No Matches--No Useful Information

[Searcher]

I began the DNA search because I wanted to find out about myself. Because of my family's proclivity for birthing females, I am unable to do any Y tests. My results were so disappointing--not for what they told me, but for what they have not. (There are no available matches at all in the ftDNA database.)

I only know that I am Haplogroup K and genetically linked to Ice Man. While this is interesting, it wasn't what I wanted. I took the test to find out what percentage I am of various ethnic groups. My family is supposed to be European (i.e., French, German, British, ?, etc.), and I wanted to find out which one(s) as well as find out if there were other ethnic groups in my family which might explain the big secrecy around the origins of one of my great grandfathers. (Because I am from the "deep south" and there had always been a general taboo against those who might have African, Oriental, or Native American blood, I wanted to find out if this might have been the reason for the lack of information.)

Needless to say, I am extremely disappointed with ftDNA. Does anyone know of a company that will test my mtDNA for ethnic percentages and origins?

By the way, for those who may be able to help me on this forum, my results are as follows:

HVR1 - 16222T, 162224C, 16311C, 16519C
HVR2 - 73G, 146C, 152C, 263G, 315.1C

[Bill Hurst]

Hi Searcher. You are in the same position as someone who is complaining about bad picture quality while trying to watch "Desperate Housewives" on their microwave. The test you took is not designed to provide the information you are looking for. An mtDNA test will only give you information about about one line of ancestors. There is no percentage involved. You have your mtDNA numbers and you are in haplogroup K, Katrine's clan. That's it.

If want to learn about your total ethnic ancestry by percentage, you need to take a biogeographical test. One is the DNAPrint test by AncestryByDNA. A new one will soon be offered by Ethnoancestry. These test your autosomal DNA, not your mtDNA or Y-DNA, and are somewhat controversial. After a few generations back the margin of error may outweigh the component from any one ancestor. I have not taken this type of test.

The reason you have no exact matches is the 16222T mutation. I did a survey when K hit 200 entries a few weeks ago. At that time, at least, nobody else in K had that mutation. Otherwise, your numbers are all very ordinary for K. The 146C and 152C mutations get you started down the path to what's sometimes called the K1 subclade, which usually indicates Western rather Eastern European ancestry in your direct maternal line.

If you haven't done so, you should upload your results to mitosearch so you can check for close and perfect matches.

Having an usual number means you get few if any matches, but when you do get one the person is more likely to be closely related. I tested a couple of years ago and still don't have a match. Not even a close one.

Hope this helps some.

Bill Hurst

[Searcher]

Thanks

Yes, the information you provided does help. I will go to AncestryByDNA today.

[Bill Hurst]

Yes, the information you provided does help. I will go to AncestryByDNA today.

You might want to look at Charles Kerchner's dnaprint log to see what others have said about their tests:
http://www.kerchner.com/cgi-kerchner/dnaprint.cgi

Bill H.

[Clara]

ethnic matches?

Hi, Bill

Perhaps I share some of your ethnic background (I could not equate it by percentages). In plain English, mine is Welsh-English-Irish-Scotch-Dutch-French. My mtDNA basically comes from Maryland.

My mtDNA mutations are 73G, 263G, 315.1C [HVR2]
while the others are 16192 T, 16256T, 16270T, 16291T
& 16399G.

Clara

[Bill Hurst]

Hi, Bill

Perhaps I share some of your ethnic background (I could not equate it by percentages). In plain English, mine is Welsh-English-Irish-Scotch-Dutch-French. My mtDNA basically comes from Maryland.

My mtDNA mutations are 73G, 263G, 315.1C [HVR2]
while the others are 16192 T, 16256T, 16270T, 16291T
& 16399G.

Clara

Clara, I don't have Welch or Dutch ancestors that I know of. I have one German line. My mtDNA can only be confirmed back to Virginia, but looks Scottish, which matches the line of that woman's father's paternal line.

Bill Hurst