This year I decided to give myself a birthday present: a genetic test. Six weeks ago I spat into a tube and mailed it off. The things that get sent through the mails never cease to amaze me (I used to have a client who sold urinalysis by mail order).
Now I’ve received my results back. Nothing earth-shattering or amazing but a lot of interesting stuff. Based on my reading a lot of their stuff is highly speculative or, at least, thinly sourced. Very little you’d take to the bank but it’s fine for entertainment purposes. And geneaological research which was my primary interest to begin with.
Nothing particularly surprising there, either. My paternal haplogroup is R1b1b2a1a2d3*. My maternal haplogroup is J1c3. Since my paternal haplogroup is common among the Swiss and my maternal haplogroup among the Irish, these results are not entirely unexpected (since the Schulers are Swiss and my mother’s mother’s mother’s mother was Irish). Mostly what I’ve learned is that there probably isn’t much unexpected to learn, which I guess is something.
In some ways I think this is sort of the modern equivalent of going to a fortune-teller. As long as you view it as just good fun, what’s the harm?
Without being specific, did the tests cause you to be on the lookout for any health related issues?
Not really. Genetically, I’m extraordinarily healthy. Interestingly, I’m a carrier of a genetic trait with health implications that a lot of the Irish are. I don’t have both copies of the gene variant so I’m unlikely to show symptoms. If genes alone were the determining factor, I’m more likely than not to live to 100.
“If genes alone were the determining factor, I’m more likely than not to live to 100.”
Cheers!
Thanks for sharing, Dave. Did you end up sharing your knowledge of your ancestry with the testing company? Even if you’re somewhat ambivalent about what you’ve learned, you might have contributed to an emerging field of knowledge.
(And is their Irish toast to the effect of “May you not live to see 100”?)
I’m so embareassed of my spelling sometimes.
Dave, I just realized that with your mother’s recent departure, my comment was in bad taste. I hope you’ll accept my apology.
Not at all, PD. I didn’t take it amiss in the slightest.
In honesty my mom followed what’s something of a tradition in my family (at least on her side): she lived as long as she wanted to. I miss her desperately but I also recognize that she lived life on her own terms right up to the very last minutes of her life.
Found this blog somewhat accidentally, looking for info on R1b1b2a1a2d3*, my paternal haplogroup per recent 23&Me results. Just wondering if you perhaps uncovered any interesting info not found on 23&Me since your own testing?