Family Finder Test - How far back?

[KaiserT]

I have two questions regarding Family Finder/Ethnic Origins Test:

1) How far back in terms of generations does the Family Finder Test go?

2) Does the percentage of a particular ethnicity reflect deeper or more recent ancestry? For instance, I have 90% South Asian and 10% Anatolian/Caucasus ancestry. Does it mean that my Anatolian/Caucasus ancestry is more deep-rooted in terms of time, while my South Asian ancestry is more recent?

[madman]

I had it go back to the 1500s so way back

I wouldn't trust the ethnicity percents its wrong for most of everyone tested

I have two questions regarding Family Finder/Ethnic Origins Test:

1) How far back in terms of generations does the Family Finder Test go?

2) Does the percentage of a particular ethnicity reflect deeper or more recent ancestry? For instance, I have 90% South Asian and 10% Anatolian/Caucasus ancestry. Does it mean that my Anatolian/Caucasus ancestry is more deep-rooted in terms of time, while my South Asian ancestry is more recent?

[KATM]

I have two questions regarding Family Finder/Ethnic Origins Test:

1) How far back in terms of generations does the Family Finder Test go?

2) Does the percentage of a particular ethnicity reflect deeper or more recent ancestry? For instance, I have 90% South Asian and 10% Anatolian/Caucasus ancestry. Does it mean that my Anatolian/Caucasus ancestry is more deep-rooted in terms of time, while my South Asian ancestry is more recent?

I'll take a shot at this:

1) I believe that most of the DNA testing companies conservatively claim that autosomal tests can go back from between 4 to 6 generations, in general. FTDNA says on their "Autosomal Tests (Family Finder)" page

This test is designed to find relatives on any of your ancestral lines within the last five generations.

4 to 6 generations would be from 2nd to 4th g-grandparent (matches would be 3rd to 5th cousins). I've also seen estimates for autosomal testing ranges to be between 250 and 500 years for matching, which is further than 6 generations, depending on how you define a generation (say every 30 years on average, perhaps, but it does vary). So autosomal tests may go back further, but not as commonly.

For the person who is my own Family Finder match with the earliest common ancestors, one of each of our 3rd g-grandparents were 1st cousins (born ca. mid-1770s, almost 250 years), so our common ancestors were their grandparents, and our 5th g-grandparents. These 5th g-grandparents were born about early 1700s, approximately 300 years. So, this match and I are 6th cousins via that relationship, and within the outer range of autosomal match estimates (5th cousin to remote cousin at FTDNA).

I also have another connection to this match on paper (which may also be very remotely possible through DNA, but it would be a trace amount, if any):
My other 3rd g-grandparent married one of these two "cousin 3rd g-grandparents," both of whom were his 6th cousins. The common mutual ancestors of my 3rd g-grandparents were their 5th g-grandparents, who would be 10th g-grandparents to my and my match. My 3rd g-grandparents were descended down the separate lines of two sons of the 10th g-grandparents. These 10th g-grandparents were married in the early 1500s, according to my match. They were likely born about 500+ years ago, or late 1400s. It can be confusing, but easy to see on a pedigree chart. That makes myself and my match about 11th cousins along those lines.

2) I think what you wrote is basically correct, but with a caveat.

Generally, the percentages inherited from our ancestors are halved with each generation. But it depends upon just how much actually was passed on to each generation; not everyone gets the same 50% of their parent's DNA. If a parent in any of the intervening generations has a mixture of more than one population group, then one of his or her children could get 40% of one population group, while another child gets 20% (their amounts from the other parent vary proportionally). This continues with the ensuing generations. If you don't have other close relatives tested, you won't know if you got as much of that 10% South Asian as possible. Perhaps your parent(s) have/had more than 10% available to pass down, but through the toss of the DNA dice, you only inherited the 10%. A sibling may inherit more, if there was more to inherit. That would make it appear that you had an ancestor further back, contributing your 10%, but for a hypothetical sibling, if they received 15% or 20%, the ancestor would seem that much more recent.

You do have to take the ethnicity breakdowns (myOrigins at FTDNA) with a large grain of salt. And it really does help to get a better picture if you test individuals in your family from the oldest generations possible, as well as any siblings you may have.

I hope that wasn't too confusing, and some of it makes sense to you.

[KaiserT]

KATM: Thank you for the detailed reply.

[Frank Kelch]

With luck, you can get matches that share a common ancestor with you from the 1500's/1600's (up to 20 generations ago). On other branches of your tree, it will only go back 4 or 5 generations.

[MoberlyDrake]

I thought it was your DNA matches only who are usually related within the last 5 generations or so.

I thought the ethnicity part covered thousands of years.

In my opinion the ethnicity estimates for Western Europe and the British Isles are little more than nonsense anyway, because there isn't enough genetic variation, due to thousands of years of migrations of both peoples and individuals.

[josh w.]

I thought it was your DNA matches only who are usually related within the last 5 generations or so.

I thought the ethnicity part covered thousands of years.

In my opinion the ethnicity estimates for Western Europe and the British Isles are little more than nonsense anyway, because there isn't enough genetic variation, due to thousands of years of migrations of both peoples and individuals.

I have FF 5+ cousins who probably go back to the 1500s I recently discovered that pile up regions may lead to an over estimation of closeness in relationship.