:

Super Population or Continent: The Super Population is the region in which one or more Population Clusters are found. This may also illustrate relatedness among the Population Clusters in this region. The Continent is the main region of the world in which one or more populations are located.
Chromosome: The chromosome pair (out of 22 autosomes) where the estimated population segment is located. A segment cannot cross chromosomal boundaries.
Haplotype: A haplotype is one of your two copies of a chromosome. Adjacent segments from the same population are sorted together into the same haplotype (1 or 2).
Start Position: Position on the indicated chromosome where the estimated population segment begins, based on build 37 of the human reference genome.
End Position: Position on the indicated chromosome where the estimated population segment ends, based on build 37 of the human reference genome.
Centimorgans: The unit of genetic linkage for the estimated population segment. Segments inherited from more recent ancestors usually have higher values.

If you have a segment from a specific population, you can triangulate with that segment data to find matches who overlap on that segment and trace back to find your common ancestor from that population.

You’ll need to manually compare the detailed segment data, which you have the option to either view or download from the Chromosome Painter, with the segment data in the Chromosome Browser.

Compare Origins can also help you find if a match shares a population with you, and then you can check if there is an overlapping segment in the Chromosome Browser that matches your painted myOrigins segments for that population.

ancientOrigins Report: Insights into ancient ancestry and deep population connections

The ancientOrigins feature compares your autosomal DNA to autosomal DNA found at archaeological dig sites across the European continent. As more research and data is available, this feature will be expanded to include archaeological sites and ancient peoples across other continents as well.

The feature allows you to view information about each dig site and also gives a percentage breakdown of your DNA in comparison to the three waves of migratory peoples who entered the European continent based on the available DNA at these sites.

It is possible to match these ancient European migrations in a percentage amount that provides a different total than your European percentage total in myOrigins.

The ancientOrigins results are looking at reference populations reflecting a different timeframe than the myOrigins results, so different European percentages are normal. The ancientOrigins results are looking at DNA from migrations into Europe from the past 4000-8000 years ago; the myOrigins results are looking at more recent populations, going back about 500-2000 years ago.

It is also possible that Metal Age Invaders, Farmers, and Hunter-Gatherers influenced groups in other parts of the world. For this reason, your ancient “non-European” percentage might be 0%, while your myOrigins results contain percentages for populations outside of Europe.

The three waves of migration into the European continent and three possibilities for results are:

Hunter-Gatherer (Mesolithic and Neolithic Era)
Farmer (Neolithic Era)
Metal Age Invader (Bronze Age)

You can find out more about each archaeological site by clicking on the associated trowel on the map to read the descriptions.

Y-DNA haplogroup

A haplogroup is a branch on either the maternal or paternal Tree of Humankind. Haplogroups are associated with early human migrations. Today these can be associated with a geographic region or regions.

Because the autosomal microarray chips also look at some Y-DNA SNPs, a partial Y-DNA haplogroup can be provided as part of the Family Finder results for genetic males (because the Y chromosome is only passed down from father to son).

Your partial Y-DNA haplogroup can provide you with more information about your father’s father’s father’s story.

With your Y-DNA haplogroup, you’ll receive access to the Y-DNA Discover haplogroup reports including:

Haplogroup Story: Learn more about your haplogroup, including where its from and when it was formed.
Country Frequency: See where the other descendants of your Metal Age ancestor live today.
Notable Connections: See up to 10 distant connections to famous historical and modern people and which Metal Age ancestor you share.
Migration Map: Discover your ancestors’ migration path through the Stone Age and Metal Age.
Ancient Connections: See up to 10 distant connections to archaeological remains from around the world and which Metal Age ancestor you share.
Ancestral Path: See the details of your direct paternal line genetic ancestors from the Stone Age leading up to the Metal Age and sometimes later.
Time Tree: See a less detailed version of the Time Tree, showing your Metal Age genetic ancestor haplogroup and his relations to descendants and Notable and Ancient Connections.

You can also use the Y-DNA Haplogroup results of your matches to identify and recruit potential Y-DNA testers to help you unlock more of your father’s father’s father’s story.

The autosomal chip also includes some mtDNA SNPs, and within the next year, FamilyTreeDNA will start providing mtDNA haplogroups with Family Finder results so you can learn more about your mother’s story.

About the Author

Katy Rowe-Schurwanz

Product Manager at FamilyTreeDNA

Katy Rowe-Schurwanz has always been interested in genealogy, inspired by her maternal grandparents, who told her stories about their family and family history when she was little. After studying anthropology and history in college, she joined FamilyTreeDNA in 2015 and became the Trainer for Customer Support. Katy created and improved training processes and was fundamental in the creation of the Big Y Specialist team. In September 2021, she became Product Manager and has focused closely on improving FamilyTreeDNA’s genetic genealogy products.