DNA Testing Services For Native Americans
DNA Testing for Native American Ancestry
Where did we come from? What is our ethnical background? To many people questions such as these are curiosities always on our mind. As part of the growing trend to trace our ancestry and discover our roots many people are turning to DNA testing to help get a glimpse into their family's past. One of the recent tests available for DNA profiling is the ability to test for Native American ancestry.
DNA testing for Native American ancestry assigns a probability percentage that you are a descendent in some form from major Native American groups. The test itself only provides a percentage of probability and does not confirm nor deny the fact that you may be related. In addition, it should be noted that the test is in no way conclusive. You may very well be related and the test could still assign a zero probability. The test is meant only to be used for curiosity purposes only and holds no legal standing in any part of the United States . The test is not certified by any ISO standards.
Let's take a look at what makes up the test for Native American Ancestry and get a bit of background information on the process.
This DNA test, called AncestryByDNA (note this is a trademarked name used for marketing purposes only by major DNA testing laboratories), is used to help determine what percentage of descent a person has. It not only tests for Native American ancestry but can also be used to test for genetic ancestry and descent from Europe, East Asia and Africa .
To determine what percentage of markers a person's DNA has from each of these four distinct groups, the DNA test will examine 175 different single nucleotide polymorphisms. The 175 SNP's were chosen based on their geographical polymorphism patterns. These marker locations that are present in the SNP's have been shown to be present in large populations that originated from these areas and are considered a common characteristic of the specific region.
The following four groups are identified by ancestry tests using DNA:
- Native American: Groups that migrated primarily from Asia and inhabited the Americas .
- European: European, Middle Eastern and South Asian populations from the Indian subcontinent, including India , Pakistan and Sri Lanka .
- East Asian: Japanese, Chinese, Mongolian, Koreans, Southeast Asians and Pacific Islanders, including populations native to the Philippines .
- African: Populations from Sub-Saharan Africa such as Nigeria and Congo region.
The AncestryByDNA test is one of the best tools available today that can be an aid in predicting the mixture of continental origins a person may be from. However, it cannot be stressed enough that these tests are non-conclusive and are not officially supported by any leading scientific genetics research institution. It is possible that a person may show particular DNA markers for Native American ancestry and are not related, and vice versa. Because of the large population of the world that has migrated over tens of thousands of years there is no determinate way that is 100% certain of ancestry. However, science continues to examine and learn more about DNA markers and in the future this field may become more determinate. For now, ancestry testing is merely a curiosity exercise that should be taken as just that.
If you are curious, though, there are a number of online organizations that will send you a free testing kit via mail. All you will need to do is send back a buccal swab containing cheek cells or a hair sample that includes the root and they will perform an analysis for around $250. This information will break down probability of percentage of not only Native American ancestry but also of percentage of ancestry from major groups around the world.