Twolittleboys Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 So, I just got my 23andme results and for the most part they are as expected and fairly boring. I do know my family tree on one side pretty far back (late 1700s) but have little idea about my father's side. However, to the best of my knowledge all of my ancestors are from Germany (and on my mother's side from a fairly small part of it). The results I got pretty much agree with that (80+% German or general European). There is a fairly large amount of Czech but I think I know where that comes from (my father's maternal grandmother) and it isn't surprising given how close that is to Germany. However, the results also show a very small percentage of Sub-Saharan Africa (0.3%). Now that number seems really small and at first I figured it is just a leftover from way long ago - we all have African ancestors after all. But the way they show it on the website it seems it means something different. 23andme notes this likely means that I have a Sudanese ancestor who was likely born between 1700 and 1790. Pretty exciting but also very confusing! I just can't imagine how someone from the Sudan (or anywhere close) could have gotten into my family tree way back then. I don't imagine many moved from Africa to Europe back then? I know that some of you have quite a bit of experience with 23andme/genetics/genealogy so was wondering whether anyone has an idea? I know that small percentages can mean all kinds of stuff so is there any other explanation for this result? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 9 minutes ago, Twolittleboys said: So, I just got my 23andme results and for the most part they are as expected and fairly boring. I do know my family tree on one side pretty far back (late 1700s) but have little idea about my father's side. However, to the best of my knowledge all of my ancestors are from Germany (and on my mother's side from a fairly small part of it). The results I got pretty much agree with that (80+% German or general European). There is a fairly large amount of Czech but I think I know where that comes from (my father's maternal grandmother) and it isn't surprising given how close that is to Germany. However, the results also show a very small percentage of Sub-Saharan Africa (0.3%). Now that number seems really small and at first I figured it is just a leftover from way long ago - we all have African ancestors after all. But the way they show it on the website it seems it means something different. 23andme notes this likely means that I have a Sudanese ancestor who was likely born between 1700 and 1790. Pretty exciting but also very confusing! I just can't imagine how someone from the Sudan (or anywhere close) could have gotten into my family tree way back then. I don't imagine many moved from Africa to Europe back then? I know that some of you have quite a bit of experience with 23andme/genetics/genealogy so was wondering whether anyone has an idea? I know that small percentages can mean all kinds of stuff so is there any other explanation for this result? Those ethnicity results are constantly changing as the pool of samples increases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 I agree that it may change as time goes by. But yes, there was lots of movement between Europe and Africa in those years. My kids have ancestry from almost every part of the world. They are from Latin America and have a small amount apparently from Spanish settlers, who were probably mixed due to the trading routes etc. We all find it really cool and fascinating. I was bummed that my own ancestry was much more boring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted November 28, 2018 Author Share Posted November 28, 2018 Yes, I would definitely be excited to have something more exotic! However, I am not so sure about there being much movement between Europe and Africa. I can not imagine someone from Africa moving to a small town in Germany in the 1700s and being integrated (this is just my perception so I MAY be wrong). I definitely can see some sailor etc. having kids in Africa but not so much bringing them back to Germany. I guess I will have to look more into my father's family as I really can't see how it could be my mother's family (also that seems more likely based on the DNA). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 (edited) Even small amounts tend to be accurate at the continent level, I imagine this is accurate. We think of people in the past not moving around as much as now but people were moving all over the world in the 18th and 19th centuries. Maybe a German sailor or soldier in the 1800's brought back a 1/4 African wife from somewhere. Edited November 28, 2018 by maize 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 Germany had a colony in East Africa butting up against present day Sudan. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_former_German_colonies 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 You could use this tool https://dnapainter.com along with your 23andMe data and relative information to maybe narrow down which line the African DNA came through. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 Have you looked at the view that breaks down ethnicity by chromosome segments? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 This article might be some food for thought: https://blackpast.org/perspectives/black-presence-pre-20th-century-europe-hidden-history I fully expect to find some African ancestry on my father's side, because cousins have. It likely stems from Spain/Iberia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twolittleboys Posted November 29, 2018 Author Share Posted November 29, 2018 Hm, I will have to look at all the suggestions more in detail. I did look at the chromosome segments and I think it is on my father's side. Again, I wouldn't be surprised about the African if my ancestors lived in the US/Spain etc. but on my mother's side they have pretty much all lived in small towns in a limited area and as far as I can tell there were no sailors/soldiers etc. but small farmers etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 2 hours ago, Twolittleboys said: Yes, I would definitely be excited to have something more exotic! However, I am not so sure about there being much movement between Europe and Africa. I can not imagine someone from Africa moving to a small town in Germany in the 1700s and being integrated (this is just my perception so I MAY be wrong). I definitely can see some sailor etc. having kids in Africa but not so much bringing them back to Germany. I guess I will have to look more into my father's family as I really can't see how it could be my mother's family (also that seems more likely based on the DNA). The Moors were african - they were in power in Spain before that. european rulers would hire african mercenaries. there most definitely was contact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted November 29, 2018 Share Posted November 29, 2018 I don't understand why it is difficult to imagine African people in Europe in the 1700s. The Portuguese started enslaving Africans in the 1400s, and they didn't all come to the Americas. According to this article (http://users.humboldt.edu/ogayle/hist110/enslaved.html), " ... the practice of slavery had been in operation in Africa and in central Europe for centuries prior to the redirection of the trade to the Americas." Also, the graphic associated with this quote shows that .3 million slaves were transported from Africa to Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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