Ancestry DNA Results are in!

I've been tossing around the idea of DNA ancestry for about a year now.  Most serious genealogists see this tool as being able to break through their brick walls in their search to get to Adam & Eve.  My personal non-fiction reads this past year include the Seven Daughters of Eve and Who Do You Think You Are?  My favorite television shows are Finding Your Roots on PBS with Henry Louis Gates and the popular Who Do You Think You Are sponsored by Ancestry.com.  My only complaint would be that the shows were over dramatized for their Hollywood subjects, but that is expected I suppose for people who's careers depend on drama.  I've been amazed at the documents that still exist when these dramas unfold.  It continues to fascinate me, pushing me forward in my constant search of the past.

Sunday night, I received my results for the Beta DNA study I chose to participate in.  Waiting for these results was more highly anticipated then my many Optician Exam results that I've waited weeks for, over the years.  I was surprised by the results (The Finn ancestry).  I will admit that I had some disappointment; I want more information, now!  

I got these results for a lower fee.  Some of the results will trickle in over the next few years.  Participating in this study allows my results to be saved for posterity.  I believe that others down the road will be interested in family history, and this is one of the best ways I can preserve my research connected to my DNA.

The following is my snapshot, on Ancestry.com.  It can not viewed by the public, unless you are a member that has participated in the DNA study, and your DNA indicates shared DNA.  It ensures that if one has privacy concerns, there's probably little to fear.  No living person is view able in a member's family tree.  

What this study doesn't show me, is from which parent I inherited my ethnicities from.   All of my half-siblings would have to participate in the same study to perhaps see a clearer picture of what was inherited from whom, because inherited DNA doesn't always come to us as a 50/50 ratio.  Over time, we lose our ancestors DNA, a little each generation, due to mutations (which doesn't always lead to retardation or cancer).  If every one of my known siblings participated in this study, approximately half of our DNA might match.  It could be over half in some, and less than half in others, depending on our markers.

(I have attempted to protect the privacy of my long-distant cousins, by blocking out their names.)

As you can see, I'm 5% unknown.  At this time, it's not believed that my 5% unknown is Jewish. (That's what I was hoping for!)  That is a recognized type this test can identify.  I believe it  may be Native American, but either time will tell, or it will cease to exists in future generations.