Genetic profile updates -- yes!

Haven't been over to 23andme for a while, so I popped in to see if there were any updates to my genetic profile, and there were! Ongoing discoveries and updates are a couple of the many reasons why I love 23andme.

This time they had a couple of interesting profile updates, including a report that tells me how my genes affect my weight and how far back some of my ancestors from certain countries were and when they showed up in my ancestry.

Turns out I'm predisposed to weighing 11% more due to my genetic makeup.

In addition, my Scandinavian and Italian ancestors go way farther back than do my UK, Irish, French, and German ancestors. Interesting indeed!

I highly recommend 23andme. And hey, if you decide to order your own DNA kit, I'd love it if you'd use my referral code. I'll get a handy credit at Amazon if you do -- and you KNOW how I love eBooks!
http://refer.23andme.com/v2/share/6398733869105202177

From my 7 chromosomes to you, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

From the Irish DNA located on my chromosomes #6,7,8,10,12, 20, and 22, I wish a Happy St. Patrick's Day to those who celebrate it.

(Source: My 23andme DNA ancestry report. Want to get yours? Go here.)

[Ancestry] Great-grandparents -- maternal side

[Ancestry] My great-grandparents

My great-grandparents (maternal side), Wilson Washington Dilley & Lucy (Ray) Dilley

Photo provided by Norma Gray Ellis

[Genealogy] Connecting with another cousin

Just made contact with a 3rd or 4th cousin on my birth mother's side, thanks to 23andme. His 7th great-grandfather was Ellis Hughes, who came from Wales. He is also related to the Rays, as I am.

My great-grandmother, Lucy Anetta Ray, is related to William S. Ray. My great-grandmother was Tuckahoe Cherokee, according to Norma Ellis, the family historian/genealogist.

Need to pull out the info my brother, Jan, sent to me years ago as a birthday gift (it was the most important birthday gift anyone's ever given me--I'm so appreciative of him doing that!). Can't remember off the top of my head and haven't memorized nine generations of info on that side of the family, lol. But I'll check into it over the next few days when I get more time.

Edward (the cousin I connected with) has done some technical writing, but said it didn't come easy to him. He doesn't know anyone else in the family who writes. However, my birth mother, Fay, used to write song lyrics and performed/sang when she was younger.

Malcolm Gladwell (bestselling author of The Tipping Point, Outliers, and other books) is a DNA relative along my birth father's (paternal) line. So there's at least one writer/author from that side of the family tree.

I believe a propensity for writing, painting, music, and other types of creativity/artistry may have a genetic component. I'd like to see if that holds true for either side of my family tree. My son works as a technical writer and has a BFA in Dramatic Writing. My daughter is also a natural scribe, though hardly anyone knows that, save for me, Paul, & Jon.

Viking gravestone on the Isle of Barra

Source/photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/38200560@N08/4660867380/

This is a Viking gravestone on Cille Bharra, otherwise known as Scotland's Isle of Barra. My birth mother's ancestors (and thus mine as well) were of the MacNeil clan from the Isle of Barra in Scotland.

As noted in an article I posted a link to recently, the MacNeils always claimed descendancy from Niall Noígíallach, otherwise known as Niall of the Nine Hostages, a prominent high king of Ireland. However, after an ancestral DNA project was conducted on clan members from the Isle of Barra, it was discovered there was no trace of DNA to link the clan to Niall of the Nine Hostages.

Instead, much to most everyone's surprise, there turned out to be Viking DNA (Norwegain/Scandinavian) in the MacNeil clan's background. This made sense to me, because the vast majority of my DNA is from Northern Europe, with strands of DNA from Norway/Scandinavia represented in there.

For a person like me who was adopted, piecing together one's heritage is exciting after starting out not knowing *anything* about one's ancestry. I located my birth mother (and two birth brothers) back in 1999.

From there, I began gathering information and even corresponded with the family genealogist/historian, Norma. As I've said before, having my ancestral DNA done through 23andme.com was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I am now connected to over 900 of my DNA relatives through their database, including 1 first cousin I've never met and 17 second and third cousins, plus more ancestral connections beyond that.

I post about this stuff a lot, but it's one of the most important discoveries of my entire life. I want my children to know their history and ancestry from my side and their father's side. You quickly learn we are all connected some how, some way.

If you ever get the chance, you should spend $99 to find out about your ancestral DNA, whether it's from 23andme, Ancestry.com, or another reputable company. Even if you think you know a lot about your family and ancestors, I'll bet you'll find out things you never imagined -- with a few "Wow!" surprises in there for good measure!

Viking DNA? Yes! More about my Norse and Scottish ancestry

http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2015/01/15/dna-tests-prove-scots-clan-are-viking-not-irish/

DNA tests prove Scots clan are Viking not Irish

HOLY COW! Just ran across this article, and it's about Clan MacNeil, the clan that's connected to my birth mother's side. There is a Thomas MacNeil mentioned in the 9 generations of genealogy info I have from the family genealogist/historian. Because I can prove my ancestry from Clan MacNeil, if I wanted to visit the Isle of Barra, off of Scotland, I could visit there and also the clan castle. I'd love to do that some day!

The article makes total SENSE because I did my DNA ancestry through23andme.com and it came up with a shit-ton of Northern European, with Norwegian/Scandinavian. THIS is where that Viking/Norwegian link comes from! WOW. And I stumbled across this article by accident. Holy crap!

I was right all along -- that part of my DNA is related to this. I don't care if I'm not related to Irish royalty, because on my birth father's side, I'm related to two U.S. presidents AND a Russian Tsar.

This is so freaking exciting to me! Okay, now I'm ready to move to Norway or the Isle of Barra, where my Viking & Scottish ancestors lived.

From the article: "The clan was infamous throughout Scotland and beyond for its Viking-style pirating and great seamanship.

MacNeils raided the seas from their base at Kisimul Castle in Birlinn vessels – boats similar to the Viking longships.

Western Isles MP, Angus MacNeil, who also lives on Barra, said: 'The MacNeils were a notoriously pirating clan. It’s no surprise we have Norse DNA.
'Maybe we are the last vikings.'

The MP joked: '‘Conquer or die’ is the clan motto. Given the size of the island we ended up on we must have been better at the dying than the conquering.'"