Have your DNA results returned with one percent matching to a region? Learn which generations back it might exist in your family tree.
The ethnicity estimate shows where your ancestors may have lived within approximately the past 300-500 years, with percentages for each region matching what we might assume would have been most common at that time. We can usually assume that higher percentages represent more recent ancestors while smaller regions indicate distant ones.
Of course, this process is usually straightforward to understand; however, questions often arise when we encounter regions in our results that were unexpected or where a small percentage (such as 1%) matches have been found.
Are we to search our family tree to identify who passed down this 1% and whether or not it appeared by chance.
How Many Generations Back Do We Find Ancestors with One Percent DNA
On average, we could expect to locate our ancestor who passed on their one percent ethnicity region DNA seven generations back in our family tree – this means it could come from as far back as one of their great-great-great grandparent’s!
This scenario assumes that DNA matching the 1% ethnicity region doubles for every generation back in your family tree, so if your fifth great-grandmother was 100% from one region in particular we would expect her descendants to match each region as follows.
Your DNA matches that region by 1 point; Your parent matches by 2%, Your grandparent by 4 points and Your great grandparent by 8 points
Your Great-Great Grandparent (gggg) was 16% DNA compatible with their region; 32% for your GGGGGGG and 64% for the “100% Ancestor”, being your 5th Great Grandmother – thus becoming an Ancestor 100% matching with her region (and with you!). This would indicate she is one of many descendants that share DNA 100% identical with all three ancestral lines.
DNA inheritance rarely follows an expected path; while children do inherit 50% from each parent, which they do so randomly.
As ethnicity regions can be passed down in larger chunks than expected in an ideal mathematical scenario, or even completely pass them along to us, when considering where and when to search for an ancestor who may have transmitted even one percent of an ethnicity region to us, we must keep an open mind and search deeper or farther back than what the estimates may predict.
How to Find Your 1% DNA Ancestor
There are various strategies you can employ when trying to track down an ancestor who fits within your 1% region, and several things you can do to narrow your search radius for said individual.
Ancestry SideView
After taking a DNA test with Ancestry, you can instantly see your ethnicity estimate broken down by parent. Ancestry’s SideView Ethnicity Inheritance feature assigns regions based on complex algorithms for each of our parents’ regions of origin.
Asking Another Relative for Testing
By asking another relative – particularly one from your extended family such as parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles – to take an ethnicity estimate test can often help identify branches in your family tree that require further investigation. For instance, if one of your grandparents also matches this region on test results it could be evidence that their ancestor lived there originally and it should serve as an indicator as to who’s likely behind your DNA matching this specific part of the world.
Compare Ethnicity Regions With DNA Matches
If your 1% DNA was passed down from someone living in that region of the world recently, exploring your 3rd-4th cousin DNA matches for that area can provide you with valuable insight into comparing estimates for ethnicity.
Ancestry and 23andMe offer great ways for you to compare your ethnicity estimate with most of your DNA matches, and some testing companies also allow you to filter or sort matches based on region on their results.
If you find a DNA match who shares the region you do, especially one who matches more completely, you might investigate their shared DNA matches to try and detect patterns or similarities between yourselves.
Importantly, our DNA matches may have descended from various ancestors from our family tree; or they could even have received DNA matching the region in which you reside from someone unrelated to either you or them at all.
Chromosome Painting With Ethnicity Data A more advanced method for mapping smaller regions such as 1% regions would be to use chromosome painting with ethnicity data overlaid from 23andMe results, such as common ancestor identification. Once done, ethnicity data corresponding with your DNA segments can then be added via this approach.
DNA Painter is the ideal website to keep track of chromosome mapping and painting efforts, offering free of use.
Could 1% DNA ethnicity region come from recent ancestors?
All the regions on our ethnicity estimate, including those that make up our 1% region estimates, come from recent ancestors; so if your DNA results are accurate (more below), chances are it was passed along from either parent.
If your ancestors shared genetic heritage with those from your 1% region, at least one of your parents should show DNA matching that region on our ethnicity estimate. As with our estimate of ethnicity percentages, inheritance patterns don’t happen evenly so your parent could show less than what would normally be expected: they could match just 1% or could surpass the expected 2% level.
Are we ever mistaken when estimating ethnicity based on just 1%?
Yes, it is always possible that our ethnicity estimate could be inaccurate; the risk increases when dealing with small percentages such as when only matching our DNA at 1%.
How is this done?
DNA testing companies utilize complex software algorithms that compare our DNA with reference panels composed of samples collected from thousands (sometimes tens) of people worldwide.
As humans share nearly identical DNA, software uses small differences to isolate our ethnicity regions. Unfortunately, it’s easy for a small DNA segment to become “misidentified” as belonging to another region – an error which frequently arises as a result.
Most often, however, DNA results are fairly reliable; so it’s worthwhile exploring any 1% regions.
Many individuals have asked their parents to take DNA tests, and occasionally their results do not match up with those shown by our 1% regions (or smaller percentages). When this occurs, we shouldn’t immediately assume our 1% region is incorrect since the algorithm may have misinterpreted our parent’s DNA instead.
Conclusion We hope that this post has provided you with an in-depth explanation of what it means when 1% of your DNA matches a region on an ethnicity estimate. While sometimes inaccurate, it typically signifies an ancestor who had genetic ties to that area.
If you have any inquiries or would like to share any “1% regions” that appear on your DNA results, feel free to join in the dialogue below.
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