Results of DNA Tests for Lynn Edwin Garn

Test Taken on or about 5 February 2013
Results Received on 5 April 2013

Includes Discussion of my Neanderthal DNA
Includes Discussion of Possibilities for American Indian Ancestry

The DNA test that I took reveals information about my ancestors, their origins and ethnicity or the ethnic group or groups that they belong to. The information discovered is about ancestors who lived long before any that I have ever heard about or have discovered through my genealogical research. The tests also reveal information about migrations of ancestors that may have occurred centuries ago.

The test was part of the Genographic 2.0 Beta Project led by the National Geographic to analyze historical DNA patterns for a large set of people and to use this to understand where we came from.

My main purpose in taking the test was to confirm, if possible, claims that at least one of my grandparents, and possibly even two of them, descended from American Indians. I also wanted to learn what percent of my DNA could be attributed to Neanderthal ancestors and whether or not I descended from any unexpected ethnic groups, such as Chinese or African, that I had never been told about. Finally, I was curious about the migrations that ancestors may have made thousands of years ago.

The technology for testing DNA has improved continuously from its inception. The rate of change is a bit like with computer technology where something you buy quickly becomes obsolete because of the improvements that come onto the market. Four years ago I took a DNA test that looked at a very small number of "markers" of my DNA. Now it is possible to test thousands of times more DNA "markers" for about the same price. And, as a result, it is possible to derive a lot more information about a person's origins.

All of the conclusions about ethnicity, origins, and migrations of my ancestors are also valid for my children, my grandchildren, my brothers, and their descendants. However, the percentages of ethnicity would be different for my children or the children of my brothers if they were to take the DNA test.

Some of the conclusions (autosomal-DNA results) are general conclusions that also apply to either my Garn or Nixon/Holly cousins, and possibly both. Since it is impossible to tell which parent that a particular strand of my autosomal-DNA came from, one cannot tell with certainty whether cousins on both my dad's and mother's side of the family could also have the same DNA and the same ethnicity. However, since all of my genealogical research suggests that my ancestors on both sides of my family have predominately European ancestry for several generations back, it seems safe to assume that most of my DNA on both sides of my family traces to European DNA and that conclusions based on autosomal-DNA should apply to cousins on both sides of my family.

Some of the conclusions (Y-DNA results) are valid for only my Garn cousins and their relatives. And some of the conclusions (mitochondrial-DNA results) are valid for only my Nixon and Holly cousins and their relatives. Check the Types of DNA topic to see why one applies only to the Garn cousins and one applies only to the Nixon/Holly cousins.

My discussion of the DNA results is divided into several sections as noted below. Click on the item to see the discussion of each topic.

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